8 year old, Maya Penn wanted to build a sustainable fashion brand. Her mother told her, “Figure out how to do that and what you need to accomplish that goal.” She took this advice and ran with it. Penn started out by turning old clothing in her own house to make accessories like headbands and scarves. At 10, she built her own website to sell her goods online. Her sales took off and she started to get recognized for her eco-friendly mission and success.
Now 24, Penn has since launched an animation studio, given three TED talks, won the 2013 Black Enterprise Teenpreneur of the Year Award, been featured in Forbes magazine (at ten years old), been celebrated by Oprah, and featured in various other magazines and news platforms.
Penn has also been involved in other projects in addition to her fashion brand. In 2016, she animated a short film in an effort to get Congress to consider building a national women’s history museum in D.C. Penn has also launched a nonprofit business which sends eco-friendly sanitary products to women and girls in Haiti, Senegal, Somalia, and more. In addition, Penn has written a book about young entrepreneurship that is being taught in schools across the globe. Her book encourages young students to engage in efforts for the social good, creativity, and innovative entrepreneurship.
Maya’s story is inspiring because she used the materials she had in her home to foster her creativity and sustainable vision for fashion. She has worked from a very young age to care for the environment and for those less fortunate than most and has, as a result, had a widespread influence and many platforms on which to share her story and vision.
Check out Maya’s website here!
Sources:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/meet-16-teen-founders-who-are-building-big-businesses/337852
Maya’s website
This is such an incredible story! I always love reading about entrepreneurial endeavors in which the parents are supportive and encouraging of their children’s aspirations. Just that little bit of advice from her mom was all Maya needed to hit the ground running with her own business. I am absolutely amazed by her success and by the number of projects she has undertaken. It is so inspirational to see the impact she has had in the world!