Mikaila Ulmer brainstormed an idea for the Acton Children’s Business Fair and Austin’s Lemonade Day at the age of four. Her family encouraged her to enter the competition, but it wasn’t until a couple strange events occurred before an idea sprung into her mind. While brainstorming an id
ea, Mikaila was stung by a bee twice, and then her grandma sent a 1940’s cookbook with a special flax-seed lemonade recipe hidden amongst the abundant amount of recipes. It was at this moment that Mikaila decided to sell her grandmother’s lemonade recipe and donate a portion of the proceeds towards saving the honeybees. Mikaila sweetens her lemonade with local honey, which helps promote her efforts to protect honeybees. Mikaila has worked hard to understand the importance of honeybees, and now she works hard to make others aware of how the environment depends on the honeybees’ pollination process. When Mikaila isn’t selling her lemonade, she is leading workshops on how to save the honeybees. She is only fourteen, but she is determined to protect something she loves.
I am impressed by how Mikaila created something important to her at such a young age. Mikaila stumbled across the idea, but research and further thought helped shape the two occurrences that presented themselves into a successful innovative product. On her website, it shares the Mikaila is still developing and adapting her product, which is an example of the material learned in class. Even though one has a good idea, it may need adjusted in order to maintain success. Also, Mikaila used the support around her throughout this process. We learned that bouncing ideas off of other people can generate great success, and that is exactly what Mikaila did with her family. It was the help of those around her that helped create a successful business idea. Mikaila is a great example of a young entrepreneur, and it was cool to see how she created a product from two random events. All it takes is some creative thinking to combine everyday occurrences.
I am impressed with this story, and also inspired. I thought it was really cool to see someone at such a young age doing as much as she is doing. Most kids her age would want to go out with her friends or whatever; not spending time thinking of a product. I guess passion for something is was separates ideas from action.