1. The Dentist’s Best Friend
Image credit: Zollipops
Alina Morse is one lucky girl. She has visited the White House not once but twice, and never as a tourist. Each time, she was an official guest, personally invited by none other than First Lady Michelle Obama
The enterprising Wolverine Lake, Mich., native presented the one and only candy at this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll -- a special treat she invented when she was just seven, with help from her dad, Tom (the co-creator of 5-Hour Energy).
Her sweets are fruit-flavored lollipops that her little sister, Lola, named Zollipops. There’s something unusual about them: They’re sweetened with a blend of xylitol, maltitol syrup, beetroot juice and stevia -- not with sugar.
“I love candy,” Alina tells Entrepreneur, “but I always knew it was bad for my teeth so that's why I created Zollipops. So I asked, ‘Why can’t we make a lollipop that’s delicious and good for your teeth?’”
She did just that in 2014, when she started up her company using $7,500 of savings from her grandparents. Soon, she took to the road to promote her candy creation, available in-store at Whole Foods and SuperValu and online on Amazon. She’s even pitched Shark Tank celeb investor Daymond John on Good Morning America and appeared on NBC News.
Zolli Drops sugar-free peppermints, earlier this year. On top of providing a teeth-friendly alternative to sugary suckers, Alina donates more than 10 percent of her profits to organizations dedicated to reducing the impact of childhood tooth decay. Now that’s something sweet to smile about.
Alina’s favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
“The most fun thing about being a kidpreneur and working on Zollipops is that I get to travel, meet lots of people and see lots of places. All around the world, we share Zollipops with many people and brighten their smiles!”
“The most fun thing about being a kidpreneur and working on Zollipops is that I get to travel, meet lots of people and see lots of places. All around the world, we share Zollipops with many people and brighten their smiles!”
Alina’s advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
“Always keep asking questions. You can do anything if you work hard, try and believe in yourself and never give up!”
“Always keep asking questions. You can do anything if you work hard, try and believe in yourself and never give up!”
2. The Sartorial Scholar
Image credit: David Heisler
By the age of 12, Isabella Rose Taylor had already sewn up an impressive accomplishment. It was one that even some of the most seasoned fashion designers would covet -- selling her own collection at Nordstrom.
The Austin, Texas, native’s pieces range from crop tops to graphic tees, mostly in black, white and grey. Those that feature patterns are inspired by her love of art. Many depict sketches of hands or splashes of paint, all in an abstract style. Soon after Isabella Rose became theyoungest designer ever to market a clothing line at the Seattle-based upscale retailer, the artistic young fashionista checked off another incredible accomplishment: showing off her hippie-chic designs atNew York Fashion Week.
Homeschooled and encouraged by her parents, Isabella Rose was bitten by the fashion bug when she was only eight. “From a young age, my parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams,” Isabella Rose tells Entrepreneur. “They told me I didn’t have to wait until I was older to be my own boss and do what I love.”
It wasn’t long before she stitched her entrepreneurial dreams into reality. As an early college student, accomplished painter and poet, Mensa member and Davidson Young Scholar, we’re not at all surprised by the prodigy’s speedy ascent.
Isabella Rose’s favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
“Like most entrepreneurs, I get to build a company around something I am passionate about, and then I get to watch it grow. I have also enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life. As an entrepreneur, networking is very important, and I’ve met people who’ve inspired me and I think I may have inspired others."
“Like most entrepreneurs, I get to build a company around something I am passionate about, and then I get to watch it grow. I have also enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life. As an entrepreneur, networking is very important, and I’ve met people who’ve inspired me and I think I may have inspired others."
Isabella Rose’s advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
"Starting a business is a lot of hard work. Don’t start a business unless you love what you do. Do a lot of research and planning to make sure there is a market for your product."
"Starting a business is a lot of hard work. Don’t start a business unless you love what you do. Do a lot of research and planning to make sure there is a market for your product."
3. The Motivational Speaker Who Wears His Positivity
Image credit: JYoungin Education
When he was 8 years old, Jeremiah “JYoungin” Jones had a vision to start his own fashion brand, JYoungin Education. “I saw my dad printing up promotional T-shirts and giving them away to get his own business going and I thought, ‘Why not me?’” he tells Entrepreneur. “Why not let me inspire my own peers and kids of all ages to be great?”
The teen motivational speaker, currently the youth commissioner of his home city of Long Beach, Calif., launched his clothing line in 2009. But it almost never happened. He said in his TEDx Talk that his dad didn’t want to help him make his business idea a reality. For two years, he tried to sell him on the concept. “He didn’t believe in me as much as I believed in myself,” he said in his talk. “Just because we’re so young, and I know we don’t run things around here, but, hey, we still have big dreams as well as you guys do.”
His father eventually came around to supporting his entrepreneurial dream, even making the “ultimate sacrifice” and moving his family out of their house and into an apartment. The brand has taken off ever since. First came the online store, then the brick-and-mortar location, and the sales have kept them both going and growing.
Today, Jeremiah also runs his own nonprofit organization to encourage area kids to excel in academics, sports, business and character development. “This way I can gain larger partnerships and donations to help me expand the overall goal of going global with the plan of motivating others everywhere.”
Jeremiah’s favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
“I like inspiring my own peers and seeing them actually take what I say and put it into action. I also get the chance to be boss, and my parents work for me.”
“I like inspiring my own peers and seeing them actually take what I say and put it into action. I also get the chance to be boss, and my parents work for me.”
Jeremiah’s advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
“Never let anyone discourage you or try to talk down on you and never give up. Follow your passion and you'll love what you do!”
“Never let anyone discourage you or try to talk down on you and never give up. Follow your passion and you'll love what you do!”
4. The Varsity Athlete Who Needed Tougher Equipment
Image credit: Rachel Zeitz
If you can’t find the product you need, invent it. That’s what Rachel Zietz did. The result: Gladiator Lacrosse, the ambitious Boca Raton, Fla., teen’s premium line of durable lacrosse equipment.
“It’s never too young to start,” she tells Entrepreneur. “I started when I was 13, and it was successful. Most people are afraid, but if you’re passionate about it, you’re never too young.”
The varsity athlete and high school sophomore honors student launched her sporty startup in 2013, largely out of frustration. Despite searching in stores and online, she was unable to get her hands on lacrosse gear that was sturdy enough to withstand rigorous practice on repeat.
“For me, if there's a problem, there's also an opportunity," she told the Sun Sentinel.
Rachel’s parents and younger brother are also entrepreneurs, so she scored in business right out of the gate. In her first year, she racked up$200,000 in revenue. A year later, she was on track to bank $1 millionin earnings.
Look out for the talented Young Entrepreneurs Academy graduate when she faces the “Sharks” on ABC’s Shark Tank, May 13 at 9 p.m. ET. You bet we’ll be watching -- and pulling for her.
Rachel’s favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
“I believe the best part is that I am able to pursue something that I love [business] and can inspire others that you are never too young to accomplish your dream. Also, it is amazing to run the day-to-day operations of the company and it is great to see the looks on people’s faces when they realize who is running the company!”
“I believe the best part is that I am able to pursue something that I love [business] and can inspire others that you are never too young to accomplish your dream. Also, it is amazing to run the day-to-day operations of the company and it is great to see the looks on people’s faces when they realize who is running the company!”
Rachel’s advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
“My advice to any aspiring young entrepreneurs is to make sure whatever you do, you are passionate about it. Passion is the key to success and it is what drives you to work through obstacles and challenges in your way.”
“My advice to any aspiring young entrepreneurs is to make sure whatever you do, you are passionate about it. Passion is the key to success and it is what drives you to work through obstacles and challenges in your way.”
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Culled from entrepreneurs. Com
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