During this time youth are looking to understand and learn how to develop the abilities needed in their generation to become innovators, creators and entrepreneurs. Here we look at some of the brightest young business talents who can inspire other young people to take up the challenge of finding their place in the modern world. These young entrepreneurs have grasped the opportunities that technology and other breakthroughs have given them.
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh
First, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh Founder of the US-based online magazine MuslimGirl, which she started eight years ago at the age of 17. Amani grew up in New Jersey and wrote a book about her experiences called Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age. When her first #MuslimWomensDay became the top trending hashtag in March, she said: “When we dig up that courage in ourselves to share our authentic stories with the world, we unknowingly inspire the courage in others to do the same.”
You can learn more about her on Wikipedia here
Jason Li
Second, Jason Li Founded iReTron. A 15-year-old with a dream borrowed two thousand dollars from his parents and started up his own company. Li buys and refurbishes technology and old electronics to turn a profit. He believes that the best advice for a young entrepreneur is to never lose sight of your dream. You can check out iReTron Facebook page here while their main page is down for maintenance.
Zandra Cunningham
Third, Zandra Cunningham, Founder & CEO of Zandra Beauty 12 years ago, when Zandra was 9 years old, she really wanted a lip balm, but her parents rejected her request. She created a business out of handmade lip balms and other plant-based bath and body products under her brand, Zandra Beauty on her own. Besides managing a beauty empire as a teen entrepreneur, Zara advocates for girls’ education and contributes 10% of her company’s net profits to organizations that empower women and young girls across the globe through STEAM education and entrepreneurship. When some beauty stores closed shop during the pandemic last year, Zandra shifted gears from B2B (business-to-business) deals to e-commerce sales. She also re-tooled manufacturing to add cruelty-free hand sanitizers to her product line.
Mikaila Ulmer
Finally, Mikaila Ulmer, Founder & CEO of Me and the Bees Lemonade. After being stung twice by bees, overcame her fear of bees by learning everything she could about them and their ways. She was no longer afraid of bees and discovered that their honey was apart of the recipe to her grandmother’s flaxseed lemonade.
She started selling her honey lemonade beverage at a local Children’s Business Fair, and everyone loved it. Still, Mikaila realized that she needed to scale up if she wanted to grow her biz beyond the lemonade stand.
She pitched her business on Shark Tank at the age of 9 years old and went home with a $60,000 investment deal. She was recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s Top 30 Most Influential Teens in 2017. Nowadays, when she’s not supporting bee-saving organizations or managing her company, 16-year-old Mikaila’s busy promoting her book, Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid.
In conclusion, hopefully these short stories of the young entrepreneurs will inspire you guys to begin your business plan. Remember anything is possible as long as your passionate about your business.
Handout
Did you like the inspiration stories of other young entrepreneurs? Do they make you want to pursue your own ideas, passions and dreams as an entrepreneur yourself but you are not exactly sure how to go about it? Here’s a starting point for you. Go over this handout and see if it can guide & help you to start making your ideas into a reality.
