The dream of becoming your own boss is everyone's aspiration.
For many years, the number of people who have taken the high road of business has grown exponentially. Some even came from the youth sector and have taken the world by storm!
Indeed, there's no age requirement for one to qualify as a business owner. The young entrepreneurs on this list have proven that. Kids selling their million-dollar idea and putting up a startup in this internet age is more plausible than before. All it takes is your parental support and a sprinkle of inspiration to steer them down the right path.
If you want to inspire your kid entrepreneurs, then you came to the right place. We selected ten young entrepreneurs that leveled the business playing field. They opened the eyes of people to the potential of the young for marketing!
10 Young Entrepreneurs That Made an Impact
Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Matthew Mullenweg (WordPress), Pete Cashmore (Mashable), and many more.
We're sure you've heard of these successful young entrepreneurs. These people have found their fortune at an early age and are now enjoying the fruits of their labor.
But there are countless more top youngest entrepreneurs your kids can learn from. Stories of what inspired them to be young business owners and how they made that happen.
The most common complaint among old entrepreneurs who bloomed late is that they didn't sell their ideas sooner. Ironically, young entrepreneurs often make the excuse that they're too young to start a business. But, apart from the bureaucratic rules, there is no age requirement before owning a business.
Let these 10 top youngest entrepreneurs ignite that inspiration on your kids!
1. Hart Main
Source:
medium.com
Hart Main was only 13 years old when he conceptualized his business. First, he teased his sister for selling girly scented candles in school for a fundraiser. But he later reconsidered the idea and thought of masculine-themed scented candles.
With a small contribution from his family, the young entrepreneur started the business. Using soup cans, he and his family developed the scented candles that they called ManCans. Some of the scents include Granda's Pipe, Sawdust, Bacon, and Gun Powder.
His products are sold in many stores across the US, with sales exceeding six figures a year. Main's story is an inspiration to young entrepreneurs. No matter how simple you think of an idea, make it a reality.
After all, who would've thought manly candles would click?
2. Caine Monroy
Source:
medium.com
Another one entering the list of young entrepreneurs is Caine Monroy. The child wonder who made makeshift arcades inside his father's auto parts store. You might've heard of this young CEO from news outlets like ABC World News and Good Morning America.
He was nine and creative when he started Caine's Arcade. With hopes to earn some dough, he made arcades using cardboard, tape, and his imagination. An avid customer then created a buzz of Caine's efforts, and his business became publicly known. Patrons started visiting the media featuring him, and he was able to raise his college fund.
The most significant impact of Caine's arcade is the movement it birthed. The Imagination Foundation took inspiration from Caine's example to encourage the youth to engage in creativity and entrepreneurship.
3. Fraser Doherty
Source:
25hournews.com
It all began as a humble replication of his grandma's jam recipe; he named it SuperJam. Next, Doherty began selling to his neighbors the jams he made, which were well received. He then proceeded to trade in farmer's market, and the word of his SuperJam got out.
It was in 2007 when his world completely changed. A high-end UK supermarket approached the young entrepreneur about selling his jams in their stores. As a result, his products gained shelf space in 184 stores, and he started earning six figures in sales in that same year.
As a motivational speaker, Doherty continues to inspire young entrepreneurs to this day. On top of SuperJam, the young CEO owns two other businesses.
4. Jack Kim
Source: investopedia.com
The then-teenager Jack Kim was a freshman when he started making websites. The future social entrepreneur thought of making a website that does charity. This inkling eventually led to Benelab, a search engine that generates donations.
Kim and his team donated 100% of the ad revenues gained from the search engine to charity. This was in line with their mission "to make philanthropy easy and more accessible."
They were the world's first search engine to have done so, thanks to the young entrepreneurs and their social initiative.
5. Catherine & Dave Cook
Source: wsj.com
Along with her brother Dave, Catherine Cook is the next on this list of successful young entrepreneurs.
It was a unique circumstance how the multi-million idea sparked in them. The siblings were looking at a yearbook one time and thought it would be a splendid idea to launch an online version of yearbooks. The simple thought process ultimately led to their creation of MyYearbook.com.
Dave was already proficient at startups since he made EssayEdge.com and ResumeEdge.com prior. Catherine used these websites as inspiration in launching MyYearbook. Later, the website merged with an ad-supported site that allowed users to upload their quizzes online.
In 2011, Latino social media network Quepasa acquired MyYearbook for $100 million.
6. Sabine Sipunova
Source:
transformingthenation.com.au
Sabine Sipunova is the co-founder and COO of Sorry as a Service (SaaS). This cleverly named company is an effective platform for customer retention of B2C companies.
Sipunova is one of the young entrepreneurs who have extensive experience building up to her success. She was proficient with B2B clients and social media strategies prior. This vast knowledge of the biz paved the way to her successful enterprise.
SaaS aims to bring back a personal touch in restoring customer relationships. Companies hire them to send personalized gifts to their clients. Whether it's a peace offering for a faux-pas or a thank you note, they will send it on behalf of the company. They send handmade gifts to customers all over the world in a classic post system.
7. Kevin Smiley
Source: nationalobserver.com
Businesses are not only medium for revenues but are also forces for good. That is what Kevin Smiley stood for when he put up SuraiTea, a tea packaging enterprise.
Smiley, like Jack Kim, is one of the young entrepreneurs who advocated for social change in their business. Smiley created high-value jobs for displaced Syrian refugees in Canada when the war broke out. During the war. The initiative led to employment opportunities and donations to aid refugee resettlement in the country.
The young CEO believes that people must use their skills for good. That is precisely what the young business owner did with SuraiTea.
8. Rainier Mallol
Source: innovatorsunder35.com
Rainier Mallol might be the most relevant for the young entrepreneurs in this list, especially in the coronavirus. This young business owner co-founded AIME, an epidemiology company that developed tools to predict major disease outbreaks.
The infectious disease surveillance system he developed has been aiding world governments in addressing diseases before they happen. As a result, they transform disease response from a reactive to a proactive approach using AI and modern technology.
9. Bonnie Chiu
Source: thirdsector.co.uk
"Life is all about sharing. If we are good at something, pass it on." -Mary Berry.
Bonnie Chiu might be the young entrepreneur embodiment of the quote above. Bonnie used her passion for photography to kickstart Lensational. This non-profit social enterprise strives to equip marginalized women with the same skill. The company gave cameras and free photography training to women all over the globe.
Since their 2013 launch, they've expanded their team to over 50 volunteers and have taught over 400 women across 20 countries. The goal of Lensational is to give voice to the underrepresented women from Asia and Africa through photography. Ultimately, upscale their skills to become their sources of livelihood.
10. Richard Ludlow
Source: vanitystardom.com
Ludlow demonstrated that businesses are not always about cash. People can use businesses as media for a far more significant and noble cause. He strived to turn the web into a free learning hub that provides quality education minus the cost. When he was 22, he dismissed regular job opportunities to bring this vision to life through AcademicEarth.org.
With the help of his team of young entrepreneurs and various financiers, the website now offers more than 1500 recordings of lessons coming from top universities, including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Understudies may pursue education in various subjects ranging from business to history.
Successful Young Entrepreneurs FAQ
What is a young entrepreneur?
A young entrepreneur can be a kid or a young adult who took the risk of creating a business. They are young individuals who believe that risks associated with startups can convert to profits and growth opportunities if overcome—people who pursue opportunities that do not see risks as barriers.
Can anyone be a young entrepreneur?
Yes. Anyone can be a young entrepreneur. Some are naturally born with the qualities of one but parents can always young entrepreneurs from their kids.
The key is expanding your kid's horizons. Look for opportunities that are not yet exploited and determine the value of pursuing such an enterprise. We have an article that teaches how to transform children into kid entrepreneurs.
What are the traits of young entrepreneurs?
There are generally 12 entrepreneurial traits that determine success among kids. We discussed them in detail in one of our articles, but here is a rundown of them all:
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Openness to New Experiences
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Innovativeness and Creativity
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Optimism
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Diligence and Industriousness
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Confidence
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Hunger for Opportunities
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Responsibility
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The "I can do better" Attitude
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Leadership
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Likeability
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Adaptability and Resilience
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Empathy
The Secret to Build Your Young Entrepreneur
TheSTEMKids is also one of those passions that turned into a business. The fascination for science shifted into a dream of building young scientists among kids with the help of toys.
Remember that young entrepreneurs are made, not born.
Suppose you want to inspire kids to venture into business or pursue a career path. In that case, the secret is expanding their horizons. Expose them to media that can teach them beyond what schools do.
And what better ways to do this than through toys.
Searching for horizon-expanding toys? The STEMscope Pocket Microscope is a great value for money option, to begin with. Try it and see your young entrepreneurs blossom when you let their curiosity come to life.