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You’ve heard about 30 under 30 lists (and other lists) that celebrate entrepreneurs under a certain age for achieving greatness. Did you ever imagine a list featuring entrepreneurs as young as 9 years old?
Age doesn’t equal success, and no one knows that more than the young entrepreneurs on this list. They don’t need a driver’s license or high school diploma to transform their ideas into thriving businesses.
Here are 15 companies started by amazing young entrepreneurs.
From the young age of 9, Jelani Jones loved bath products. Eventually, her love of bath products became Lani Boo Bath. Jelani visited farmers markets and tested as many products as she could find. One of those vendors became her mentor, and Jelani turned her bath product hobby into a lucrative career.
After being challenged by her father to create the same products she loved from her favorite health and beauty stores, 10-year-old Hannah Grace started what would become her own bath bomb business called BeYOUtiful. You can find her products on her website. Hannah donates 20% of every purchase to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, as she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was an infant.
Slime took the kid world by storm, and Maddie Rae, 12, made a business out of it, Maddie Rae’s Slime Glue. She combined her love of making slime with her difficulty in finding glue in stores. It took a lot of trial and error, but she succeeded. Maddie has expanded her online store to feature a range of slime, slime glue and slime accessories.
Brandon, 13, and Sebastian Martinez, 11, sell their funky and creative socks to elevate people’s style while also helping the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund and Autism Speaks. Since 2014, Are You Kidding has partnered with schools across the U.S. to provide socks for school fundraisers.
If you’ve ever found yourself wearing socks or leggings and wishing there were pockets, Sofi Overton, 13, has the product for you: Wise Pocket. Sofi’s inspiration came when she saw her cousin put her phone in her boot because her leggings had no pockets. Sofi got to work and created a sock with a pocket capable of securely holding a phone. In addition to socks, Sofi sells leggings with pockets.
After entering a children’s business competition at the age of 4, Mikaila Ulmer needed an idea. Her inspiration came from two serendipitous events: She was stung by a bee and, around the same time, a family member sent Mikaila her great-grandmother’s recipe for flaxseed lemonade. Mikaila decided for her business idea that she wanted to create a product that would help the honeybees and that utilized her Granny Helen’s lemonade recipe. Me & the Bees Lemonade was born. The now-14-year-old’s products can be found at Whole Foods.
Maya Penn founded Maya’s Ideas in 2008 when she was just 8 years old. The company sells environmentally sustainable fashion accessories, and Penn is the CEO and designer behind Maya’s Ideas. Now 19 years old, Penn is the activist behind Maya’s Ideas 4 the Planet, where 10% of profits go to various charities and environmental organizations. Penn speaks to audiences across the U.S. and is the author of You Got This! Unleash Your Awesomeness, Find Your Path and Change the World.
Evan Moana was named YouTube’s youngest millionaire in 2016. He started EvanTubeHD when he was in fourth grade. On his channel, which has over 6 million subscribers, he reviews kids’ toys. Evan and his sister, Jillian, also take on kid-friendly challenges, such as an Oreo challenge and a super-gross smoothie challenge. All the money Evan raises through sponsorships and advertisements and his earnings are invested in college funds and investments for Evan and Jillian.Â
Set to graduate high school in 2020, Moziah Bridges started Mo’s Bows in his grandmother’s kitchen when he was 9 years old. Bridges says his desire to find a sharp-looking fashion accessory was the inspiration for his business. The internationally recognized business has motivated Bridges to study fashion design in college. In addition to bow ties, Bridges’ Memphis-based company sells neckties, pocket squares and apparel.
When Cory Nieves was 6 years old, he dreamed of saving up for his own car because he was tired of taking the bus to school. The enterprising Cory initially sold hot cocoa and lemonade but soon began a quest to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie using all-natural ingredients. After trial and error, Cory and his mother, Lisa, perfected their recipe, and Mr. Cory’s Cookies was born. Through the cookie business, Cory has worked with Whole Foods, Williams Sonoma, J. Crew and Pottery Barn.
One of Mark Cuban’s (Cuban is featured on ABC’s Shark Tank) investments is eco-friendly body products company Nohbo. Nohbo Drops are single-use, water-soluble packets containing shampoo, conditioner, body wash or shaving cream. They contain no harsh chemicals, parabens or sulfates and, best of all, generate no plastic waste. Benjamin Stern came up with the idea when he was in ninth-grade biology class.
Known as Detroit’s youngest entrepreneur, Asia Newson, age 14, makes and sells her handmade candles through her company, Super Business Girl. Asia has been featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and America’s Got Talent, and she was a keynote speaker for TEDxDetroit. Asia’s mother and father serve as president and director of sales, respectively, for Super Business Girl.
Now 16 years old, Nic Bianchi started Bianchi Candle Co. when he was 12. His love of math, science and candles, led him to create wonderful-smelling, all-natural, handmade candles. Each batch of Bianchi’s candles are hand-poured in small batches and made of all-natural soy wax that burns longer and cleaner.
Caleb Nelson, age 16, who lives in Cedar City, Utah, opened Romeo’s Rickshaws with his dad in 2017. The pedicab business started during the Utah Shakespearean Festival, one of the biggest tourist events in Cedar City and the state. Nelson doesn’t charge for rides, though he accepts tips. Nelson’s rickshaws are also available for weddings and other events.
Miracle Olatunji started OpportuniMe when she was in high school as a way to help high school students connect with opportunities to help them decide on a career, build their network and develop their passions before going to college. Now 19 years old, Olatunji continues to work with OpportuniMe and is the director of innovation at Thrive. She is the author of Purpose: How to Live and Lead with Impact.
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