The future may be bright for these six amazing girlpreneurs but the present is pretty sunny as well. Their products are sold nationwide in stores such as Wal-Mart and Target and their stories are inspirational. Learn more about these girls below:
Coder Bunnyz
Samaira Mehta was only seven years old when she had her entrepreneurial light bulb moment. She invented Coder Bunnyz with a mission to teach kids, and kids-at-heart, how to code in a fun way. Coder Bunnyz combines the fun elements of a board game with the computer programming language and artificial intelligence of computers. To date, Samaira has done over 40 workshops with her Coder Bunnyz board game in Silicon Valley and has started a “Girls U Code” initiative for underrepresented girls. Samaira’s impressive startup journey also includes speaking engagements throughout Silicon Valley. What are her ambitious yet totally doable plans for her business? “Get all the billion kids in the world access to coding tools by 2030.”
Earrings by Emma
Emma has always had sensitive ears. Three years ago, when she couldn’t find hypoallergenic earrings to buy and wear, she decided to start her own jewelry line of non-allergic earrings. And Earrings by Emma was born! Today, 11-year-old Emma continues to design and sell stylish earrings with plastic posts, hooks, and locks that don’t irritate the ears. As a young entrepreneur, Emma’s also pretty insightful when it comes to advising fellow girlpreneurs: “Find a market that isn’t being served and serve it. Or, find a need or a problem that hasn’t been solved, and innovate a new product or solution.”
Goddess Food Factory
13-year-old Simone Bridges is a kid chef from Jacksonville, Florida who loves baking as much as she adores STREAM (science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and mathematics). Her business, Goddess Food Factory, which she started when she was only 11 years old, sells baking kits. These kits teach kids how to convert measurements accurately and bake sweets perfectly with the help of the baking tools included. As a motivational speaker, Chef Simone encourages kids to take up baking and cooking and empowers them to appreciate the magic (aka STREAM) behind every culinary creation. She’s also a big entrepreneurial dreamer and planner; she wants to have her own branded cookware, chef apparel, and interactive online companion to her baking kits someday.
Ooh La Lemon
It all started with a lemonade stand! Best friends Katie Vonder Haar and Hailey Hertzman are two thirteen-year-olds from Louisville, Kentucky and the winners of the 2017 Lemonade Day National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year contest. And they’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug ever since. They’ve branched out from their lemonade stand business and now sell trendy fruit-themed products (with lots of lemonade designs!) through their online website and pop-up shop. One of their bestselling products, the Lemontastic Leash set, was even included in the swag bag for the Emmy’s VIP party just this past September. The Today Show interviewed Katie and Hailey recently and asked what they’ve learned so far as young teen entrepreneurs: “We learned that a business plan is important because it prepares you for everything you need to know to make your business successful.”
Rose & Co. Candlemakers
“Because business is a girl’s game.” That’s the motto of Rose & Co. Candlemakers in New Jersey, owned and run by 11-year-old Rose. Rose started making candles when she was eight as a way to welcome new neighbors to her neighborhood, then went on to sell candles at one of her mom’s trunk shows. Eventually, she decided to have a candle sale at her home and now sells her soy wax candles at fairs, popup markets, and through their website. Rose & Co. Candlemakers makes natural soy wax, cotton wick, dye-free candles. Their annual scents include Rose, Lemon Verbena, and Vanilla Macadamia Nut Coffee, and they add seasonal scents throughout the year.
Zollipops
When Alina was seven years old, she was at the bank with her dad and a teller offered her a lollipop. She was immediately torn: She wanted to accept but had heard her parents say candy was bad for teeth. So, she asked her dad, “Why can’t we make a lollipop that’s good for your teeth?” In 2014, the first Zollipops® hit the shelves, and Alina became known as the “Lollipop Girl.” And the name? Alina’s little sister, Lola, tried to pronounce one of the teeth-friendly ingredients in the candy. She said “Zollipops,” and that’s what stuck. Alina is now 14, and in August 2018, she became the youngest person ever featured on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine. Zollipops are sold nationwide at Whole Foods, Kroger stores, Wal-Mart and Amazon.com. Through their One Million Smiles initiative, 10 percent of profits are given to schools and organizations to support oral health education.
One of these amazing girlpreneurs will be profiled in the second book in the The Startup Squad series to be released on May 5, 2020. To vote for your favorite, head over here before October 30th. Girls Mean Business!
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