Enzo Monfre is founder and CEO of Enzoology Education, a company specializing in science curriculum development. He creates video and other high interest content for science classrooms. Enzo is eleven.
Mikala Ulmer created BeeSweet Lemonade, making lemonade sweetened with honey from the family’s bees. Mikala is seven.
Charlie Sandefer’s company is Ask Dr. C. He provides answers to questions for the low, low price of 50 cents. Charlie is ten. Dr. C says the part of his business model he likes the best is the lack of any overhead whatsoever. All he has to do is set up on any street corner and in the course of a day he makes up to $100 just by dispensing answers.
Jocelyn Chamber’s company, Sweets by Jocylyn, sells the cupcakes she bakes and markets. Jocelyn also blogs at
http://thecupcakedictionary.blogspot.com/.
Enzo is the host of Enzoology’s videos and does research for the content of the videos. Flying airplanes, excavating with archeologists, and tracking garter snakes are just a few of the things he has undertaken for his company. His father produces the video and his mother and several others participate in the company.
Each young entrepreneur has a charity to which they give part of the proceeds of their business. Mikala gives 20 percent of her profits to research addressing the diseases threatening honeybees.
Remarkably, each of the “BizKids” featured in the panel was able to articulate their business plan, and talk about their start-up costs and challenges. Families have played important roles in the development of their business, and one young entrepreneur acknowledges being a “serial entrepreneur” who has at least one parent who is an entrepreneur.
The panel was moderated by Sonia Gaillard, an entrepreneur and inventor who holds technology patents with the U.S. Patent Office and is certified as a designer of entrepreneurship curriculum, as well as an instructor. She leads the development of the Entrepreneurship Center for Economic and Social Innovation, a youth entrepreneurship program for high school youth at St. Michaels Catholic Academy in Austin, Texas.
A group of members of St. Michaels Catholic Academy’s club for young entrepreneurs attended and showed their support for the four BizKids panelists.
Programs for young entrepreneurs teach the value of philanthropic giving and service learning, encourage participation in business plan competitions, public speaking, and provide opportunities to shadow those in various jobs as well as for the participants to develop numerous skill sets and a confidence that will serve them well in life.