Simone Hufana admits she’s pretty bad at time management. But give her a break—she’s only 19. She’s currently taking the semester off college to dive full-time into her business, Color Herstory. Simone created her brand out of a desire to see more representation of women of color in the world. Her coloring books introduce young girls to the amazing women that inspired her to love herself.
Benjamin Sehl still isn’t sure if he’s “made it.” But after years of building KOTN from his in-laws’ basement and spinning it into a powerhouse online social impact brand with two retail stores, he’ll cautiously admit that he feels successful. Here, he talks about running out of money (more than once), securing funding (then losing it), and that time The Weeknd’s fan base nearly shut down KOTN’s pop-up.
Only two months into middle school, Brianna J. is already a seasoned entrepreneur. This 11-year-old started her online kids’ apparel store, Brianna’s Closet, in 2017. When she’s not do-gooding or building her store, she’s working hard on her math homework and taking coding classes. But don’t worry: she still has lots of time for kid stuff, like binging her favorite cartoons.
Piper Williams didn’t like underwear. She found her brother’s boxer shorts preferrable, but the fit wasn’t quite right. That’s when the four-and-a-half-year-old had an idea: boxer shorts for girls. With the help of her brother, mom, and dad, Piper’s idea bloomed into My Pipers, a business that keeps the whole family busy. Get inside the minds of two kid entrepreneurs as they weigh in on everything from middle school to Simone Biles.
Chase Fisher struggled through school, envying those to whom academics came easy. Starting his own business, Blenders Eyewear, gave him an introduction to a different type of education. Through ups (getting featured onthe Today show) and downs (losing everything at a trade show), Chase thrived in the school of life. Now it’s his success that’s the subject of envy.
Charlie Kobdish is a kid of many talents—Monopoly, basketball, making jokes—but he’s most proud of his knack for business. This 12-year-old CEO runs a candied pecan company, Charlie’s Treats. One day, Charlie plans to be a politician, but for now he’s just focusing on being a seventh grader. Here, he shares with us his thoughts on everything from superheroes to sports to seasonal spices.
Between jazz, acro, and musical theater, Kamaria Warren is learning to be a boss too. In this homework assignment, the 10-year-old brains behind Brown Girls Stationery shares her big dreams—and her advice for other kids chasing their own.
When the 2008 financial recession hit, U.S. Army vet Carl Churchill and his family lived on dwindling emergency savings, selling their possessions to stay afloat. Then, he and his wife, Lori, cashed out their 401(k) to launch Alpha Coffee. Their family slowly grew the business out of their basement and into a physical storefront. Today, Alpha Coffee is a thriving business that gives back to the troops—and Carl and Lori hustle seven days a week to keep it that way.
With the support of his family, 12-year-old Jahkil Jackson runs Project I Am—an organization that provides the necessities of life to homeless communities in his native Chicago and beyond. Oh, and no big deal: he also runs an apparel business, speaks at events across the country, and tap dances on the side.
In our final episode of Vanguard, we speak to Bear Witness, co-founder of A Tribe Called Red, a Canadian DJ collective that blends hip-hop and EDM with traditional powwow drums and vocals. As a teen, Bear was part of the local rave scene. He began to wonder what raves would look like if they had a more focused goal. In response, he created A Tribe Called Red.
When her playful headwear design went viral, designer Gingie McLeod quit her day job to focus all her energy on her emerging brand, Saint Chic. But as quickly as the fickle fashion industry gave her the spotlight, it took it away. Two years after sales of the Paparazzi Visor took off, Gingie found herself with no income, starting over.
Native Poppy sprouted from meagre savings and a Yelp page, and it has since bloomed into a multi-location retail business. But along the way, Natalie Gill’s flower startup drained her bank account and plunged her deep into debt. In her own words, Natalie describes her darkest days—when she was “not okay” and the stress impacted her health, sleep, and personal relationships.
Simone Hufana admits she’s pretty bad at time management. But give her a break—she’s only 19. She’s currently taking the semester off college to dive full-time into her business, Color Herstory. Simone created her brand out of a desire to see more representation of women of color in the world. Her coloring books introduce young girls to the amazing women that inspired her to love herself.
Benjamin Sehl still isn’t sure if he’s “made it.” But after years of building KOTN from his in-laws’ basement and spinning it into a powerhouse online social impact brand with two retail stores, he’ll cautiously admit that he feels successful. Here, he talks about running out of money (more than once), securing funding (then losing it), and that time The Weeknd’s fan base nearly shut down KOTN’s pop-up.
Only two months into middle school, Brianna J. is already a seasoned entrepreneur. This 11-year-old started her online kids’ apparel store, Brianna’s Closet, in 2017. When she’s not do-gooding or building her store, she’s working hard on her math homework and taking coding classes. But don’t worry: she still has lots of time for kid stuff, like binging her favorite cartoons.
Piper Williams didn’t like underwear. She found her brother’s boxer shorts preferrable, but the fit wasn’t quite right. That’s when the four-and-a-half-year-old had an idea: boxer shorts for girls. With the help of her brother, mom, and dad, Piper’s idea bloomed into My Pipers, a business that keeps the whole family busy. Get inside the minds of two kid entrepreneurs as they weigh in on everything from middle school to Simone Biles.
Chase Fisher struggled through school, envying those to whom academics came easy. Starting his own business, Blenders Eyewear, gave him an introduction to a different type of education. Through ups (getting featured on the Today show) and downs (losing everything at a trade show), Chase thrived in the school of life. Now it’s his success that’s the subject of envy.
Charlie Kobdish is a kid of many talents—Monopoly, basketball, making jokes—but he’s most proud of his knack for business. This 12-year-old CEO runs a candied pecan company, Charlie’s Treats. One day, Charlie plans to be a politician, but for now he’s just focusing on being a seventh grader. Here, he shares with us his thoughts on everything from superheroes to sports to seasonal spices.
Between jazz, acro, and musical theater, Kamaria Warren is learning to be a boss too. In this homework assignment, the 10-year-old brains behind Brown Girls Stationery shares her big dreams—and her advice for other kids chasing their own.
When the 2008 financial recession hit, U.S. Army vet Carl Churchill and his family lived on dwindling emergency savings, selling their possessions to stay afloat. Then, he and his wife, Lori, cashed out their 401(k) to launch Alpha Coffee. Their family slowly grew the business out of their basement and into a physical storefront. Today, Alpha Coffee is a thriving business that gives back to the troops—and Carl and Lori hustle seven days a week to keep it that way.
With the support of his family, 12-year-old Jahkil Jackson runs Project I Am—an organization that provides the necessities of life to homeless communities in his native Chicago and beyond. Oh, and no big deal: he also runs an apparel business, speaks at events across the country, and tap dances on the side.
In our final episode of Vanguard, we speak to Bear Witness, co-founder of A Tribe Called Red, a Canadian DJ collective that blends hip-hop and EDM with traditional powwow drums and vocals. As a teen, Bear was part of the local rave scene. He began to wonder what raves would look like if they had a more focused goal. In response, he created A Tribe Called Red.
When her playful headwear design went viral, designer Gingie McLeod quit her day job to focus all her energy on her emerging brand, Saint Chic. But as quickly as the fickle fashion industry gave her the spotlight, it took it away. Two years after sales of the Paparazzi Visor took off, Gingie found herself with no income, starting over.
Native Poppy sprouted from meagre savings and a Yelp page, and it has since bloomed into a multi-location retail business. But along the way, Natalie Gill’s flower startup drained her bank account and plunged her deep into debt. In her own words, Natalie describes her darkest days—when she was “not okay” and the stress impacted her health, sleep, and personal relationships.
Benjamin Sehl still isn’t sure if he’s “made it.” But after years of building KOTN from his in-laws’ basement and spinning it into a powerhouse online social impact brand with two retail stores, he’ll cautiously admit that he feels successful. Here, he talks about running out of money (more than once), securing funding (then losing it), and that time The Weeknd’s fan base nearly shut down KOTN’s pop-up.
Only two months into middle school, Brianna J. is already a seasoned entrepreneur. This 11-year-old started her online kids’ apparel store, Brianna’s Closet, in 2017. When she’s not do-gooding or building her store, she’s working hard on her math homework and taking coding classes. But don’t worry: she still has lots of time for kid stuff, like binging her favorite cartoons.
Piper Williams didn’t like underwear. She found her brother’s boxer shorts preferrable, but the fit wasn’t quite right. That’s when the four-and-a-half-year-old had an idea: boxer shorts for girls. With the help of her brother, mom, and dad, Piper’s idea bloomed into 
Chase Fisher struggled through school, envying those to whom academics came easy. Starting his own business, Blenders Eyewear, gave him an introduction to a different type of education. Through ups (getting featured on
Charlie Kobdish is a kid of many talents—Monopoly, basketball, making jokes—but he’s most proud of his knack for business. This 12-year-old CEO runs a candied pecan company, Charlie’s Treats. One day, Charlie plans to be a politician, but for now he’s just focusing on being a seventh grader. Here, he shares with us his thoughts on everything from superheroes to sports to seasonal spices. 
Between jazz, acro, and musical theater, Kamaria Warren is learning to be a boss too. In this homework assignment, the 10-year-old brains behind Brown Girls Stationery shares her big dreams—and her advice for other kids chasing their own.
With the support of his family, 12-year-old Jahkil Jackson runs Project I Am—an organization that provides the necessities of life to homeless communities in his native Chicago and beyond. Oh, and no big deal: he also runs an apparel business, speaks at events across the country, and tap dances on the side. 
In our final episode of 
When her playful headwear design went viral, designer Gingie McLeod quit her day job to focus all her energy on her emerging brand, Saint Chic. But as quickly as the fickle fashion industry gave her the spotlight, it took it away. Two years after sales of the Paparazzi Visor took off, Gingie found herself with no income, starting over.
Native Poppy sprouted from meagre savings and a Yelp page, and it has since bloomed into a multi-location retail business. But along the way, Natalie Gill’s flower startup drained her bank account and plunged her deep into debt. In her own words, Natalie describes her darkest days—when she was “not okay” and the stress impacted her health, sleep, and personal relationships.