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Teen Business Stories
- Ian Abston — JA of Wisconsin, Inc.
- Kaiser Ahmed — Greenford, UK
- Peter Foti — North Syracuse, NY
- Seth Flowerman — Morristown, NJ
- Brian Hendricks — Potomac, MD
- Nicole Knothe — Eden Prairie, MN
- Neil Kurowsky — JA of Central Florida, Inc.
- Dain Mckeon — Colorado Springs, CO
- Shreyans Parekh Cerritos, CA
- Ilana Rothbein — Manasquan, NJ
- Rohan Singh — JA of Greater Puget Sound
 Ian Abston — Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Inc.
Ian Abston only had one Junior Achievement experience. As it turns out, the experience made quite an impact on the Elkhart Lake High School student from Wisconsin. In just four short hours, he was inspired to start his own business!
“After the JA Business Bowl, I started tracking stocks and bonds,” claims Ian. “I also became interested in starting my own business.”
The birth of “2 Buff Guys,” a company specializing in lawn care and other handy man type jobs soon followed. With large investments in advertising and promotions (business cards, flyers, “buff hours”), “2 Buff Guys” netted nearly $10,000 last summer alone! Ian and his partner have recently hired more workers to keep up with the demand, and have been sub-contracted with established landscaping businesses.
“The best thing about running my own business is the responsibility,” says Ian. “I like being in charge.”
Sounds like this “Buff” guy has brains and brawn—a compelling combination.
 Kaiser
Ahmed — Greenford, UK
Kaiser Ahmed is the 14-year-old chairman of "Quick-Learn Education," a
free, online learning service.
At 12, Ahmed had to start from scratch, having no money to
invest in his company. Beginning with a vision and a solid
business plan, he overcame many obstacles to get where he is
today. In fact, just as Ahmed was putting the finishing touches
on his website, preparing to launch his company, he fell victim
to an online hacker, and lost everything he worked so hard to
achieve. Not letting this incident deter him or his dreams,
Ahmed started over. Rebuilding the website, ramping up
advertising efforts, and enlisting the help of volunteers, his
dream once again became a reality.
Today, the site contains 22 lesson plans which help students
15 and under with a variety of topics they may have difficulties
with in school. Ahmed’s dedicated network of student volunteers
help him create the lessons, which are approved by educators,
and offer online student-to-student tutoring.
Kaiser Ahmed displays many of the qualities seen in great
entrepreneurs. His determination, coupled with an extremely
innovative and creative business sense has allowed him to reach
his goal. And at 14, he is confident that there is truly no
limit to his potential. Learn more about his business at
www.quicklearn.co.nr.
 Peter Foti — North Syracuse, New York
Peter Foti is a JA Alum and president of the extremely innovative PowerPC Online, a business specializing in the on site repair of computers. Peter and his business partner, William Lam, also dabble in the custom creation of PCs for their client-base.
What began as a couple of buddies fixing computers in their spare time soon turned into a full-fledged, legitimate business. As PowerPC Online has only been in operation for a short time, Peter has invested most of his efforts in advertising. A Web site, business cards, banners, and flyers are just a few of the resources Peter has utilized in an effort to secure the success of his business.
“I’ve always been interested in starting my own business because I love the idea of being my own boss,” says Peter.
Looking at what this teenage entrepreneur has already accomplished, he has no problem calling his own shots.
 Seth Flowerman — Morristown, NJ
2004 JA JA Entrepreneur of the Year, Seth Flowerman, is president of Career Explorations LLC, which organizes and runs a residential summer internship program for high school students from around the country. Participants live at The Juilliard School in the heart of New York City, intern for top organizations during the day, and attend group activities such as concerts in Central Park, sporting events, and Broadway musicals in the evenings. A "getting to know New York" scavenger hunt, a Career Night with top business executives, college visits, and a group community service project round out the program. More information about Career Explorations is available online at www.ceinternships.com.
“I am honored that the panel from the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization and the World Entrepreneurs' Organization selected me as the JA JA Entrepreneur of the Year,” said Seth. “My experience is just another example of Junior Achievement’s commitment to educate students through high-quality programs.”
Check out this video to find out more on Seth and his business.
 Brian Hendricks — Potomac, MD
Brian Hendricks is a 17-year-old student, computer whiz, and entrepreneur from Potomac, Maryland.
Brian knew at a very young age that he had a talent for building and fixing computers. What began as a project spawned from frustration (“I was fed up with my slow, boring, and unoriginal computer made by a large company,” says Brian.) soon turned into the successful business it is today.
Today, Brian’s PC business, StartUpPC.com, specializes not only in computer repair, but also the custom-creation of computers to suit the exact needs of the client.
Earning nearly $2,500 a month through StartUpPC.com, Brian has a fool-proof strategy for running his business: “Instead of setting huge goals and putting every last penny in your pocket to reach them, I believe in starting small and just not giving up,” says Brian.
Brian was named JA's 2005 Student Entrepreneur of the Year.
 Nicole Knothe — Eden Prairie, MN
Nicole Knothe is an extremely passionate young lady, and her business is a shining example of her caring and selfless attitude. Nicole runs a swim teaching program, which helps kids from kindergarten to high school with all aspects of their swimming skill-sets.
Nicole offers lessons to all types of children - those that are scared at the sight of water to someone who loves the water, and just needs help on stroke technique.
“The reason my business is different than other swim programs is because it's more personal,” claims Nicole. “I grow to be more of a friend with the children and their families than just someone who teaches swim lessons.”
As far as Nicole’s ties to JA, she was a student ambassador at the 2003 National Business Hall of Fame, and was involved in a JA program in high school. “I believe I embody what JA stands for,” says Nicole. “I am a passionate person that inspires children to learn.”
As Nicole has recently embarked on her college career, she has put her business on hold. She does, however, plan to pick things back up this summer.
 Neil Kurowsky — Junior Achievement of Central Florida, Inc.
In just 10 short years, Neil Kurowsky plans to own one of the largest
landscaping companies in Orlando. Neil is the owner of YARD DOG, INC., a booming lawn and landscaping business that
he spearheaded five years ago.
What began as a 13-year-old mowing his grandparent’s lawn has since blossomed into a highly lucrative business, licensed and insured for up to two million dollars! The demand is so great, it has forced Neil to hire more employees and upgrade his equipment.
“As of now, the business is going great,” says Neil. “I hope to advance to the point of outdoing other local competitors.”
Sounds like those "10 short years" are right around the corner.
 Dain McKeon — Colorado Springs, CO
Thirteen-year-old Dain McKeon wants to one day become a pediatrician. With that always in mind, it didn’t take this bright and hard-working young man long to realize the best way to pay for the schooling necessary to reach his career goals was to start a business of his own. Soon after, T.Y.W. (Teenage Yard Workers) was born.
Starting the business at the age of 12, Dain used the income gained from his first few jobs to upgrade his equipment. With about 15 regular customers, and up to 10 calls per week, Dain’s landscaping business keeps him busy year-round (living in Colorado, he specializes in snow removal in the winter months). When the work becomes too much, Dain hires help on a job-by-job basis. Most importantly, T.Y.W. allows Dain to save legitimate amounts of money towards his ultimate goal — an education.
With initiative, goals, and a great work ethic, Dain McKeon is a quintessential student entrepreneur. And he’s only 13.
Shreyans
Parekh —
Cerritos, CA
Shreyans Parekh is an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Pennsylvania's
Huntsman Program, pursuing a joint degree in business and
international studies.
In January 2003, he began his career as an
entrepreneur, co-founding a wholesale party and wedding supply
company, Koyal Wholesale (www.koyal.com).
Beginning as an online provider of balloons, party goods, novely
items, and favors at wholesale prices, Shreyans sent out orders
from his home as he received them. With the swift success of his
business, he quickly expanded, leasing a 10,000 square foot
warehouse to run his operation.
Shreyans recently hired five employees, and in a span of two
years, has built one of the largest wholesale distributors of
balloons, flags, and wedding supplies in the Inland Empire.
As the founder and marketing director of the company,
Shreyans has performed many acts of philanthropy for his
community. He is the co-founder of the humanitarian rights
organization See Evil, End Evil (SEEDE), which is currently
working on a project to help build the first public library in
Rwanda.
In college, Shreyans hopes to expand the business into
importing and exporting goods from China and Southeast Asia. He
aspires to become a U.S. ambassador to a Latin American nation.
Learn more about his business by visiting our
Video Room.
 Ilana Rothbein — Manasquan, NJ
It’s often said that the joy one receives in having or in getting doesn’t come close to the happiness and satisfaction gained when you give. 17-year-old Ilana Rothbein and her incredibly innovative organization, Chores-For-Charity, personify what it truly means to give.
As Ilana had always wanted to organize a fundraiser, she found it extremely difficult while juggling schoolwork, sports, social activities, and work. So Ilana decided to donate the money from her babysitting jobs to f.a.c.e.s., NYU hospital's charitable organization which helps improve the lives of people with epilepsy. In one year, she donated almost 50 hours of her time babysitting and nearly $500 to f.a.c.e.s. Ilana thought, "if those hours could be considered community service, then I could get a lot of kids involved in this type of charitable work."
Ilana soon turned that thought into a reality. The premise behind the Chores-For-Charity program is that students may earn community service credit from their school or house of worship by donating a portion of their earnings (from part-time jobs, summer jobs, or odd jobs) to a charitable organization. The hours that the students worked to donate their earnings would qualify for community service.
Since its launch in December 2003, Chores-For-Charity has received support from many individuals, schools, and companies, and most importantly, continues to provide even more reason for students to give.
Ilana was recently selected as a finalist in the Prudential
Spirit of Community Awards in New Jersey for her program. In
addition, her 45 hours of babysitting donations to NYU Medical
Center qualified her to receive a President's Volunteer
Service Award.
She had also received a congratulatory letter from NJ Senator
Jon Corzine and a special recognition from Gov. Richard Codey.
For more information on Chores-For-Charity, and to find out how you can become involved, visit Ilana’s Web site at www.choresforcharity.com.
 Rohan Singh — Junior Achievement of Greater Puget Sound
“The American Dream is really about the opportunity to chart
your own course, make your own success story. It is an
opportunity that many people around the world don’t have.” So
goes the inspiring message of JA Alum, Rohan Singh. Rohan also
happens to be the energetic and extremely innovative owner of Fuzzelfish.com, an Internet-based software company.
After participating in the JA Company Program in his eighth-grade class, Rohan Singh wasted no time starting a business of his own. According to the young man, Fuzzelfish.com provides Web hosting and a variety of other software. A firm believer in the free enterprise system, young Rohan sees nothing but opportunity in his future.
“The American Dream will be my path to success and happiness – a path that can be easily missed, and a path that is not difficult to wander from,” says Rohan. “On that path, Junior Achievement provides a guide.”
Find out the story behind Rohan's business right here in this video!
Are you a teen entrepreneur? If you want to be featured in this section, just send us a description of your business, when you started it, and your contact information and we'll consider it. Information should be sent to newmedia@ja.org
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