Teens in Charge!

Jungmin Kang is building an empire out of slime. It started seven years ago, when she was 13 and saw a video of homemade slime on Instagram. She noticed that the goo was all the rage with her friends at school too. So Jungmin began making her own slime out of glue and borax in her home in Round Rock, Texas. (Borax is a powdery household cleaner.) With $200 from her dad, she launched a company called Snoopslimes in 2017.

That year, Jungmin sold her first slime products on Etsy, an online shopping site, for between $8 and $10 each. She also posted videos of her creations on social media. Within a year, she had more than 1 million Instagram followers and was getting about 100 orders a week.

Jungmin Kang is building an empire out of slime. It started seven years ago, when she was 13. Jungmin saw a video of homemade slime on Instagram. She noticed that the goo was popular with her friends at school too. So Jungmin began making her own slime in her home in Round Rock, Texas. She made it from glue and borax. (Borax is a powdery household cleaner.) With $200 from her dad, she started a company in 2017. It is called Snoopslimes.

That year, Jungmin sold her first slime products on Etsy. Etsy is an online shopping site. Jungmin charged between $8 and $10 each. She also posted videos of her creations on social media. Within a year, she had more than 1 million Instagram followers. She was getting about 100 orders a week.

Fast-forward to today, and Jungmin, 20, is the chief executive officer (CEO) of a multimillion-dollar company with 40 employees. Slime products on Snoopslimes’ website—such as Rubber Ducky Bubble Bath and Gumball Explosion—now sell for $15 and up.

“A lot of people told me to wait until I’m older,” Jungmin says. “But being young really allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and just get started without being afraid.”

Her success at such a young age might sound unusual. But she’s actually one of many teen entrepreneurs around the country who’ve started their own businesses. In fact, some of the biggest companies today, including Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram), Subway, and UPS, were started by teens.

Three out of five American teens say they would rather start their own business than have a traditional job. That’s according to a survey by Citizens Financial Group and Junior Achievement USA, which teaches young people financial skills.

Why the focus on entrepreneurship? Experts like Ed Grocholski from Junior Achievement say social media and business reality-TV shows like Shark Tank have captured the attention of young people. “It just makes entrepreneurship appear much more accessible than maybe it was thought of in the past,” he says.

Fast-forward to today: Jungmin is now 20. She is the chief executive officer (CEO) of a multimillion-dollar company with 40 employees. Slime products on Snoopslimes’ website now sell for $15 and up. They include Rubber Ducky Bubble Bath and Gumball Explosion.

“A lot of people told me to wait until I’m older,” Jungmin says. “But being young really allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and just get started without being afraid.”

Her success at such a young age might sound unusual. But she is actually one of many teen entrepreneurs around the country who have started their own businesses. In fact, some of the biggest companies today were started by teens. They include Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram), Subway, and UPS.

Three out of five American teens say they would rather start their own business than have a traditional job. That is according to a survey by Citizens Financial Group and Junior Achievement USA, which teaches young people financial skills.

Why the focus on entrepreneurship? Experts like Ed Grocholski from Junior Achievement say social media and business reality-TV shows like Shark Tank have captured the attention of young people. “It just makes entrepreneurship appear much more accessible than maybe it was thought of in the past,” he says.

For many teen entrepreneurs, inspiration starts with an idea.

“Basically, the definition of entrepreneurship is finding a solution to a problem,” says Grocholski. He suggests that budding young entrepreneurs look for “a need within their community” and fill that gap—whether it’s babysitting, lawn care, or something else.

For Ava Dorsey, 16, the problem she wanted to solve was a lack of quality pet treats. The teen from Westmont, Illinois, has loved dogs and cats for as long as she can remember. She noticed that many store-bought treats contained unhealthy ingredients.

“I knew I wanted to help pets live the happiest, longest lives possible,” she says.

So in 2015, when Ava was 8 years old, she started an all-natural pet treat company called Ava’s Pet Palace. Working in her family’s kitchen, she experimented with ingredients like bananas and peanut butter. Then Ava started selling her treats at craft shows.

For many teen entrepreneurs, inspiration starts with an idea.

“Basically, the definition of entrepreneurship is finding a solution to a problem,” says Grocholski. He suggests that beginning young entrepreneurs look for “a need within their community.” Then they can aim to fill that gap. They can babysit, do lawn care, or something else.

The problem Ava Dorsey wanted to solve was a lack of quality pet treats. Now 16, Ava is from Westmont, Illinois. She has loved dogs and cats for as long as she can remember. She noticed that many store-bought treats contained unhealthy ingredients.

“I knew I wanted to help pets live the happiest, longest lives possible,” she says.

So in 2015, Ava started an all-natural pet treat company called Ava’s Pet Palace. She was 8 years old. She worked in her family’s kitchen, experimenting with ingredients like bananas and peanut butter. Then Ava started selling her treats at craft shows.

As her business grew, local pet stores began selling her products. Today Ava’s Pet Palace dog and cat treats are available online and in stores across the country. 

Ava gets a lot of help from her mother, the company’s only full-time employee. She also hired a manufacturer to produce the pet treats, and she still experiments with new recipes.

As her business grows, Ava makes it a point to help animals in need. Each month she donates a portion of her company’s profits to animal charities and rescue organizations. Helping others is a goal Ava believes much of her generation shares—especially teen entrepreneurs.

“We do what we can to try to make the world a better place,” she says.

As her business grew, local pet stores began selling her products. Today Ava’s Pet Palace dog and cat treats are available online and in stores across the country.

Ava gets a lot of help from her mother, who is the company’s only full-time employee. Ava also hired a manufacturer to produce the pet treats. And she still experiments with new recipes.

As her business grows, Ava makes it a point to help animals in need. Each month she donates a portion of her company’s profits to animal charities and rescue organizations. Helping others is a goal that Ava believes much of her generation shares—especially teen entrepreneurs.

“We do what we can to try to make the world a better place,” she says.

Giving back is something Sebastian Martinez, 16, and his brother, Brandon, 18, seek to do too. In 2014, they launched Are You Kidding? with their mother’s help. The company sells unique sock designs, and the brothers donate 20 percent of their revenue to charity.

Sebastian Martinez, 16, and his brother, Brandon, 18, want to give back too. In 2014, they started Are You Kidding? with their mother’s help. The company sells unique sock designs. The brothers donate 20 percent of their revenue to charity.

Since making their first sale at a shoe shop near their home in Miami, Florida, they’ve sold about 500,000 pairs of socks at fairs and online. Through charity events and partnerships, they’ve also raised more than $400,000 for pediatric cancer treatments and other causes.

Sebastian is the CEO, and Brandon is the director of sales. Because of their age, however, they say it took time to convince partners and manufacturers to take them seriously.

But “when they saw how dedicated we were,” Brandon says, “we earned their respect.”

They made their first sale at a shoe shop near their home in Miami, Florida. Since then, they have sold about 500,000 pairs of socks at fairs and online. They also do charity events and partnerships. That helped them raise more than $400,000 for children’s cancer treatments and other causes.

Sebastian is the CEO. Brandon is the director of sales. But because of their age, they say, it took time to convince partners and manufacturers to take them seriously.

But “when they saw how dedicated we were,” Brandon says, “we earned their respect.”

When it comes to running a business, experts say that teens may have a leg up: They already know their way around Instagram and TikTok and are tapped into what’s trending.

But a lot more goes into being an entrepreneur than what you see on social media. There are requirements to follow, such as applying for a business license and paying taxes. And there are laws governing what teens can and can’t do.

For example, many business owners form a limited liability company, or LLC. This protects their personal assets, such as homes and cars, if someone files a lawsuit against their business. But some states don’t allow teens to have LLCs.

Young people also can’t open bank accounts by themselves or apply for business loans. And most contracts signed by minors don’t have the same legal status as contracts signed by adults. That can affect young people’s ability to hire employees and partner with manufacturers. 

For these reasons, experts recommend that budding young business owners research the laws where they live and, when necessary, reach out to an adult for help. A good start, they say, can be to meet with the official in charge of business licenses in their town. 

When it comes to running a business, experts say that teens may have an advantage. Teens already know their way around Instagram and TikTok. They are aware of what is trending.

But a lot more goes into being an entrepreneur than what you see on social media. There are requirements to follow, like applying for a business license and paying taxes. And there are laws governing what teens can and cannot do.

For example, many business owners form a limited liability company, or LLC. This protects their personal assets, such as homes and cars, if someone files a lawsuit against their business. But some states do not allow teens to have LLCs.

Young people also cannot open bank accounts by themselves or apply for business loans. And most contracts signed by minors do not have the same legal status as contracts signed by adults. That can affect young people’s ability to hire employees and partner with manufacturers.

For these reasons, experts recommend that young beginning business owners research the laws where they live. When necessary, young people should reach out to an adult for help. A good start, experts say, can be to meet with the local official in charge of business licenses.

Teen entrepreneurs have the added difficulty of managing a business and keeping up with schoolwork at the same time.

“That’s definitely been the most challenging part,” says Jungmin, the CEO of Snoopslimes. “I had to figure out my time management skills.”

A typical workweek for Jungmin consists of testing new slime recipes and meeting with employees. She also develops business strategies to help promote her products. For example, Snoopslimes “drops” limited-release slimes on its website every Friday evening. 

Jungmin is now a freshman in college, but she took a year off after graduating from high school in 2022 to focus on her business. She also hired her mom in 2019 as a full-time manager to help run the company.

Despite all the work, though, many teen entrepreneurs say being their own boss is worth it. Keith Griffith III, 16, is one of them. As the founder of Beeing2gether, he raises bees and sells honey products in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. He also partners with other local beekeepers to help sell their honey and raises awareness about mental health issues.

Keith started Beeing2gether in 2019 to help him take his mind off the difficulties of having parents who were in prison at the time. He made his first sales by going door-to-door around his neighborhood.

Now his products are sold in stores and restaurants near his hometown and on his website. Keith hopes to keep expanding his company.

His advice for other teens who want to start a business is simple: “Just go for it. You can create and do whatever you want.”

Teen entrepreneurs have an added difficulty: They have to manage a business and keep up with schoolwork at the same time.

“That’s definitely been the most challenging part,” says Jungmin, the CEO of Snoopslimes. “I had to figure out my time management skills.”

For Jungmin, a typical workweek includes testing new slime recipes and meeting with employees. She also develops business strategies to help promote her products. For example, Snoopslimes “drops” limited-release slimes on its website every Friday evening.

Jungmin is now a freshman in college. But after graduating from high school in 2022, she took a year off to focus on her business. And in 2019, she hired her mom as a full-time manager to help run the company.

It is a lot of work, but many teen entrepreneurs say being their own boss is worth it. Keith Griffith III, 16, is one of them. Keith is the founder of Beeing2gether. He raises bees and sells honey products in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. He also partners with other local beekeepers to help sell their honey. And he raises awareness about mental health issues.

Keith started Beeing2gether in 2019. He did it to help take his mind off the difficulties of having parents who were in prison at the time. He made his first sales by going door-to-door around his neighborhood.

Now his products are sold in stores and restaurants near his hometown and on his website. Keith hopes to keep expanding his company.

His advice for other teens who want to start a business is simple: “Just go for it. You can create and do whatever you want.”