Black History Month isn’t just about telling our kids about the past achievements of African Americans. It’s a great time to highlight today’s African-American leaders who are creating a path for future black achievements. Many of today’s great black leaders are kid entrepreneurs! Here are five young black mini-moguls who will inspire your kids to aim high and reach their goals.
Leanna Archer
At age 9, Leanna Archer started Leanna’s Inc., a Long Island-based haircare company created based on organic secret formulas passed down through the years from her family. “The idea came to me when I received tons of compliments about my hair and I knew it was thanks to my homemade products,” said Archer. In 2011, her company had revenues of more than $100,000. Leanna’s, Inc. has become so popular that she was featured on The Wendy Williams Show.
Keno Lucas
Keno Lucas II is not just a businessman—he’s a businessman with a heart for helping other entrepreneurs. The 12-year-old worked with his mother to create The KENO (Kid Entrepreneurs Need Opportunities Foundation, Inc.) Micro-Fund, a Georgia based nonprofit that grows and nurtures businesses developed by kids. The focus is training the next generation of global business leaders. “A successful business owner must also be a responsible citizen,” says Lucas.
Maya Penn
Atlanta-based kidpreneur Maya Penn does it all. At 12 years old Maya is already an entrepreneur, philanthropist, designer, artist, animator, illustrator and writer. Her line of eco-friendly handcrafted accessories and clothing have been featured in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Ebony, Huffington Post, Rebook and Atlanta’s Fox 5 News. Although she manages her online shop, Maya’s Ideas, on just a part-time basis, she’s slated to bring in about $55,000 in sales this year. A true philanthropist, Maya gives 10 percent of her proceeds to Atlanta charities.
Adam & Jonathan Holland
When Maryland brothers Adam and Jonathan Holland found out that their parents were having financial difficulties paying for private school tuition for them and their little sister, they didn’t start preparing for public school. Instead, the two boys came up with a novel idea. The boys, aged 12 at the time, created AJ’s Hawaiian Iceez. Now this ice shaving enterprise which provides snow cones for large events has done more than just helped with tuition. The 17-year-old brothers were the 2011 Black Enterprise Young Entrepreneur Award winners. The business grossed approximately $40,000 last year.
Chental-Song Bembry
This 15-year-old from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey has shown that artists and advocates can become successful entrepreneurs. The writer and illustrator created The Honey Bunch Kids, a children’s book series that tells the tale of a group of African-American middle school children who become friends after missing their bus and walking to school together in the rain. Bembry is currently finishing her third book in the series. A passionate advocate for literacy, Bembry spends much of her time at libraries and schools promoting reading. In 2011, Bembry became the youngest entrepreneur to become a part of 100 Urban Entrepreneurs, a prestigious nonprofit that offers mentoring and $10,000 in startup grants to promising young businesspeople.
