Young Americans Center for Financial Education is proud of the amazing youth business owners who have applied for the Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars business competition! Learn more about each below. Many have online shops or websites where you can support these hard-working entrepreneurs.
2020 Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars Applicants
3ND Glass
Ethan Davis’ experience visiting the Chihuly exhibit at the Denver Botanic Gardens inspired his passion for glass blowing in 2014. Since then, he’s been working to improve both his glass blowing craft as well as his business acumen. Ethan started his business less than a year ago, and has done incredibly well in such a short time. As one of the top sellers at the 2019 YouthBiz Holiday Marketplace, he made a name for his business, and has since secured a business mentor to help grow his business and is working on a business website. Judges universally were blown away by Ethan’s pieces, praising his talent and encouraging him to consider charging more for his works of art.
A Designs
Andrew Kurtz’s professional greeting cards and stationary are impressive on their own, and yet his experience of business savvy and product iteration makes A Designs a business to watch. Every step of the design and manufacture process is done by Andrew, and he thinks about every detail. With a mission to spread gratitude, the judges felt Andrew has positioned himself for national growth.
Anna Made
Anna Brekken’s gorgeous, handcrafted greeting card business has been impressing customers on her Etsy shop for two years. Taught by her grandmother, Anna’s newly learned ability to make beautiful cards provided her with the perfect avenue to start a business. The benefit of Anna Made is the handmade quality of her cards, which convey a strong degree of caring and love when given as a gift. Anna’s clear understanding of her target market and the implications that has for her future marketing and sales was most impressive to all of the judges.
Artigami
Artigami started 6 years ago when Matthew Layden began learning the art of origami and selling his creations to friends at school. His origami continued to evolve as his skills improved, to the point where he and his partners now sell sophisticated “artigami,” or origami framed in shadow boxes. They also donate a portion of their profits during the holiday season to the Boys and Girls Club and Motherwise, both organizations that provide toys for children during the holidays. Matthew and partners wow’d the judges with their commitment to community and their inclusion of different cultures in their pieces.
Aub’s Goodies & Grub
Aubrey Brashear grew up in the kitchen, cooking and baking with her close family members and noticing the way people connect over great food. She decided at a young age that she wants to be a pastry chef and facilitate that human connection over her baked goods. Aub’s Goodies and Grub sells everything from the traditional cakes, cupcakes, and cookies to more elaborate desserts such as Eclairs and Austrian Apple Strudels. In addition to expressing serious cravings for her delectable items, the judges also commended Aubrey on her commitment to quality and her pursuit of learning new techniques.
Baking 4 Good
Sisters Ainsley and Brenna Dye created their business idea as a way to earn money for their Girl Scout adventure and service trip to Belize in 2021. Baking 4 Good was conceived during a hiking trip in 2019, and the girls have never looked back. Selling unique and seasonal cookie mix jars, Baking 4 Good shot to success during the 2019 YouthBiz Holiday Marketplace with $1200 in sales. The unique flavors and themed mixes excited the judges, who felt that was an exceptional way to differentiate their products from the competition.
Bobby’s Depictions
Bobby Deen has been painting since the age of six, and the quality and craftsmanship of his work reflects this. Only in business for a few months, Bobby’s Depictions has already made quite a splash, including custom touches to his paintings and selling at the YouthBiz Spring Marketplace this April. All of our judges were enthusiastic about Bobby’s incredible talent, especially noting that “Including the customer’s name into the painting is a smart way to engage your audience and ad perceived customer value.”
2020 Finalist
Cardbound
After discovering his love for web-based sales with his dad, Leonard Shearer realized he wanted to find something else he could sell. Drawing on his years playing Pokemon DS and his resulting expertise in this industry, Leonard began selling Pokemon TCG cards that he acquired from a wholesale distributor. Since its inception, Cardbound has evolved through trial and error to break into several different markets and establish himself as the sole purveyor of many of the products he sells. With impressive sales, product sourcing and distribution strategies, judges commended Leonard’s business savvy and grasp of financials.
Colorway Customs
Sneakerheads nationwide will love Kelly Guillen’s creative and detailed custom-designed sneakers that she sells online. Colorway Customs came from Kelly’s desire to jazz up her wardrobe with one-of-a-kind shoes unlike anything her classmates had. Since inception in early 2020, Colorway Customs has branched out from solely using fabrics for shoe designs to now incorporating paints and stencils as well. Kelly began posting her designs on social media and getting some attention for her artistic shoes, so she decided she needed to expand her operations by securing a business loan with Young Americans Bank. Kelly says, “Every pair of shoes I do with pride and it makes me happy when the customer receives their shoes.” Judges hailed Kelly for her creativity and unique shoe designs, encouraging her to think about expanding her business to teach others how to create their own shoe art.
2020 Finalist
Evan Hoing Woodworking
Since his Christmas gift of a lathe in 2017, Evan Hoing has quickly acquired vast knowledge and skill in woodworking. Evan says that what he likes most about his business is seeing the surprise on customer’s faces when they realize that he’s the one that made the product that they’re admiring. Evan sells bottle stoppers, pens, cutting boards and bowls, all handmade by him. Judges gushed over Evan’s craftsmanship and the incredibly high quality that he’s made synonymous with his brand.
iLoky
iLoky is a digital advertising platform created by co-owners Robert Gutierrez, Aaron Danks, and Bryan Gutierrez that sells advertising space on their unique smart screens that are affixed to the top of ride share and delivery vehicles. iLoky provides a needed solution to small businesses by offering more affordable and efficient Digital Out of Home advertising space, complete with real time analytics for customers. Judges were particularly excited about Robert and team’s knowledge of the competition and positioning to forge a new path in the Digital Out of Home advertising industry. One judge remarked, “I love that you took an idea that is currently unknown in Colorado and are making it better than the competition so that you can have share of market before a competitor even enters Colorado.”
Inspired Creations
The idea for Lindiwe Manyothwane’s colorful flower pots originated with a South African tribe that resides near her father’s birthplace and makes items with bright, bold colors and geometric designs. Lindiwe loves spreading culture through art, while having fun at the same time. Judges loved the unique designs of Inspired Creations, and they loved the story behind them even more.
Light CO2
At the age of 15, Gabe Nagel is already a serial entrepreneur, successfully starting, running and growing several businesses. His latest venture, Light CO2, is the result of over 400 hours of dreaming, researching, and building a concrete path to help individuals reduce their individual carbon footprint. “Light CO2 empowers individuals to take steps in preventing global warming NOW – ensuring a bright future for my generation and the next.” Judges loved Gabe’s business plan, especially his strategy to amass social media support in an effort to convert those followers to customers.
Lightner Designs
Hayden Hopkins’ business began with her love of art, making bookmarks for her third grade classmates. Her business has since evolved, selling handmade greeting cards, all with her original designs. Judges were particularly impressed by her presence at Tattered Cover and Etsy, and remarked on her professional packaging. They also commented on her business’ scalability and opportunity for continued growth.
Lulu Petals
Lulu Petals is a very unique business that sells low maintenance terrariums with succulents, Marimo algae balls, air plants, and beeswax wraps. Owner Lauryn Simon loves owning and running her own business as a way to build skills and save money for college. All of the judges love the design of Lauryn’s products and her wider mission to assist with environmental conservation efforts, both with the nature of her products and also by donating some of her profits to environmental charities.
Mile High Freeze Dry
Mile High Freeze Dry is the second business of Reina Crowley, but with the same overarching mission of alleviating food waste and food insecurity. Mile High Freeze Dry sells freeze dried foods that can last without refrigeration for between 5-25 years, providing a more sustainable food option. Reina’s thorough research of the food waste problem and solution-oriented business mind amazed judges, who are eager to try her unique freeze dried products and expectant toward the world impact Reina is sure to make.
Moments Jewelry and Fine Goods
Partners Leah Rubner and Anna Carlson try to capture nature in beautiful ways with their handmade products. Moments Jewelry and Fine Goods make and sell jewelry, candles, and soaps that are all centered around the concept of nature. Judges appreciated the unifying theme of their business and commented on how sophisticated their products are.
2020 Finalist
Mountainside Lifestyle
Friends and business partners Colin Patterson, Rowan Steger and Carter Galyardt dreamed up Mountainside Lifestyle as freshmen in high school as a way to aid their community. They created an e-commerce platform for local, small businesses to provide a distribution channel that many small businesses may not be able to execute on their own. They also believed that local consumers wanted to buy local, but didn’t want to visit individual brick and mortar shops to do so. Since COVID-19, Mountainside Lifestyle has become a lifeline for many small businesses that solely relied on farmer’s markets and craft fairs for their sales. Judges universally praised the trio’s entrepreneurial spirit and approach to solving a real problem.
2020 Finalist
Olaf’s Dog Cookies
It has only been 8 months since Julia Doolittle started her dog business, Olaf’s Cookies, as a solution to calm and entice her untrained dog during their walks with her older sister. The cookies come in two dog-approved flavors: pumpkin peanut butter and beef. “Some people start a business because it’s a good profit maker, but I can tell you started your business because you love dogs and that is super important…” What better words from a judge could you get than that!
Pollo Nugget Studio
Evelyn Murphy began painting her pet chickens for fun, but after showing her work to friends and family, she soon realized she could turn this hobby into a business. Evelyn has since expanded Pollo Nugget Studio to include her original chicken art, sketchbooks, and custom paintings for clients. Her unique style and bright colors attract customers to learn more about her business and her story. Judges loved that Evelyn stays true to herself in her artwork, commenting, “Keep being who you are and people will gravitate to that!”
Popcorn Ink
Popcorn Ink connects two things that are important in Owen Flanagan’s life: his grandfather’s caramel popcorn recipe and his block-printed journals. As his business has grown, Owen has discovered that connection is actually what his business is all about. A dedicated philanthropist, Owen has worked as a conduit to allow customers to purchase journals that he donates to children who have gone through trauma related to auto accidents. Owen’s big heart and passion for his business were not lost on the judges, who were inspired by his story and impressed with his strong mission, growth potential, and current financials.
2020 Finalist
Sewing with Smiles
Sewing with Smiles began in 2018 when Maile McManis discovered her mother’s old sewing machine, gifted by her grandmother. Since Maile’s mom had never picked up sewing, the machine sat unused until Maile discovered both the machine and her newfound business inspiration! In the two years since her discovery, Maile’s sewing skills have grown exponentially, along with her burgeoning business. Judges loved Maile’s dedication to improving her business, and especially her timely response to COVID-19 by sewing and donating masks for essential workers.
Shmoozybeanz
The handmade wire and bead jewelry of Shmoozybeans is incredibly beautiful and high quality. Samantha Kang began making jewelry with her mom and sister, and realized her hobby could become a business. She has more than proven herself as a business woman, exploring new marketing techniques for her business. Judges were blown away by the quality of both Samantha’s jewelry and also her product photos and video. Samantha’s experience sums up the power of youth entrepreneurship: I have grown to love running my business because it gives me a sense of independence and empowerment that as a youth, I can sell my very own products and own a business.
2020 Finalist
Simply Denver Soap Co
Hannah Doolittle’s all natural soap company has been in operation for a little over a year, providing local customers with delicious smelling, natural soaps without parabens, palm oil, alcohol, synthetic fragrances, and SLS. Hannah sells soaps in Lavendar-Citrus, Jasmine, Lemon-Olive Oil, Peppermint-Spirulina, Orange-Turmeric, and Grapefruit-Oregano. Outside of Hannah’s soap making skills, judges loved her enthusiasm and passion for her business, her salesmanship, and her creative marketing ideas.
2020 Finalist
Snacks for Dollars
Seth Huntley started selling his amazingly unique snacks while baking with his brother Gabe. They make bite-sized brownies, s’mores and chocolate chip cookies, granola bars and so much more. Judges appreciated their charity endeavors in helping health care workers. They also were impressed with how they are concentrating on the products they are great at making and enjoy making instead of trying to do too much.
Special T Teas
An absolutely incredible young lady, Tania Richardson is also a creative and resourceful entrepreneur. As a victim of a traumatic brain injury, Tania operates with developmental disabilities. She recognized that many adults with disabilities are unemployed, and therefore sought to start her own business that she can continue running through adulthood. She sells hand blended loose leaf teas that are organic and fair trade, and all of her tea blends are named after her real life heroes like her brother, her therapists, and her community helpers. All of the judges loved that supporting Tania’s business meant supporting a young entrepreneur, a woman-owned business, and people with disabilities.
That’s What She Made
Lily Solomon’s business started with her love for creating miniature items out of polymer clay. As she continued making collections of miniatures, she found that turning them into jewelry was a fun way to display the great work she did. Lily wants to increase awareness for the LGBTQIA community and support organizations that fight the mistreatment of women. She believes this cause aligns with her products because her products encourage people to express who they are. All of the judges gushed over Lily’s talent and creativity, noting how fun and realistic her miniature jewelry is.
The Glass of Miles
When Miles Cunningham asked his mom to share her knowledge of stained glass with him, he didn’t know it would turn into a successful business venture. Miles’ stained glass making skills have gone from a hobby to a business, selling stained glass angels, crosses, candles, super heroes, animals, and even custom pieces. Judges were enthusiastic about the growth potential of The Glass of Miles, noting their anticipation toward seeing his pieces at local artisan shops and marketplaces in years to come.
2020 Finalist
The Teen Entrepreneur
Shouken Lopez’s experience over the last 6 years with drop shipping through eBay has made him an expert in the field, an expertise on which he has capitalized. Shouken quickly realized that he could spread his knowledge to others through online courses that teach a variety of e-business techniques. Shouken has grown and expanded his business in the past year by hosting all of his content on his own website, giving him increased control, flexibility, and available features to maximize student success. Judges raved, “This is a very creative way to monetize your knowledge and skills with extremely high margins! You have a great understanding of the technologies to make this business grow quickly.”
2020 Finalist
Tuff’s Chickens
Owner Tuff Glasmann of Tuff’s Chickens always wanted to be a farmer. He started out his business at the tender age of three, by attending holding a Farmer’s Market stand at the end of his driveway selling chicken eggs, fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and lemonade! With all of that, he also started a cattle company, Tuff’s Cattle Company. Judges admired how he is able to get customers to help take part in the “farm to table” movement and truly know where their meat comes from, and how for such a young entrepreneur, he is growing at a steady pace!
YAUNIE’S Scrub Sensation
While in business for the last five years, Yaunie’s Scrub Sensations continues to feel new and fresh, thanks to owner Yaunie Williams’ commitment to acting on customer requests. Yaunie sells sugar scrubs, coffee scrubs, and lip scrubs in a variety of scents and flavors. Judges applauded Yaunie’s deep knowledge of her products’ benefits and were excited by the prospect of a forthcoming men’s line.
