2. Alina Morse’s successful (and sugar-free) sweet factory
Vital Stats:
- Kid Entrepreneur: Alina Morse
- Age: 13
- Business: Zollipops
Stevia, xylitol and beetroot juice aren’t your typical building blocks for a lollipop, but Alina’s built a sweetly successful candy empire using these ingredients. Her fruit-flavoured lollipops – that her little sister, Lola, named Zollipops – are sweetened with a blend of sugar alternatives inspired by her awareness of sugar’s negative effect on teeth. So instead of giving up sweets in favour of dental health, in 2014 Alina started up her company using $7 500 of savings from her grandparents.
Shortly after launching Zollipops, she appeared on Shark Tank, Good Morning America and NBC News. Alina’s sweet creation was soon available in-store at Whole Foods and SuperValu and online on Amazon – and she has since introduced Zolli Drops sugar-free peppermints.
Over 10% of her profits go to organisations dedicated to reducing the impact of childhood tooth decay.
Perseverance produces progress
“Always keep asking questions. You can do anything if you work hard, try and believe in yourself and never give up!” says Alina.
Related:Watch List: 50 Black African Women Entrepreneurs To Watch