The top teen CEOs: these 2003 Kidpreneur Award nominees are holdin' it down! - entrepreneurship - Jaren E. Kelly's Legit Wear, Alleyne Studios, and Blackgirl Magazine

Black Enterprise, June, 2003 by Feona Sharhran Huff

Each year, BLACK ENTERPRISE identifies the best and brightest entrepreneurs for its annual Small Business Awards. One of these awards, the Kidpreneurs Award, is devoted specifically to recognizing outstanding African American youth. The award recognizes business owners under the age of 18 who are committed to advancing the rich tradition of economic achievement.

On May 17, 2003, at the Eighth Annual Black Enterprise /Microsoft Entrepreneurs Conference, in Nashville, Tennessee, one of these outstanding finalists will win the Kidpreneur Award. The winner will be featured on the cover of the next issue of Teenpreneur. And the nominees are:

Jaren Juggles Two Businesses--and School--Like a Pro

Remember that T-shirt your parents made you wear--the one that said, "Celebrating 60 Years of Family Togetherness?" OK, maybe it didn't exactly say that, but you get the point. If you tossed it into your junk drawer, along with other memorabilia from family reunions gone by, go and check the tag--your T-shirt may have been printed by Jaren E. Kelly's Legit Wear, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Jaren joined Legit Wear, originally founded by his father, Terry, in April 1999. The company prints up loges and messages on T-shirts, sweat suits, pants, and other clothing. When he became CEO, he assumed the duties of checking on sales, managing a staff of four, and bringing in new business.

Jaren drummed up business by posting and handing out flyers and attending events such as the Berkley Community Reunion, the Campostella Community Reunion, and the Imprinter Sportswear Show in Atlantic City, New Jersey. And, thanks to grant writing by his father, his company received funds from the state of Virginia. Putting three to four hours a day into the business, four to five days a week, has paid off for the Tallwood High School honors student. Legit Wear grossed $1500 in 200l and $1,000 in 2002.

Jaren started his lawn care service, Green by Nature, in the summer of 2001. He and three friends charge customers $10 to $20 to mow lawns and trim hedges. Green by Nature grossed $2,000 in 2001 and $2,500 last year.

Jaren's juggling act can be quite a challenge, but he has a secret weapon. "I have my mom help me," he admits. He adds that his mother, Terry Lynn, helps him keep his priorities straight: before he does anything, he does his homework.

What has he learned from being a business owner? "I don't have to work for someone else when I get older," he declares. "I can stick with [my] business."

Legit Wear/Green by Nature, 1990 Marcia Court Virginia Beach, VA, 23464; 757-479-4191 e-mail: lynnrichardkelly@walmart.com.

Monique Helps People Make Beautiful Music

Monique Alleyne isn't one to brag. Let's just say the 17-year-old from Washington, D.C., knows how to stroke the piano keys. A desire to teach others to play inspired her to open Alleyne Studios, a home-based, music-instruction business, in March 200l. My mother always told me, "There's no business like you r own business," Monique says.

Monique, a junior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, only spent $20 in start-up costs. "Mostly, it was for paper," she says. "I'm a very resourceful person."

She used some of the paper for flyers, which she posted at churches and schools, to get the word out about her business. Monique, who has six clients ranging in age from 6 to 65, teaches on Sundays and charges her students $30 an hour. During the rest of the week, she rehearses with her church's youth choir, Chosen Vessels, and participates in school-related activities.

In her first class, Monique says, "I introduce my students to the piano by showing them how the keys hit the string, give them lessons on the history of the piano, and [provide] them with worksheets that I make up." Soon, her students are playing scales, then songs.

Alleyne Studios grossed $8,000 for both 2001 and 2002.

Monique has been successful in balancing a business, school, and church, but it hasn't come without a little wear and tear. Her solace? "A lot of prayer" she says.

In addition to divine intervention, she believes time management, good organizational skills, and the ability to manage money are keys to running a successful business.

Alleyne Studios, 19 Riggs Rd., Washington, D.C. 202-841-2434; e-mail: chynahdoll1@hotmail.com

Kenya Creates a Teen-Friendly Publication For You

Kenya Jordana James loves to read magazines. So, when the Atlanta native noticed many of the popular publications she scoped didn't cater to the needs of African American teens, the idea for Blackgirl Magazine was born. "I wanted a magazine that would reflect African American teens in a positive way; not just centered around entertainment, but [also] around culture and education," says Kenya, the magazine's 13-year-old editorial director. Plus, she says, "I wanted something my mother wouldn't take away because it was inappropriate [for me] to read."

With money saved from her previous business venture, Kenya Jordan Cakes, and loans from family and friends, she published the first issue of Blackgirl in July 2002. "It was a tester," says Kenya, who oversees a staff of 15. The magazine boasts correspondents in Virginia, New York, Texas, and Canada.