By ELLA WEBB, SASHA SAVEL and OLIVIA ROBBINS
Jericho High School has many student entrepreneurs who manage to run businesses while also balancing their academic responsibilities and extracurricular activities.
Business teacher Mr. Goldin has a clear definition of a teenage entrepreneur. “Oftentimes, entrepreneurs are considered people who think outside of the box, are willing to take risks and have determination to follow a passion. I see a lot of Jericho students doing that,” he said.
Business teachers Ms. Rogovitz, left, and Mr. Goldin believe in the importance of making mistakes as entrepreneurs. “You learn the most when you fail, so take as many chances as you can, as many risks as you can. Fail often and when you do, learn from it,” said Mr. Goldin.
Some advice that Jericho teachers have for teenage entrepreneurs is to tap into your networks, talk to a lot of people, stay persistent with your work, learn from your mistakes and don’t give up. The business teachers provide business classes as an opportunity for students to improve their own projects. Advertising is a hard part of business, but the most important part is to “observe your audience to determine what platforms you should use,” said business teacher Ms. Rogovitz.
Dr. Michele Kaider-Alstodt, owner and creator of Kiddsmiles Pediatric Dentistry, recommends having a good plan from start to finish, and she believes that asking for help from others is key. When Dr. Alstodt started her business at 32 years old, she didn’t know everything and learned as she went on. Her mistakes helped her become a better clinician and business person.
Dr. Alstodt said, “I wish I took more business classes in school, but that wasn’t offered to me as a dental student.”
Dr. Alstodt believes she would’ve made fewer business mistakes if she took the proper classes to support her. She believes teenagers can become successful from the start if their ideas are unique and well-researched.
Jericho High School is home to many young students who have worked hard to found and manage their own businesses.
Charlie Cosmetics by Charlie Dubofsky
Charlie Dubofsky launched her skin care line called Charlie Cosmetics in May of 2020, right before the pandemic. Charlie makes her products by working with a dermatologist who helps with product development. Throughout the process, she learns which ingredients help people’s skin and which ones do not. Charlie uses social media to market her business and sells her products by organizing pop-up events in the local area.
Charlie faces the business challenges of staying consistent and keeping up with cosmetic trends. She always puts school first and never allows doubt from others stop her from achieving her goals. Charlie said, “I just keep going and blur their voices out in the background.”
In the future, Charlie hopes to continue growing her business by forming a team and eventually placing her products in stores.
Charlie Dubofsky can be found on Instagram under two handles: @somethingbycharlie with a total of 6,440 followers, and her business account @charliecosmetics with a total of 1,212 followers.
Ethan Ng
Ethan Ng is a freelance software engineer who has clients reach out to him with their project ideas for website applications or coding script. Ethan codes in a specific time frame for a set cost. He started his business in 2019 as a freshman, and his business grew by word of mouth. Ethan’s biggest challenges are branding, keeping up with new programming languages and representing himself accurately.
Ethan started his business after realizing he has a talent that many others do not. He said, “Someone actually reached out to me about a project, and they offered money and it was kind of that pivotal moment where I realized that I have a skill, I can charge for it, and so I started.”
Ethan hopes to continue his business through college and beyond, potentially as a startup with a group of experienced individuals. Ethan also volunteers his services for non-profit groups such as the dog shelter Muddy Paws Rescue and the Asian gay activist group NYDEO.
FicklePickleStickers by Noreen Chen
Noreen Chen started her sticker business in October of 2020, when she was a sophomore. She loved digital drawing, so she started printing some of her creations on sticker paper as her first step in beginning her own business.
Through the use of social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok, Noreen’s company has expanded. You can find her @ficklepicklestickers with a total of 125 followers.
She set up social media accounts when she initially began her business in order to advertise it and keep up with sticker trends.
Noreen sells approximately 16 stickers per day, and the many of her creations are inspired by Korean Pop Bands. Her biggest challenges are maintaining consistency with her posts and juggling work and school. She said, “When I started my business I was managing to take my first AP while still dealing with sticker orders.”
Noreen’s interactions with her customers take place on Etsy, where she receives orders, prepares stickers and mails them. Combining her passion for art and her skills for business, Noreen strives to bring joy and color into her customers’ lives.
Rising Staar by Zander Pearlman
Zander Pearlman is the owner of Rising Staar, a clothing company that uses fashion to inspire others.
According to Zander, the first A in Staar stands for being “all in,” while the second A stands for “always keep going.”
Zander is open about the challenges of being a teenage entrepreneur. He said that the main obstacle with his business is “being able to balance it with schoolwork.”
Zander started his business in April of 2020, and he grew it using social media marketing, influencer marketing and posting daily content. Zander’s instagram handle is @risingstaar with 5,651 followers.
Jewels by Jess by Jessica Adel
Jessica Adel started her jewelry business in January 2022. All of her creations are handmade, and she gives all of her profits to Sunrise Day Camp, a free summer day camp for children with cancer and their siblings.
Jessica believes that focusing on her work, school and social life is definitely a struggle. She said, “It’s all about balance.” One of her biggest challenges is promoting her business due to the fact that there are many other jewelry businesses similar to hers.
Jessica uses Instagram and other social media platforms to advertise her business. You can find her using @jessjewelsdesigns with 53 followers.
Jericho’s entrepreneurs demonstrate that it is possible to pursue personal passions while balancing academic endeavors. Though these students run a wide variety of businesses, they all share persistence, determination, and a love for what they do.