Omari McQueen, a 12-year-old chef in the UK, is one of many emerging vegan entrepreneurs all under age 18. | Omari McQueen
Ready to feel very unimpressive? These 13 entrepreneurs are the brains behind vegan businesses — and they’re all under age 18. From nail polish and glitter to hot sauce and lollipops, these kid vegans are introducing plant-based products to the market. And still, you know, learning how to drive. Meet the new class of vegan visionaries.
There are a lot of beauty moguls out there, but most of them aren’t wearing braces. Shiann Hogan of Los Angeles turned 16 this summer, but she has already run her Shai’s World beauty brand for three years. Her vegan, cruelty-free, 5-free nail polish comes in a rainbow of fun colors; she also sells a brow kit and press-on nails. Not bad for a girl who got into makeup by rummaging around in her mom’s stash.
Glitter makes everyone happy. That’s the premise behind Glitter Girl, a glitter company started by 12-year-old Sofia Rizzo. The Australian tween sells wearable “eco glitter,” as well as sparkly face gems. You can feel good about wearing Glitter Girl glitter because it’s vegan, cruelty-free and biodegradable. Instead of plastics, Sofia’s glitter is made from tree products! BRB, off to make all of my unicorn dreams come true.
At 6 years old, Shiona Curry started cooking. By 16 years old, “Shi LaChef” has her own line of juices and a vegan cookbook under her belt. She sells ginger lemonade and strawberry ginger lemonade on her website and her S.N.A.C. it up! Cookbook with Shi LaChef features kid-friendly vegan recipes. Her top tip? It’s all about not overcooking your veggies.
Five years ago, Kaitlin Neiland’s family dog, Mere, got very sick. A grain-free diet helped the pup get better — and it inspired the British 17-year-old to start her own business making healthy dog treats. Merely Marvellous sells vegan, gluten-free grain-free dog treats that she bakes at home in Kendal, United Kingdom . Perhaps your pooch will want some carrot stars? Sweet paw-tato treats? Banana and beetroot bonbons? Heck, get one of each. As Kaitlin says on her website, “Every good dog deserves a treat now and then.”
The hottest new chef in London is … a 12-year-old. Omari McQueen just might be the youngest restaurateur in the world after his vegan pop-up appeared at a local food hall last year. In addition to cooking vegan Caribbean food, Omari owns a company called Dipalicious, which sells vegan dips like Coco Curry and Caribbean Kick. In January 2021, Omari will publish his first cookbook of plant-based recipes aimed at kids.
“Not for the lemon and herb gang!” is the warning on Rae Rae’s African Hot Sauce. This vegan hot sauce is just one of the many products sold by 12-year-old Avaiyia Rae Cottle of Leeds, United Kingdom. Her company Rae Rae’s Vegan Sauces also sells caramel and almond butter, as well as a delicious-looking orange, coconut and coffee scrub. Hopefully she’ll bring back her vegan chocolate and hazelnut spread soon, too.
A lot of teens and tweens love to bake. Lyrica, 13, Zaira, 12, and Nadira, 9, turned their love for baking into their own vegan eatery. Bourne Brilliant is a plant-based bakery in Tallahassee, Florida, that opened this year. Every day the girls sell sweet treats like cupcakes, pound cakes, and cookies, as well as beverages and teas. On Saturdays, this sister act also sells hot dishes, like BBQ vegan drumsticks.
Most 16-year-olds have a job like babysitting. Lucy Musgrave of Hull, United Kingdom has a job as a vegan recipe developer. Yes, she’s still in school but she’s also selling her vegan recipes to businesses around the UK. A vegan since she was 14, Lucy posts some of her recipes on her site, Pure Delicious. However, it’s really her Instagram where you can see the extent of her talent. Next stop “Great British Bake Off,” perhaps?
When people say “shop local,” they aren’t necessarily referring to nail polish. But anyone who lives in Paradise, Newfoundland can buy fun vegan polishes from a local entrepreneur. Maggie Drover, 18, loves art and chemistry, so naturally, she started her vegan nail polish brand Newfoundlacquer about three years ago. The Canadian teen now sells her 10-free vegan polishes on Etsy but is hoping to sell in stores.
Some CEOs would sell their house to be on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine. Alina Morse of Michigan landed the cover when she was just 13, touting her success with the sugar-free, vegan candy company, Zollipops. (Yes, with a ‘Z’ — her younger sister couldn’t pronounce “lollipops.”) Now 15-years-old, Alina’s business has expanded to vegan, sugar-free taffy and candy drops. Zollipops can be found at Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and many other stores. No wonder the company is bringing in multi-millions in sales.
When most girls are 10 years old, they’re begging their moms to buy Bonne Bell. Kalimah Moss in Ridgeland, South Carolina, was begging her mom to make her own lip gloss. In the summer of 2020, Kalimah started Lizzie’s Lip POP, a homemade vegan and hypoallergenic lip gloss company. Kid-approved flavors include bubblegum, fruit punch, strawberry and lime and she sells each tube for $4. She told WSAV news that she sold 300 lip glosses in only four months. Next up: a line of vegan nail polishes!
This post was last modified on December 15, 2020 5:53 am