Youths take center stage at festival business expo
Marlacia Kitchen had plenty of clothing and apparels on display at the youth expo in Railroad Square.
Photo by St. Clair Murraine
Kenzie Rodgers (center) used last Saturday’s expos to pitch Kids With Scents air freshener product.
Photo by St. Clair Murraine
Photo by St. Clair Murraine
By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook staff writer
When brothers Noble, Royal and Knight Sissle had to decide on a name for their business, their grandfather’s work came to mind.
The senior Noble Sissle was a Broadway regular who produced musicals. One of his finest productions was titled The Chocolate Dandies, thus the brothers’ choice of name for their business.
The trio had their sweet goods on display, as did several other young entrepreneurs who participated in a youth business pitch expo. The event at Railroad Square last Saturday morning was part of the Soul of Southside Arts and Humanities Festival.
Entrepreneurship among young people is a growing trend. A survey of 500 adult entrepreneurs by Wakefield Research found that 13 percent of them started their first business at the age of 18 or younger.
The young people who showed up last Saturday are some of the ones who are living a dream, said Antonio Jefferson, president of the Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce.
“We need to start seeding these young entrepreneurs so they can take these businesses and put them outward facing on main street,” said Jefferson, who was a judge for the event. “I call it moving a business from home to main street.”
Nothing about the event was totally kids stuff. There was the tech support company Generation Z Media, which is owned by Rickards High School students Roshan Mettopalli and Annda Chutterigee.
Kenzie Rodgers was out promoting Kids With Scents, an air freshener product business that she owns with Ayden and Chayce Cromer. Marlacia Kitchen told anyone who would listen about how she got into selling fashion through her business Imperial Galore.
There was even the Lemonade Café, a business that caters popcorn and any other party essentials.
Everyone took home some cash whether they had a sale or not. They each received $250 for showing up and making their pitch. The Top three selected by the judges were awarded cash prizes of $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place.
The day wasn’t all about the money for the Sissle brothers, though.
“We see it as an inspiration,” said Royal. “It doesn’t matter how young you are. It doesn’t matter what race you are. We see it as an opportunity for anyone to aspire. We are successful and we hope to be more successful.”
Kitchen, a 15-year-old 10th grader at Franklin Academy, was just looking for something to do when she decided selling clothing and apparels would be her business. She figures that what she offers could boost a person’s esteem.
“I know when I’m dressed up I’m happy,” she said. “I think if that makes me happy it will make people happy so let’s go for it.”
Her inventory is impressive. She brought out a designer bucket purse, sunshades, a set of purse and cap in pink, blue and white, pajamas and swim suits.
“Right now I’m focused on getting my name out rather than worry about inventory and all of that,” she said.
As much as young people are developing an interest in starting up a business, they also have to begin to think about funding, partnerships and even logistics to be successful, said Keith Bowers, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at FAMU.
“For you to be a successful entrepreneur you have to have some sort of mastery of those things,” said Bowers, who also was a judge. “The sooner you get started, the better.”
