2008 International Winners

Lukas Alfred
Opportunity Ads
Windhoek, Namibia
Age: 18
Nominated by: Junior Achievement
2007 Fiscal Year Revenues: $1,890

Lukas started Opportunity Ads to help the small businesses in his community. After completing a professional survey of local businesses, he found that many small businesses had trouble promoting themselves affordably. To fill this need, Lukas decided to create a monthly publication where local businesses could advertise. But here’s the twist: while Opportunity Ads would focus on promoting small businesses, he made a strategic decision to encourage larger businesses to purchase advertisements in the publication. His game plan: to charge larger companies more money than smaller companies to subsidize the cost of the smaller companies’ advertisements. Lukas also negotiated a sponsorship with the printer to keep costs low so he could charge the small businesses as little as possible. This strategic plan won Lukas first place in a Junior Achievement national awards and personally, he was recognized as the best managing director.

His company has grown significantly since he first started, increasing from seven employees to 25 in just two years. Instead of going door to door to find businesses, he uses the radio and newspapers to advertise his service. The monthly publication is free of charge and the 500 printed copies are distributed all over the city, in stores, bus stations, and schools. To make sure the publication is producing more business for area companies, Lukas surveys the businesses after his publication has been released to monitor the increase in sales. The response is usually very strong and Lukas is eager to expand his business and devote himself full-time to the endeavor after graduation.

Ivonne Escobar
Bright Star
Belize City, Belize
Age: 21
Nominated by: Youth Business International
2007 Fiscal Revenues: $5,000

She has the makings of a global fashion buyer. Wherever Ivonne travels, she looks for clothes to purchase and bring back to sell at Bright Star, her apparel store. Her customers like brightly colored, modern clothes so that is what catches her eye when she is looking for new merchandise. Mostly she travels to El Salvador to purchase the goods that she sells for men, women and children and she looks forward to discovering new products she thinks her customers will enjoy. If a customer specifically requests an item, Ivonne happily tracks it down.

After working in a clothing store herself, Ivonne felt she understood the basics of selling apparel. She also wanted to open a business to help her family and provide an opportunity for herself. Now Ivonne is planning to open a branch in every district in Belize but she does not want to limit her business to clothes only -- Ivonne is planning to also capitalize on the popularity of Internet cafes and open her own. Ivonne plans to combine the two businesses and continue operations as she finishes her studies. Owning a business as a young person is a unique in Belize and Ivonne is savvy enough to market her store and build customer loyalty by focusing on clients who prefer to shop at her store because she is so young.

Sabirul Islam
Veyron Technology
London, England
Age: 17
Nominated by: Young Enterprise London
2007 Fiscal Year Revenues: $117,420

Sabirul started his first business called Veyron Technology at the age of 14, designing and creating professional websites for corporate and private clients. Though he didn’t know a thing about web site design, he had watched his father and cousin run successful businesses of their own and felt it was “his turn” to try. So his friend taught him how to design a web site and through their school’s connections with ABN Amro, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, Veyron was able to count these investment banks as clients within the company’s first three years.

At the age of 16, Sabirul was part of the Merrill Lynch Atlantic Fellowship program in New York where he learned the basics of investment through witnessing live trading on the New York Stock Exchange. He has since chosen to close down the web design company and focus mainly on investments in stocks and property.

His focus is now on inspiring young people to bring success into their lives. Growing up in a neighborhood high in poverty that considers crime and violence “as a way forward,” Sabirul has introduced the Young Enterprise curriculum into his neighborhood. After distributing flyers, he had 200 people show interest in learning how they can start their own business. Sabirul is more proud of that number than any investment return. He has written a book "The World at Your Feet” to encourage young people to turn their entrepreneurial vision into reality. The book has sold over 25,000 copies since it was published on January 1, 2008.

Ruhi Anirudha Jadhav
Dream Girl
Mumbai, India
Age: 19
Nominated by: Kherwadi Social Welfare Association
2007 Fiscal Year Revenues: $150

After taking a beautician course at a local trade school, Ruhi opened a full service beauty salon in her home offering hair styling, facials, and bridal services. By charging less than other salons, she was able to attract her first customers. With her customer base growing, Ruhi has been able to buy more products and expand her business.

Since her business is based in her parents’ house, the support of her family, neighbors and greater community has been essential to her success. To honor that support, Ruhi is dedicated to keeping her services at an affordable price so her salon is accessible to everyone in her neighborhood. She also employs two members of her community at her salon to maintain her work/life balance. But Ruhi considers this just the beginning of her journey. Enjoying the independence of being able to implement her own ideas, Ruhi looks forward to one day moving her salon out of her parents’ home and plans to continue both her academic and vocational training.


Karina Plontikoff
Du Pilash!
Panama City, Panama
Age: 16
Nominated by: Junior Achievement
2007 Fiscal Year Revenues: $7,021

Karina believes challenges are stepping stones to success. It is unusual in Panama City for someone so young to own a business but Karina simply considers that a challenge she has already overcome. As a member of the Junior Achievement program in Panama, Karina developed the idea to sell jewelry made out of shells. As shells are plentiful in Panama, she learnt how to make bracelets, necklaces and earrings at school. Her business model was simple: as most of her raw materials are free and abundant, almost all the money she made by selling the jewelry was profit. Junior Achievement agreed and she won first place in the country’s business competition.

After school, Karina plans to continue selling jewelry at stores around the city. She finds that customers are intrigued by her story and are more eager to buy her goods when they find out how young she is and how much she has accomplished. However, what motivates Karina to continue to run her own business the most is the ability it gives her to think independently and make decisions than if she worked for someone else. The ability to choose the design for each bracelet means as much to Karina, as developing the strategy to sell it.

Alexander Sheenkov
Photo and Video Centre
Perevalsk, Ukraine
Age: 21
Nominated by: Youth Business International
2007 Fiscal Revenues: $1,860

Finding a job in Perevalsk is difficult for many young people. A region traditionally dominated by coal mining, it is currently facing a steep economic decline as mines close. Young people leave their homes in search of jobs in other large cities, Russia, and abroad. Instead of leaving his community, Alexander chose to turn his interest in computers and photography into a successful business. At first turned down for a loan by a bank because he had no collateral, Alexander found Youth Business International which introduced him to a mentor and assisted him in developing a business plan. After winning a business plan competition, Alexander had the funds to start his business: a digital photography and video service.

Alexander is constantly looking for opportunities to expand his business. He believes his attention to quality attracts his customers but he is interested in offering a wide variety of products as well. In addition to photo and video recording he has started to provide other associated services including video montage and digitizing, digitizing of video from various carriers into various formats (like DVD), photo processing and development of electronic photo albums. Instead of moving to another country to make a living, Alexander is now at the center of community events, taping weddings and graduations, and he is proud to chronicle the life of his community.

Khuddus Al Rashid, Kristofer Jarvis, Nickita Patel, Oliver Clarke,
Marcus Martin
G
London, England
Age: 16 – 18
Nominated by: Young Enterprise
2007 Fiscal Year Revenues: $977

Although Khuddus, Kristofer, Nickita, Oliver and Marcus started G in a classroom at Queens Park Community School, the company’s impact reaches far beyond their school walls. G produces a high quality bamboo fiber towel called a “G Mop” that can be used in the gym, on hiking trails, while playing sports, and even in hair salons. It is a superior product to an average cotton towel; bamboo absorbs three times more moisture as cotton does and, as a fast-growing and easily-replenished resource, bamboo is better for the environment. The company outsources the production of the towel to a local supplier, which the CEOs chose not only for the high quality of their products but because that supplier provides jobs for disadvantaged people in the area.

Khuddus, Kristofer, Nickita, Oliver and Marcus are fully committed not only to helping the environment but to helping the community in which they live. This exceptional group of young entrepreneurs grew up in neighborhoods that can sometimes turn dangerous, so they wanted to produce a positive impact on the world around them. Because of that intention, they have found a product that benefits the global environment and can be sold locally. However, their success is not just based on luck. Indeed, Khuddus, Kristofer, Nickita, Oliver and Marcus have all put a lot of sweat equity into their towel business.

Marketing is an important tool for G; they completed a great deal of market research and product testing to ensure the quality of and need for their towels. They have continued to promote their product through celebrity endorsements, demonstrations and trade shows, a BBC television commercial, and at local gyms and yoga centers. With this dedicated team’s passion for their product and mission, don’t be surprised when you see the “G Mop” at your next visit to the gym!