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
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.
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