Teen BO$$!

NAME: Mikaila Ulmer

HOMETOWN: Austin, Texas AGE: 16 PRODUCT: Me & the Bees Lemonade

HOW IT STARTED: “I started my company as a lemonade stand when I was 4½ years old in Austin, Texas. I got stung by two bees and realized that they are important pollinators, and I got a cookbook from my great-granny, Helen, with flaxseed lemonade as a recipe in there. So, I decided to start a stand, using my newfound research about the bees and honey, to sweeten my lemonade with honey and donate a portion to organizations that were helping to save the bees.”

HOW IT’S CHANGED: “Since then, my business has taken me to sell over a million bottles nationally. My product is in 1,500 stores in over 40 states and my business is still growing.”

OTHER PROJECTS: “I wrote Bee Fear

less: Dream Like a Kid to help share my story of Me & The Bees Lemonade to inspire other young innovators and entrepreneurs who have big dreams and great ideas. Bee Fearless is a how-to guide on achieving success. It’s part memoir, part business book.”

ADVICE: “It’s always about striking the balance. Being a student first is important, but with the right time management, working on a business is totally doable.”