Something tasty, something blue, someone 3 and many who are 22!
Read all about the 22 under 22s – the perfect match for entrepreneurial spirit, supportive families and the community – creating everything from baked goods and art in every dimension to hosting the hottest show-and-tell reptile birthday parties. These bright, young entrepreneurs are some rising business stars to watch out for in 2024.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
RUNNER'S HIGH COOKIES | LOGAN RUSSELL
It started as a way to raise money for his high school cross country team. Logan Russell says he began baking cookies using a recipe passed down from his grandmother. Wanting to add a personal spin, Logan adapted the recipe and created the first Runner’s High cookie – “The Start Line” – a “chewy” cookie with chocolate chips, caramel and toffee bits. Each cookie on Logan’s menu has a name relating to his running start, including “The Cool Down” and “Time Crunch.” Runner’s High Cookies is the starting line for Logan, who plans to return home and use his recreation, park and tourism sciences degree to create a bakery where relaxing and hanging out are also on the menu.
Runner’s High Cookies by Logan Russell can be found on Instagram at @runnershighcookies, and orders can be made at RunnersHighCookies.com. Cookies range from $2.50 for one, and go to $45 for a Marathon Flavor Pack of 26 cookies of varying flavors.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
SILVER PAINTINGS CO. | MARY ROBERTS
With little down time while studying at Texas A&M University, Mary Roberts started working on her painting skills and created Silver Paintings Co. in the summer of 2023. Her painting of a turtle — the face of the company — has taken the longest to paint to date. Her artist grandfather helps Mary sell her pieces and she notes the 70-year age gap has only positive effects on their teamwork to market and to sell one another’s artwork. The two make sure to always promote each other, and Mary says she is looking forward to pursuing her company at a larger scale post-graduation.
Silver Paintings Co. can be found on Instagram @_silverpaintingsco. Mary Roberts, alongside her grandfather, showcase and sell their art at local markets in Tyler, Austin and Bryan/College Station.
Photo by Laura McClintock
ABIGAIL MAKES ART | ABIGAIL ADAMS
After living in Las Vegas while her father was in the military, Abigail Adams moved to College Station with her family and is a freshman at International Leadership of Texas - Aggieland High School. She designs cartoon animals with a twist and puts the art on notebooks and other stationery. Abigail says she really enjoys creating and even experimenting with different mediums. She currently sells her art online and is looking forward to seeing how her business grows in the future.
Abigail Adams’ art can be found on Instagram @abigailmakesart. Orders can be made at abigailmakesart.com. Notebooks start at $10.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
KAY DAY CREATIONS | KAYPREE DAILY
While at home with her mom one day, Kaypree Daily was looking for a way to make money and landed on the idea of playdough kits. She comes up with themed kits that people can purchase such as mermaid, construction, Christmas and even seasonal options like fall. Kaypree’s playdough is made from scratch with common kitchen ingredients such as flour, salt, oil and even Kool-Aid powder when experimenting with scented dough. Kaypree says she loves finding fun, new ways to make her themed kits interesting. In the future, she hopes to work markets and potentially go to First Friday.
Kay Day Creations by Kaypree Daily can be found on Instagram @kayday.creations and on Etsy at KayDayCreations.Etsy.com.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
BRAXTON HUSK BOOKS | BRAXTON HUSK
As the self-published author of three young adult books, Braxton Husk says he always wanted to make movies, but at 13, he had no budget. He put words on paper to narrate his imaginative worlds and released “Malefison” through Barnes & Noble. He released his second book “Evergreen and the Curse of Clover Castle” through Braxton Husk Books to have full control over his stories when he finally has a movie budget. Braxton now has four books in print.
Braxton Husk Books can be found on Instagram @braxtonhuskbooks or online at BraxtonHusk.com.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
ZOLALA DESIGNZ | ZOË TSOUKALAS
Wanting her clothing to be unique and perfectly sized, Zoë Tsoukalas started making her outfits as a child with the help of her grandmother. Now, she runs Zolala Designz, sharing her love of uniqueness through handmade jewelry, clothes and accessories. She plans to use her accounting degree to learn the language of business so she can expand and grow her company to an operational storefront. Zoë’s biggest challenge is balancing work and school, but she doesn’t let it stop her from sharing her passion with the community.
Zolala Designz by Zoë Tsoukalas can be found on Instagram @zolala.designz. To order, direct message Zoë on Instagram or follow her to find her market and pop-up schedule while her website is under construction.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
SCALES TAILS & CRAWLERS | BRYCE, EDEN & GRAYSON BRINKMEYER
One room in the Brinkmeyer house stays at 80 degrees. The room — a wonder of nature — houses 18 reptiles, dead rats, infrared lighting, snake shedding and over a dozen tanks. The faces behind the for-hire reptilian show-and-tell business note they used money earned picking up dog poop for lawn owners to buy their cold-blooded business partners. The business grew after Grayson asked for a reptile birthday party. The lizard poop they pick up makes them no money, but it reminds them of where they started. The geckos, snakes and even the bearded dragons vary in size, shape and color.
Scales Tails & Crawlers can be found on Instagram @scalestailsandcrawlers. To book events, please email Scalestailsandcrawlers@gmail.com for further information on pricing.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
MNKY CLUB | ELIAN VIGIL
Tired of seeing brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister hinder self-expression with labels and branding, Elian Vigil set out to weave his own mark. Starting with stock embroidered and printed products, MNKY Club is now an entirely customizable brand that caters to customers. Like a tattoo, Elian brings customer ideas to life by hand-weaving every sweatshirt. Upon completing his degree in neuroscience, Elian plans to attend medical school but hopes to continue the MNKY Club and help others find their self-expression.
MNKY Club by Elian Vigil can be found on Instagram @mnkyclub. To shop, see a lookbook of options, or order a custom design, visit MNKYclub.com. Customers can also direct message MNKY Club on Instagram to place custom orders. Costs range from $27 for T-shirts to $145 for custom pieces.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
HARPER'S HEALTHY HOMEMADES | HARPER MURR
After realizing there was a lack of organic products in skin care on the market, especially because of little regulation in the skin care industry, Harper Murr, being a third-generation kid entrepreneur, decided to begin experimenting and find a way to make a healthy beauty product. Harper is currently selling lip balm, body butter and magnesium cream and is also working on new products to launch. While her business is young, Harper says she wants to experiment with her products more and continue to help provide products that help people. She wants to graduate college and hopes to pursue her company full time.
Harper’s Healthy Homemades by Harper Murr can be found at harperworkshard.com and products are available for purchase by contacting Michelle Murr at (512) 650-6662.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
AGGIELAND BOARDS | MADISON THOMPSON
Madison Thompson grew up in an entrepreneurial family with her mom running crafty companies on Etsy. When Madison created a cheese board for a friend’s wedding, she was quickly encouraged to turn her Pinterest-DIY project into a small business. Since then, she has worked with big-name clients as a certified vendor, from Texas A&M faculty to wedding venues. Madison’s specialties aren’t just meats and cheeses — her most memorable board was for a 300-person brunch featuring mini pancakes and bacon. With a commercial kitchen under her belt and merchandise on the way, Madison plans to use her agricultural business degree to continue growing her company upon graduation.
Aggieland Boards by Madison Thompson can be found on Instagram and Facebook @aggielandboards. Orders can be placed through AggielandBoards.com for various grazing tables, charcuterie boards and individual serving cups.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
BAGEL HAVEN | MELIA GUADARRAMA
After jumping on the sourdough kick during the coronavirus pandemic, Melia Guadarrama says she created her first bagel using leftovers from a loaf. Now, Melia owns Bagel Haven. Two weeks in, she sold 15 to 16 orders a week, with four bagels in each order. Bagel Haven offers a variety of flavors like blueberry, cinnamon sugar and jalapeno cheddar. Working part-time while being a transfer student at Texas A&M, Melia says she’s learning to balance all her passions and uses baking to escape her daily stresses.
Bagel Haven by Melia Guadarrama can be found on Instagram at @bagelhavenbcs. Visit Beacons.ai/BagelHavenBCS to find the local order form and Melia’s Etsy shop for purchases requiring shipping. Bagels come in a pack of four and are $7 each.
Photo by Laura McClintock
7 CLOTHING & DESIGN | JULIANNE ELIAS
A Christmas gift turned business tool, Julianne Elias and 7 Clothing & Design got their start as an arts and crafts project. When Julianne created an Instagram account, she was off to the races. Her clients range from students asking for hand-embroidered graduation stoles to the Texas A&M football team. As the president of Texas A&M’s Student Business Owners Association, Julianne weaves back and forth between school and work. But Julianne is up for the challenge, planning her day to a T and working up to four hours a night.
7 Clothing & Design by Julianne Elias can be found on Instagram @7clothingdesign. Orders can be placed through Julianne’s Instagram for a variety of apparel, album covers, towels, bags and more. Prices range depending on order.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
CONCHO USA | CARTER KUO & JACKSON SHEEN
Underwhelmed with the selection of roped hats in the area, Carter Kuo and Jackson Scheen say they dove head first into making their own. Roped hats are traditional flat-brim hats with a piece of braided rope along the bill. Carter and Jackson say they are working to improve the business, while continuing to work on their finance and agriculture economics degrees at Texas A&M. After scaling large enough in one year to license with Texas A&M, Jackson says Concho USA is focused on building a culture — rather than just a hat — and sharing that culture beyond the Bryan/College Station area.
Concho USA by Carter Kuo and Jackson Scheen can be found on Instagram @conchousa. Shop hats through their Instagram shop or at ConchoUSA.com. Hat prices start at $30; custom orders are welcomed.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
CARLY'S CONFECTIONS | CARLY KAHN
Carly Kahn and her namesake confections got their start during everyone’s favorite red-heart holiday: Valentine’s Day. Carly’s Confections makes a variety of chocolate-covered strawberries in flavors such as Oreo, Fruity Pebbles and strawberry shortcake. Since graduating from Texas A&M, Carly has shifted her business to full time; she attends farmers markets and caters at Aggie Ring Days. Her next project is transforming a newly-purchased trailer into a mobile shop so she can expand and dip into new markets.
Carly’s Confections by Carly Kahn can be found on Instagram @carlysconfectionsco, where customers can find her monthly schedule. Orders can be placed at Linktr.ee/CarlysConfections or CarlysConfections.net; she only offers pick-up and local delivery. College Station orders are on a first come, first serve basis and prices vary by order.
Photo by Laura McClintock
ED'S CREATIONS | EDUARDO HERNANDEZ
After learning how to sew from his aunt, Eduardo Hernandez began to sell fabric masks during the pandemic. While he was selling and making a profit, he also began donating masks to Anson Jones Elementary School and the Cancer Clinic located in Bryan. Eduardo now sells pouches used to store items and 3D pixelated keychains inspired by Mario characters. In the future, he hopes to make his business grow and even wants to begin making full purses.
Eduardo Hernandez can be found at local markets during the year selling his products. He recently attended the Brazos Valley Children's Business Fair at the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo.
Photo by Laura McClintock
COCO'S BEADS AND CO. | HANNAH SIMPSON
A pandemic business named after a younger sister now has over 29,000 followers on Instagram and just shipped bracelets to the wives of the Houston Astros players prior to the 2023 ALCS championship. The collaboration matters because Hannah Simpson’s grandparents handle fulfillment while she studies at Texas A&M and have been season ticket holders for the Astros for 25 years. After she graduates in 2025, Hannah wants to manage Coco’s Beads and Co. fulltime.
Coco’s Beads and Co. can be found on Instagram @cocosbeadsandco. To place an order, visit CocosBeadsandCo.com. Beads start at $10.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
MOON MIST CROCHET | ASHLYNN TERRY
After helping her mom run an art camp at Whimsy & Wild Emporium in Downtown Bryan, Ashlynn Terry began her journey with crochet. After two years, she now sells her own crochet creations including sleepy dinosaurs, giant snakes and even a four-foot tall squid, which has been in the works for months. In the future, Ashlynn says she hopes to do markets and teach young kids the art of crocheting.
Moon Mist Crochet can be found on Instagram @moon_mist_crochet. Ashlynn Terry also has an Etsy shop at MoonMistCrochet.Etsy.com, where you can purchase all her creations.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
NATIVITY WOODOWORKING COMPANY | ETHAN LEBLANC
A lover of LEGOs and trains, the builder behind the traditional small manger stable that houses Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus during the Christmas season is Ethan LeBlanc, a son who wanted to help his mom. His mom needed a wooden Nativity scene for Christmas and Ethan built one with minimal power tools, some extra wood and plenty of imagination. Ethan enjoys building and customizing each barn with a torch to create dark coloration on the wood and can’t wait to keep building barns in the future.
Nativity Woodworking Company by Ethan Leblanc can be found on Facebook @nativitywoodworkingcompany and mangers are available for purchase by direct message.
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
ELLE LIKE THE LETTER | ELLE SEGREST
The path from embroidered shirts to canvas tote bags was a straight line for Elle Segrest, the titular owner of Elle Like The Letter. The change came from a realization while Elle was interning in Portland, Oregon: there was a utility to tote bags that regular shirts were missing. Now, Elle can catch sight of her tote designs in grocery stores, coffee shops and around campus. Tote enthusiasts can choose from a selection of stock designs created by Elle or place a custom order.
Elle Like The Letter by Elle Segrest can be found on Instagram @shopelleliketheletter. Orders for tote bags or sweatshirts can be placed through Elle’s Etsy shop at ElleLikeTheLetter.Etsy.com; some orders permit free shipping.
Photo by Laura McClintock
MADDIE CAKES | MADISON KIRBY
Madison Kirby never planned for her passion for baking to become a business, but when a family friend offered to pay her for a cake, it all fell into place. Whether it’s cakes or cupcakes, Maddie Cakes boomed during the pandemic when she could provide desserts through contactless delivery. To balance her schedule after arriving at Texas A&M, she had to leave Maddie Cakes behind in her hometown. While pursuing her degree in forensic science, Madison hopes to one day work in a lab. Her next goal for the company? Bringing her sweets to College Station.
Maddie Cakes by Madison Kirby can be found on Instagram @_maddie.cakes_. Madison takes orders through Instagram direct message and from comments on her Instagram posts. Cupcake boxes usually start at $15, with specialty items varying.
Photo by Laura McClintock
DEEDS BY GOODMEN | CLAYTON BEVER
What began as a way for Clayton Bever and his brothers to express their creativity, Deeds by Goodmen has evolved into a symbol for goodness and charity among the community. From classic t-shirts to a winter collection with hats and scarfs, Clayton is pushing himself out of his artistic comfort zone. Planning to continue the company with his two brothers upon his graduation with a telecommunication media studies degree, Clayton wants to continue to share his art with the world and promote good deeds.
Deeds by Goodmen by Clayton Bever can be found on Instagram @deedsbygoodmen, where they post schedules for markets and pop-ups. All products can be found and orders can be placed at Deeds.live. Products like stickers start at $10 and T-shirts start at $28.
Photo by Laura McClintock
AC 3D | CINCO & AMELIA SANDOVAL
Two siblings, Cinco and Amelia Sandoval, are changing the game when it comes to selling art after they came across 3D printing last summer. Since then, they have been working to create incredible, detachable and colorful creations. Their top-seller is a turtle designed to be taken apart and reassembled similar to a Lego set. The two have just started their business but are looking forward to taking their 3D art — and their entrepreneurial imagination — to the next level.
AC 3D by Cinco and Amelia Sanoval can be reached at ac3dbcs@gmail.com for any purchases as well as potential custom orders.
