Young Entrepreneur Showcase

The trail to fine jewelry began for Anthony Joseph Bellabona at the young age of 12. As a dyslexic learner, traditional school settings were a struggle. AJ found confidence and success when he happened upon working with mixed metals during his middle school years. Tapping into a talent, which, if it were not for that one teacher may never have been uncovered. Working first with pewter, AJ quickly evolved to working with fine silver, gold and precious gems. AJ’s pieces were sought after, leading him to start his company. He made his first wedding band at the age of 13.

Staying true to his learning style– AJ created a brand and logo which he then trademarked by the time he was 16. The company mark can be found on every piece of his jewelry and embraces his dyslexic advantage. The “j” is reversed to raise awareness about the true talents of dyslexic learners.

Links:

• About — Aj Made Jewelry (madebyaj.com)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2vUwxTBLO4
• Instagram is @ajmadellc

Dane Kute:
Dane is a 10 year old boy who is in the 4th grade. He lives in Colorado Springs. He was diagnosed with severe dyslexia in Kindergarten. Dane is super creative, excels at building things, and is very artistic. He is also good at running, biking, and inline skating. Dane is running cross country for his elementary school. His favorite animal is a pangolin. His favorite book series is Percy Jackson. He is a junior published author and has written four books.

Savannah Kute:
Savannah is eight years old and is in the 3rd grade. Savannah is diagnosed with dyslexia and anxiety. Savannah is a very social girl who is loyal and kind to her friends. She loves riding horses and is training to be a rangerette with her horse, Scout. Savannah loves writing books and has published two books. Her favorite animals are cats and horses. Her favorite food is rice pearl meatballs and wonton soup. She plays soccer and runs cross country.

Ruby Kute
Ruby is seven year old and in 2nd grade. Ruby has dyslexia. Ruby is so funny and likes to make people laugh. She makes friends with everyone she meets. Ruby wants to help other kids find their superpower. Hers is creativity. Ruby likes to draw and color in her notebook, play with her animals, and ride her bike. She loves to take pictures on her camera. She likes to eat and drink tea. She has published two books.

Slime Gods rule the slime world!! You cannot go wrong with our handmade amazingly stretchy and satisfying slime!! We have butter slime, water slime, cloud slime, clear slime, oobleck slime, fluffy slime and more…our mix-ins are fun, fabulous, groovy and unique, and it is all created with love from our team of two eleven year old masterminds! Peace on earth, Slime Gods Rule!!

Kenley is a 9th grade student at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, FL. She was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 6, underwent extensive therapy while maintaining a fierce determination to learn and refused to be underestimated. She adores animals and plans to attend the University of Florida to pursue a degree in animal sciences and become an Animal Rescuer and Habitat Preservationist. She is a natural in the kitchen and loves baking, especially macaroons, and making smoothies. Besides baking, Kenley’s greatest passion is traveling. Kenley has received the Presidential Gold Volunteer Service Award twice for 299+ hours of service, was a Page in the Florida House of Representatives and won 1st Place in the Florida Women’s History Essay Contest (a huge accomplishment for a dyslexic). Kenley is a national champion baton twirler and was a part of Team USA as they won the Silver Medal at the 2023 World Baton Twirling Championship. Selected as Miss Jacksonville’s Teen 2024, Kenley advanced to the Miss Florida’s Teen competition where she was the recipient of the “Overcoming Obstacles” scholarship and 2nd place Community Service Initiative winner. Kenley serves as a Student Ambassador with the REED Charitable Foundation helping them conduct large scale fundraising events to underwrite the costs of teacher trainings and personally created and published a coloring book for children with dyslexia.

Links:

Her social media links are:
Instagram: @kenley.mck @missjacksonvillesteenfl
Facebook: @KenleyMcKenna
TikTok: @Kenley.Mck

and her website is kenleymckenna.com

Please share video too: https://youtu.be/Oo_UaGg0AFI

My name is Madison, I’m 14. I am the owner of Madi Draws. I create custom faceless portraits. In my spare time I enjoy playing softball, spending time with family, and hanging out with horses. https://www.instagram.com/madi.drawss?igsh=MWw3MDJraHRlMXhmNQ==

Max J. Ash

Max is a young entrepreneur with dyslexia who created a slam-dunk mug design at just eight years old. When asked by his 2nd grade art teacher to make a mug, Max had the ingenious idea to attach a basketball hoop to the mug for tossing mini marshmallows into hot cocoa. He is Founder & Chief Creator of MAX’IS Creations, the profitable family business he runs with his parents and older brother. With over 220,000 units sold and over eighty thousand dollars in philanthropic contributions to dyslexia-related charities, MAX’IS Creations serves as a model success story that raises awareness and support for the 1 in 5 kids like him who happen to think and learn differently. Max is currently a sophomore at Swarthmore College where he is studying astronomy and engineering and competes on behalf of the Men’s Golf Team.

Links:

• https://maxiscreations.com/collections/all

Reagan Haynes is a Jr. at Lake Mary High School. She started playing soccer at 3 years old and has continued a love for the sport since, with plans of playing at the collegiate level and even professionally one day!

She has always enjoyed finding creative ways of making money and two summers ago started a business with her friend; “Surf Sisters”, they designed beaded bracelets and beachy earrings and necklaces. She soon traded the bracelet business in for an Etsy page full of Taylor Swift Era themed boxes for the Eras Tour movie release, complete with fun T. Swift goodies a fan could dress up with at the showing! And “SwiftStylle Boxes” was born. She progressed these eras boxes into a Taylor Swift Advent Calendar at Christmas and her newest product is wooden wall art with different artists/ landscapes etc *but mostly Taylor Swift inspired, and takes requests!
Reagan currently runs a very successful Taylor Swift Instagram Fan page with 14.5k followers, keeping “Swifties” all in tune to the newest Taylor news!

Reagan is extremely talented in digital media and has even worked with a local entrepreneur and a local boutique, on their digital media platform with hopes to expand.

Being dyslexic has had its challenges, but we believe it has helped her gift of becoming an entrepreneur. One word she’s been described as from various teachers and coaches through many years is DETERMINED.

“Dream Big Reagan, and Never Give Up!” We can’t wait to see what your future brings!

My name is Declan Guastella, and I am from Florida. I love everything about my days, except the having to read too much. I play football, baseball, basketball, and run track. I go to a Catholic school and I believe in God. My favorite event of the week is flipping through Pokemon and watching the U with my dad. I wanted to make some money to buy more cards, so I started selling my cards at school. Then my friends and I thought of BossKards. We want to find the cards and items our other friends cannot or do not have. I figure with the extra money we make, we want to help the poor eat and possibly buy a house. My mom and dad said it is okay to do the business as long as my friends don’t fight and no lying. I want to be an inventor and a CEO when I grow up. I was told I have Dyslexia last year and it has helped me understand why lines and letters are not what they are supposed to be. I also us notes to help me remember to do things every day.

About BossKards – www.bosskards.com

BossKards is a website ledger that sells trading cards, jerseys, and other Kool stuff. We will update www.bosskards.com every night with the new items we have. If a person does not have a lot of time to sell their own items, we will sell it for a percentage of the total price. Once a month, we will do a raffle giveaway of a card or other items. Just buy in for $1 and you can win anything.

BGCTees is dedicated to transforming entrepreneurial aspirations into reality. We empower our members by providing high-quality printing services that cater to their communities, helping them unlock their full potential.

As a vibrant canvas for creativity, BGCTees encourages members to explore their artistic abilities and turn innovative ideas into tangible products. More than just a printing service, we are a hub for learning and growth, offering opportunities to acquire essential skills in graphic design, print technology, and vital soft skills.

Committed to fostering economic empowerment, BGCTees champions entrepreneurial goals and nurtures skill development, creating a sustainable impact in the lives of our members and their communities. Join us on this journey to thrive and succeed!