Photograph by Jeremy Kramer
Cincinnati’s “shop small” culture and the vibrance of local, independently owned brands is impacting the next generation of entrepreneurs. Kids as young as 8 are following their dreams and learning the ins and outs of running their own businesses. Check out the apparel, jewelry, and self-care products on the market from some of the area’s youngest minds.
Photograph by Jeremy Kramer
At 11 years old, Jordan Friend started Cool Beanz apparel, inspired by his love of the catchphrase “cool beans.” Drawing and designing the Cool Beanz character himself—a cartoonish green bean sporting stylish sunglasses and a variety of accessories and outfits—Friend has refined his “bean craft,” printing his designs on shirts, hoodies, and other apparel. New product ideas begin with a sketchpad and pen. After the initial drawing, he takes the design to a digital art software, where it is refined by a designer and formatted for the Shopify system, then sent to the manufacturer.
Cool Beanz apparel can be purchased through the brand’s website and shipped directly to customers’ doorsteps. For every order placed, Cool Beanz donates one pound of beans to Friend’s temple’s annual Yom Kippur Food Drive to fight hunger. “I love that I took an idea of mine for a company that sells Cool Beanz shirts, and now I see people all over wearing my idea and talking about it. It’s amazing,” says Friend, now in eighth grade at Sycamore Junior High School. When Friend grows up, he dreams of a career in business, law, or medicine.
Photograph by Jeremy Kramer
Since she was 6 years old, Katelynn Parker has known she wanted to create something that makes others feel beautiful and cared for. In April 2023, she put her aspirations to the test and decided to create lip products made with natural and safe ingredients. All Beauty Is Me products—which include lip glosses, lip scrubs, and lip balms—are made from scratch by Parker with ingredients like shea butter, honey, brown sugar, cane sugar, and avocado oil, and are sold under fun names including “Juicy Joy,” “Main Squeeze,” and “Melanin Dream.” Her business emphasizes the importance of beauty affirmation, which is where its name, Beauty Is Me, originated.
According to Parker, her favorite part of running a business is the process of creating and selling products intended to help people take care of themselves. Beauty Is Me products are listed on her website and can be ordered through her Instagram by sending a direct message.
Photograph by Jeremy Kramer
Eight-year-old Sera Bowling loves searching for shells, fossils, and even sea glass from the Little Miami River. Using her collections, she created painted and bedazzled decor for her room. “I collected and painted so many that I ran out of space on my table and shelves,” she says, at which point her mom encouraged her to sell her shells to earn money for an American Girl Doll.
In 2024, Bowling did just that, selling her handcrafted creations at a gift shop at Lake Erie and various festivals and markets. In addition to shell-charm bracelets, keychains, hair accessories, sandals, and sunglasses, Bowling also offers her signature Secret SerShells, designed to look like a clam with a one-of-a-kind hand-painted shell and a fossil, stickers, sea animal toys, and more hidden inside. With her earnings, Bowling has raised money for organizations like Transform Cincy, and most recently saved up for a Kings Island Gold Pass. SerShells by Sera can be found on Instagram, Facebook, and at local markets and festivals including the City Flea Kids Market.
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