Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My inspiration comes from experiences within my own community. During high school, I’ve seen how serious mental health challenges can be, including the loss of people in my community to suicide. That made the issue feel real and personal to me. It pushed me to create ShineForKids, where I can use business as a platform to support youth mental health and turn small actions into meaningful impact.

How do you stay motivated?

I stay motivated by the mission behind ShineForKids. Seeing mental health challenges in my community makes the work feel real. I combine that purpose with discipline—setting goals, tracking growth, and staying consistent. Knowing each sale contributes to something bigger keeps me focused and driven.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would allocate the $25,000 strategically—about 60% to scale ShineForKids through inventory, branding, and marketing, 30% invested in the stock market as long-term capital to help fund my college education and finance journey, and 10% toward operations and increased donations. This approach grows both impact and financial sustainability.