SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – Developing ideas with social change in mind is the goal of a program aimed at empowering high school students with an eye on entrepreneurship.
Many businesses are started to solve a problem, and Nicolette Peji thought too many did not know they were cared for; so she came up with a solution.
“My company is called Love Letters and Sell Cards. We donate every time we sell one to people that need a little extra love,” said Peji.
Daniel Wolf and Cyrus Raiszadeh collaborated to form Straight Up which helps teens with taking the tension out of their bodies that comes from constant texting.
While most entrepreneurs are not as young as Wolf and Raiszadeh, the students enrolled in Whatever It Takes (WIT) are always aiming to turnover mainstream ideas.
Founder Sarah Hernholm started the program to give high school students a chance to develop real business plans with an eye towards social change.
“Teens always think they know the right way to do things. They make the best entrepreneurs because they're very rebellious because they want to do things their way - and we channel that into making a difference in the world,” said Hernholm.
Peji decided it was not enough to act kindly behind the scenes. She wanted to put action into her plan. She went downtown and delivered random acts of kindness to strangers.
“You never know what's going on in someone's day, and a lot of people said that they were having a hard time and it couldn't have some at a better time. You always want to make people feel amazing because everyone is amazing,” said Peji.
Other examples of WIT business include environmental photography, makeup brands and apps that help map underground.
It’s also in other cities such as St. Louis, Austin and in states like New York.