Black kidpreneurs are paying it forward through their ventures. Jonah Larson—the 12-year-old behind the crochet company Jonah’s Hands—has used his business and other endeavors to drive social impact, People reported.
The youngster turned his passion for crocheting into a business two years ago when he launched Jonah’s Hands. The self-taught crocheter, who picked up the skill when he was 5 years old, started making pieces with complex patterns. After word spread about his talent, there was a high demand for the hand-crafted goods he created. Over a two-year span, he grew his customer base and at one point was receiving over 4,500 orders monthly. Larson—who was adopted from Ethiopia—donated a large portion of his sales to the orphanage he once lived in.
Although he has put the crocheting side of his business on hold, due to the high demand for his products, he is pushing his philanthropic efforts forward through new projects. Larson has created pieces for a nonprofit named Roots Ethiopia which works to improve schools and educate children in underserved communities throughout the country. He has also launched fundraisers to support the development of a STEM lab and library at an Ethiopian school. The pre-teen, who is an aspiring surgeon, is using his entrepreneurial journey to inspire youth. He hosts several crocheting workshops, has done speaking engagements and has authored a book dubbed Hello, Crochet Friends!: Making Art, Being Mindful, Giving Back: Do What Makes You Happy.
“He simply likes to make beautiful items,” his mother Jennifer Larson told the news outlet. “He enjoys the smiles on people’s faces when he gifts them an item he designed himself. As Jonah says, crochet brings the world together one stitch at a time.”
Many children are evoking change, locally and globally, through their businesses. 11-year-old Brooklyn-based entrepreneur Obocho Peters opened a thrift store in his community dubbed Obocho’s Closet to provide inexpensive clothing options for underprivileged families in his community.
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