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INCREDIBLE KIDS OF SAN DIEGO

Teen Entrepreneurs

By Lily Smith

When I got the opportunity part of my teen wellness series. her business and how she can
to write for San Diego Woman I held a 1.5 hour Zoom call with best serve her target market.
Magazine, it didn’t take me long about 30 teens around the U.S. Swim By Sammi, based in New
to figure out what I wanted to and a few that joined from inter- York, specializes in empowering
write about. As a teen entrepre- national locations! It was a great
neur myself, I thought it would success connecting with other
be inspiring for readers to hear teens and discussing how they
what my fellow entrepreneurs are handling social distancing.”
are doing during this “new nor- Since her first initial Zoom hang-
mal”. As we all know, entrepre- out on April 4th, she recently
neurship is a constant journey of hosted another wellness event on
figuring out how to fit moving April 18th with about 30 attend-
pieces together, and this skill has ees from San Diego, Austin, and
become even more necessary New York City.
during this time, even for teen But it doesn’t stop there.
entrepreneurs. They are asking While Parikh has been pivoting
themselves the question, “what her business virtually to meet the
next?” and answering it through new needs of her fellow peers,
reaching out to their customers another female entrepreneur,
and figuring out their new needs. Sammi Stern, has been utilizing
Just like adult entrepreneurs. Yet, this time to reflect and research
teens are doing all of this while
juggling school.
The Pivot

One student, a local San
Diego teen, Karina Parikh, the
founder of Stick 2 You, which
aims to promote teen wellness
through self-care stickers has
been challenged by the current
global state. Yet, the challenge is
what entrepreneurs thrive upon.
Parikh originally had plans to
host a teen wellness event in
her local community, but that
quickly became inaccessible.
Since then, Parikh has contin-
ued developing her enterprise,
but not in a typical way. “...With Photos Courtesy of Lily Smith
the Covid-19 pandemic and
the stay-at-home order, I have
pivoted my teen wellness event
into a virtual teen wellness series.
Last weekend, I hosted the first

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