In the summer after my 9th grade year, I started to get into cancer research at Case Western Reserve University. I participated in the Youth Engaged in Science program. It’s very clinical and it’s studying proteins related to cancer. Then through that program, later that winter, I was able to do this opportunity called the Community Engaged Cancer Research Program and that’s basically for community engaged research and it’s studying breast cancer within the Cleveland community and the greater Ohio region. From that, I began to think about my own impact and how I wanted to help the cause of fighting breast cancer. Around the same time, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and that made an impact on me. I wanted to do something that would honor her fight. That’s when I decided to start Bows 4 Breast Cancer. When my grandmother was going through chemotherapy and treatment, her lips would get dried out and she had other side effects. The doctor said you should just buy a lip balm, face wipes, and other stuff like that. I started making gift bags with those items for patients with profits made from the bows I sold. I chose bows because my grandmother is very good with her hands. I wanted to do something artsy and I learned how to make bows with her.

There are a couple different parts to it, but when I first started selling, it was at farmers markets. I’d go with my cousin who sells jams, she founded Jam by Juliet. She would sell her jams as I sold my bows. The bows I make are for little girls and at the time I was having trouble because they’re not that popular. Then I was a seller at Woofstock which is for dogs. People kept telling me that my bows are great and they wanted to put it on their dogs. So I changed the way I made my bows so that they could clip onto a collar or a little girl’s hair. Now they’re dual purpose. Once I started doing that, I found I was making more in profit and was able to make more gift baskets. Another pivot for my business is I was able to start buying bulk for the gift bags. That cut down on those costs. Originally, a gift bag cost around $7 to $10 to make and I would sell my bows for $5. Once I started buying in bulk from places and calling stores to see where I could get the best prices, I ended up being able to make a gift bag for $5. I also built a relationship with my grandmother’s doctor so that I could drop off gift bags for patients. Then I started dropping them off at people’s houses and gathering places.

Just go for it. If you have an idea, just do your best. Originally when I first started calling to get the companies to donate money or the materials for gift baskets, I was a little shy and I didn’t know how to go about it. Trying at whatever you want to do is the best way to go about starting a business.

The Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI) and my school, University School helped me. University School is heavily associated with YEI. They provide tents to share with other sellers at local farmers markets. Normally you have to bring your own tables and chairs but they supply those things which makes selling easier. My grandmother also helped me make the bows.

100% of the profits have been from selling the bows themselves at farmers markets. I was able to make 200 bags from that, but I have a goal of donating 500 bags total, preferably by December.

I’m not 100 percent sure where I’m going to go to college, but I think wherever I go, I’m going to try to continue to support those with breast cancer. I have a lot of family here in Cleveland. So I’m sure that if I get profits from somewhere else, I can have a cousin or someone else drop off the gift baskets I make. I want to continue focusing on helping those in Cleveland.

I’m thinking about a few different majors right now. I want to continue talking with people like I do now because of my business. I also like to learn things from other people so I’m considering communications. I also think chemical engineering is something I’m really interested in because of the research I did at Case Western Reserve University before starting my business.