At the age of four, Mikaila Ulmer opened a lemonade stand. She wanted to use the money she made to help save honeybees. Since then, Ulmer's lemonade has gone from a sidewalk in her hometown of Austin, Texas, to grocery stores around the country. The 18-year-old is the founder and CEO of Me & the Bees Lemonade. She started the company after presenting her business idea on the reality TV show Shark Tank in 2015, winning a $60,000 investment.
Data shows that Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in America — at least in part, because they're often denied advancement in established companies. Ulmer, however, seems to be a born entrepreneur. "Being my own boss and being able to make my own money was important to me," she told CNBC. "I realized how fun it was to sit behind the stand and run it. That is why I decided to keep on going."
With her company, Ulmer is still saving honeybees, and she believes all business leaders need a social mission. "[My] generation is more likely to buy from a company that does good in the world," she says.