Jericho’s Entrepreneurs

forming a team and eventually placing her products in stores.

Ethan Ng is a freelance software engineer who has clients reach out to him with their project ideas for website applications or coding script. Ethan codes in a specific time frame for a set cost. He started his business in 2019 as a freshman, and his business grew by word of mouth. Ethan’s biggest challenges are branding, keeping up with new programming languages and representing himself accurately.

Ethan started his business after realizing he has a talent that many others do not. He said, “Someone actually reached out to me about a project, and they offered money and it was kind of that pivotal moment where I realized that I have a skill, I can charge for it, and so I started.”

Ethan hopes to continue his business through college and beyond, potentially as a startup with a group of experienced individuals. Ethan also volunteers his services for non-profit groups such as the dog shelter Muddy Paws Rescue and the Asian gay activist group NYDEO.

Noreen Chen started her sticker business in October of 2020, when she was a sophomore. She loved digital drawing, so she started printing some of her creations on sticker paper as her first step in beginning her own business.

Zander Pearlman is the owner of Rising Staar, a clothing company that uses fashion to inspire others.

According to Zander, the first A in Staar stands for being “all in,” while the second A stands for “always keep going.”

Zander is open about the challenges of being a teenage entrepreneur. He said that the main obstacle with his business is “being able to balance it with schoolwork.”

Jessica Adel started her jewelry business in January 2022. All of her creations are handmade, and she gives all of her profits to Sunrise Day Camp, a free summer day camp for children with cancer and their siblings.

Jessica believes that focusing on her work, school and social life is definitely a struggle. She said, “It’s all about balance.” One of her biggest challenges is promoting her business due to the fact that there are many other jewelry businesses similar to hers.

Jericho’s entrepreneurs demonstrate that it is possible to pursue personal passions while balancing academic endeavors. Though these students run a wide variety of businesses, they all share persistence, determination, and a love for what they do.

—Submitted by JerEcho

Charlie Dubofsky can be found on Instagram under two handles: @somethingbycharlie with a total of 6,440 followers, and her business account @charliecosmetics with a total of 1,212 followers.

Through the use of social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok, Noreen’s company has expanded. You can find her @ficklepicklestickers with a total of 125 followers.

Zander started his business in April of 2020, and he grew it using social media marketing, influencer marketing and posting daily content. Zander’s instagram handle is @risingstaar with 5,651 followers.

Jessica uses Instagram and other social media platforms to advertise her business. You can find her using @jessjewelsdesigns with 53 followers.

(Screenshots courtesy JerEcho)