When I was 17 years old, I started my first company.

I discovered the market need for a new form of pet care (besides kennels and daycares) and got to work. Pupadise Inc. offered in-home pet care services. Our clients would book us to live in their home and care for their pets while they went on vacation (typically 7 days, but sometimes up to 60 days). We also offered a drop-in service for pets needing a visit with food/walks/attention while their owners spent long days at work or tied up with other commitments. We cared for dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, and anything that lived in a tank (eels!) or cage (bunnies).

Outcome: I grew the company over 5 years - I hired, trained, and managed 8 staff, generated over $150,000 in revenue, developed high-trust relationships with over 300 clients, developed tools and processes to track of customer needs and feedback, ran digital ads and marketing campaigns, designed my website, and won several entrepreneurship competitions. I’m extremely grateful for everything I learned as a young person operating a successful business, while balancing my undergrad studies and other interests I pursued.