The rise of young teenpreneurs: How Gen Z is shaping the future

A skincare range for teens, eco-friendly toothbrushes, a popcorn brand and a global e-commerce freelancer – meet the teenpreneurs behind these growing and lucrative businesses.

A new wave of entrepreneurs is on the rise: Australia’s million-dollar teens.

Driven by social media, a desire for independence and extra income, today’s teenagers are launching businesses that were once the domain of older generations.

From creating skincare lines and food products to developing video editing tools, these young ‘teenpreneurs’ are proving age is no obstacle to building successful, million-dollar ventures.

University of Sydney’s financial economist Associate Professor Dr Shumi Akhtar said the past four years has seen an “exponential rise” in the number of teen entrepreneurs.

Dr Akhtar said accessibility to digital tools, e-commerce platforms, and social media are factors contributing to the increase.

Sienna Jovcevski noticed a gap in the preadolescent skincare market and now runs a business projected to make $1m in revenue in 2025.

She added that more young Aussies are wanting independence, rather than to “work for someone else.”

“Social media is playing a significant role for building (young entrepreneurs’) own ideas or strategies and also marketing their business across different platforms,” Dr Akhtar said.

“Technology allows teen entrepreneurs to connect with each other, so those who have capital will collaborate with those who have unique ideas.

“There has also been a cultural shift to focus more on entrepreneurial skills, as well as an increase in economic opportunities for teen entrepreneurs, such as accessibility to crowd-funding.”

Judy Sahay, managing director of Crowd Media Group, said teenagers growing up with technology have a “natural edge” over their older counterparts – although some are “lacking the commitment, foresight, and resilience” needed to truly run a business.

“Growing up in an environment where general participation or coming last in a race is often rewarded, they’re often unfamiliar with failure and the grit it takes to bounce back,” Ms Sahay said.

“Most teenagers are looking for instant gratification, results and success.

“The rise of influencers and online entrepreneurs inspires teens to pursue similar paths, often seeing peers achieve success through social media and online businesses.

“Viral trends and the ability to reach global audiences make starting an online business exciting and potentially lucrative.

“Platforms like Facebook, Etsy, YouTube, and Instagram enable teens to start a business with minimal upfront investment and technical expertise.”

The ease of entry into the business world has also played a significant role in fuelling the success of these ambitious teens – although it must be noted some have gotten their start with advice and funding from their mums and dads.

“With free or affordable tools for website creation, marketing, and operations, starting an online business is more accessible than ever,” Ms Sahay said.

“Many teens start small with dropshipping [in which a product is shipped directly to the customer rather than via the retailer, affiliate marketing, or selling digital products, requiring little to no upfront investment.”

Here are some of the Aussie teen bosses taking the business world by storm.

Company: Tweeny Skin

Age: 15

At just 15, Sienna Jovcevski is running a skincare business projected to reach $1 million in sales next year.

The Sydney schoolgirl is the creative force behind Tweeny Skin, a brand tailored to help teenagers manage preadolescent breakouts.

Her venture began at the age of 11 after finding a gap in the skincare market for pre-teens.

“The biggest thing that inspired me to start was my own personal struggles with my skin and the lack of products on the market that were suitable for my age group,” Ms Jovcevski said.

“During Covid, being stuck indoors and not doing much, I began to notice changes in my skin. I think the stress of everything going on, combined with my age, contributed to it.

“I tried a few different products, but they didn’t seem to be doing anything and others were quite irritating on my skin.

“Being a tween there just wasn’t anything out there specifically formulated for young, delicate skin.”

Ms Jovcevski started out after realising there was a gap in the skincare market for pre-teens.

Ms Jovcevski’s Tweeny Skin business is projected to reach $1 million in sales next year.

Despite her age, Ms Jovcevski invested her savings of $15,000 to start the business and began finding manufacturers and suppliers herself to produce the products.

And, with the booming rise of tween skincare, she couldn’t have chosen a better time.

The biggest month on record was in November, with the brand turning over $80,000.

“Our product is predominantly sold online, although we do have some stockists throughout Australia which we are looking at expanding on in the New Year,” Ms Jovcevski said.

“We are also in talks with some other major retailers, but I can’t say too much about that yet.

“It’s proof that young people can make a difference and turn their ideas into something real, no matter their age.

“The support I’ve received from my family, customers, and the community has been overwhelming, and it really motivates me to keep pushing forward and growing Tweeny Skin.”

Company: The Turtle Tribe

Age: 17

Like all great ideas, Ned Heaton’s concept for The Turtle Tribe was born from a problem he saw first-hand on family holidays: ocean plastic pollution.

Six years ago, he founded the bamboo toothbrush business that has since earned him industry accolades, both in Australia and abroad.

Mr Heaton is also the co-author of a children’s book Say No To Plastic, which he wrote with his dad Shane.

“I started selling a range of plastic-free items I sourced from a wholesaler on my local community Facebook group and a simple website, and after 30 days I had $1134,” the 17-year-old Queenslander said.

“Then I started offering free bamboo toothbrushes and, with some exposure, my business grew and grew.

“I needed so many toothbrushes I was able to get them made at a factory in China with my own branding, and now have suppliers in China, New Zealand and Australia.”

Ned Heaton’s concept for The Turtle Tribe was born from a problem he saw first-hand on family holidays.

In 2022, both of Mr Heaton’s parents sold their family business to begin working for the company that is now worth six figures.

“Some companies judge any proposal only in financial terms, and when you’re on a mission to save the planet, that can be really frustrating,” Mr Heaton said.

“I think young people often have a longer-term view of the world than adults.”

The teen’s organisation is now one of Australia’s largest suppliers of bamboo toothbrushes.

Ned Heaton believes young people often have a longer-term view of the world than adults.

He recently landed a successful trial partnership with Woolworths, with the product stocked at six stores across Sydney and Melbourne.

“Running a business isn’t for everyone. There’s no straight line to success,” he said.

“There are a lot of ups and downs, but if you’re doing something you’re really passionate about, it helps you get through the tough times.”

Company: Sam’s Popcorn

Age: 17

Running a business is challenging for anyone — but imagine doing it while still in primary school.

For Sam Weavers, that was his reality.

At just 10 years of age, he started his business, Sam’s Popcorn, after struggling to find good quality versions of the snack.

Sam Weavers spent a year developing recipes and getting his head round the legal requirements for starting and running a business.

Sam’s Popcorn started out small, selling at markets before growing into a thriving business.

Fast forward seven years, and the 17-year-old — who has just finished high school — has expanded rapidly, selling different flavoured popcorn online across the country, as well as at 45 stores in South Australia.

“There were a few goals I had in mind when starting my business, but one of the main things I wanted to do was sell my popcorn to large-scale grocery stores,” Mr Weavers said.

“You can probably tell that I had big dreams for my business, even though my parents were pretty sceptical at first.

“I spent a year developing my recipes and sorting out the legal requirements of my business, but I was working with a product that I enjoyed developing, which really helped.

Sam’s popcorn now sells online across the country and in 45 stores in South Australia.

Since finishing his school studies, Mr Weaver is working on pans to expand in 2025.

Sam’s Popcorn now generates an annual turnover of approximately $100,000, with the business valued at a quarter of a million dollars.

“At first, I had trouble due to my age. There were many times during the set up year of my business when potential suppliers would just hang up on me because they didn’t think I was a serious business owner,” he said.

“Later in my business, I started to have trouble with time constraints. I’ve needed to run my business while managing my schoolwork and test revision, all while trying to get time to myself along the way.

“I have plans for an expansion next year into larger premises which will enable me to substantially increase my production, hire staff and explore new areas of growth.”

Company: Harry E (e-commerce & film)

Age: 20

Harry Edwards turned a side hustle when he was just 13 into a million-dollar business run through Fiverr – a multinational online marketplace for freelance services.

After leaving school at 15, the Melbourne teen began exploring different ventures, which eventually led him to run successful e-commerce stores and a thriving video editing business.

Today, the 20 year old’s video editing business has generated over $1.5 million in revenue, and he now employs 16 people globally.

Harry Edwards started an e-commerce business and video editing platform at 13.

“It all started because I wanted to buy a computer powerful enough to edit my videos, as I had an intense passion for filmmaking,” Mr Edwards said.

“Around that time, I made a graduation film for my primary school and sold CDs of the film for $10 each, and that was the first time I heard the word ‘entrepreneur’.

“I continued the standard school life until I was 13, but the desire to earn enough money to buy a top PC led me to search for ‘how to make money online’.

“My curiosity led me to try Amazon FBA, but it required $1000-plus to buy inventory, which I naturally didn’t have. So, instead, I moved to e-commerce and dropshipping and I could support the rest myself with organic marketing.

“This was back in 2018 and from there the business started to grow.”

However, despite his success at such a young age, Mr Edwards admits the path towards entrepreneurship is “full of ups and downs” and has no “clear, linear journey”.

“It’s all about experimentation, and from experimentation come incredible highs and tough lows.

“One of the biggest challenges I faced was my own personal drive and motivation. When I left school and moved out of home at 16 with a highly successful business, I felt unstoppable.

“I thought I had everything figured out. But this early success made me complacent.

“Now, I’ve found comfort in trusting my own path. Looking back, I’ve learned that it’s not about conforming to anyone else’s advice or expectations. It’s about figuring out what works for me.”

Originally published as The rise of young teenpreneurs: How Gen Z is shaping the future