10-Year-Old Entrepreneur Takes Her Vision On The Road
Amiya Alexander bounds in front of a parked school bus at Bloomfield Hills Montessori Center, her smile so wide it shows off the red and black bands around her braces.
Those braces, her brown Baby Phat high tops and the poof of pink feathers affixed to her hair speak to the accoutrements of any 10-year-old girl.
Except Amiya owns another accessory: the school bus.
At age 10, Amiya Alexander is an entrepreneur — owner, founder and creator of Amiya’s Mobile Dance Academy, which travels around metro Detroit teaching kids hip-hop, ballet, tap, merengue and more.
Painted a searing shade of hot pink, Amiya’s bus has all but four seats ripped out, a dance floor installed and ballet barres and mirrors affixed to the walls. On the ceiling, glitter glimmers.
Since January, it has rolled around metro Detroit, driven by her great-uncle, Sundiata Abdul-Mateen, who was lured out of retirement to help.
Aside from Bloomfield Hills Montessori, Amiya also teaches classes at the Northwest Activities Center in Detroit and has instructed toddlers in ballet and salsa at Island Kiddie Kampus Child Development Center in Grosse Ile.
Photo by Detroit Free Press.
know what and where.com on June 16th, 2009 9:21 am
so cool – young entrepreneurship at its best. we wonder what she will come up with in the future!
Jaclyn on June 16th, 2009 5:42 pm
That is a remarkable young lady right there! It is just awesome when you hear about such a young individual who comes up with not only their own business, but it is such a business that is teaching something to others, providing a hobby for others, and helping others in general.
RedHotFranchises on June 17th, 2009 2:46 am
I’ve been hearing more success stories on Young Entrepreneurs lately. It’s amazing how we can have such wonderful minds around. The Universe is very intelligent.
Here are some recommended books for Young Entrepreneurs:
- The Young Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting and Running a Business : NEW: Use the Internet to jump-start your company; Find out where the money is… and … ideas, from pet care to public relations; (Paperback) by Steve Mariotti
- The Young Entrepreneur’s Edge : Using Your Ambition, Independence, and Youth to Launch a Succesful Business (Princeton Review Series) by Jennifer Kushell
- Better Than a Lemonade Stand: Small Business Ideas for Kids (Kid’s Books By Kids) by Daryl Bernstein
- How to be a Teenage Millionaire by T.R. Adams
- Upstart Start-Ups!: How 34 Young Entrepreneurs Overcame Youth, Inexperience, and Lack of Money to Create Thriving Businesses by Ron Lieber
- Whiz Teens In Business by Danielle Valle’E
Franchise Opportunities on June 17th, 2009 6:14 am
Such an interesting story of a 10 year old who has started out an interesting enterprise. Kids do know what they want. We adults could learn from them.
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