16-Year Old Entrepreneur | Carolina Money

Jake Johnson is an eleventh-grader at River Bluff High School in Lexington, S.C., but he has been involved in business from a much earlier age. At age 8, he and his sisters came up with the idea for Flipoutz, a silicone bracelet that holds coins that kids can trade and track online. As part of Flipoutz, Jake appeared on Season 2 of ABC’s Shark Tank, where they made a deal with 3 of the 5 venture capitalists. After making his exit and selling Flipoutz in 2013, Johnson re-entered the entrepreneurial scene with his latest business venture, Beaux Up, a company that sells bow tie halves, which are interchanged on a clip. Beaux Up allows the wearer to mix and match patterns, fabrics, and colors to create a unique look. The young Johnson was also the winner of the Warren Buffett’s “Grow Your Own Business” challenge.