East Entrepreneurs

Senior Carolyn Wassmer sits in the art classroom during a study hall looking at her laptop. She scrolls through her website checking out any incoming orders. Wassmer is one of East’s entrepreneurs. She sends her artwork and designs to the online store Society6 and they print them onto mugs, t-shirts and phone-cases. Wassmer has 12 designs on her account including an illustration of the Kansas City landmarks. Though her Kansas City design took her about a month, she does not find designing difficult.

“If I make something in my art class and I think people besides myself would like it then I will put it on there” Wassmer said.

Wassmer is not the only entrepreneur at East. East students are starting their own businesses in all different fields, whether it’s through fashion blogs, personalized 3D printing, sports accounts on Instagram, or making wooden bow-ties.

Stories about young people creating companies and becoming highly successful are all over the media today. Mark Zuckerberg was only 20 when he founded FaceBook and Bill Gates was also only 20 when he founded Microsoft. Technology has allowed these budding entrepreneurs to become some of the richest people alive today. Steve Jobs was only 21 when he founded Apple, which become the most profitable company in history last week. East Alumni Cliff Illig was only 28 when he co-founded Cerner, one of Kansas City’s largest employers.

It is no surprise then that entrepreneurship is an appealing career path, and it seems that our generation has caught onto this. According to research by DueDil, a business database, the number of under-35s starting up in business has risen 70 percent since 2006.

Experts attribute this change to a few different things. One factor could be the desperation for a job. NY Daily News says that over 40 percent of college graduates are unemployed or doing job below the level of their qualifications. Reluctance to be a part of this 40 percent could be provoking people to start their own business

A more positive view is that the internet has allowed young people to explore, think of new ideas and turn their hobbies into careers. The internet is making it easier and easier for young people to create businesses.

Whether it is junior Tommy Sherk with his 3D printer or freshman Matthew McGannon’s Instagram shoutout sales, these students have realized that in an economy that leaves people uncertain, they can utilize social media and modern technology takes their future into their own hands.