When we think of entrepreneurs, most of us picture adults
or college-age people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg when
they first started their companies. The Internet, however, has offered the
opportunity for very young people to run companies and start their careers
early in life. This article is the first in a new series on this blog featuring
young entrepreneurs.
Moziah Bridges, 15,
the President and Creative Director of Mo’s Bows (mosbowsmemphis.com) is a real
inspiration to kids who have dreams of running their own businesses. Several
years ago, Mo wanted an accessory that would make him look sharp but couldn’t
find anything that suited him. His grandmother helped him make bowties and Mo’s
Bows was born.
In 2014, when Mo was 12, he and his mother, Tramica, appeared on Shark Tank. Reminded of himself and his
mother and his early endeavors and impressed by Mo’s diligence, fashion mogul
and entrepreneur Daymond John invested in the fledgling Memphis,
Tennessee-based company.
With
John’s help and guidance, Mo’s Bows were soon on the shelves of stores like Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus. In 2025, Mo found himself on TIME Magazine's
Most Influential Teen List and invited to meet with
President Obama at the White House. When
“ESPN hired Mo as a fashion correspondent for their NBA Draft telecast, …his
company hand-made bow ties for all of the draft picks” (Belzer, 2017).
The partnership with the NBA has launched Mo's Bows to a new level and may earn the company over $6 billion this year. In addition to bowties, the company now offers neckties, pocket squares, and t-shirts. Says Mo, who is well on the way of achieving his dream of being a fashion mogul himself and who hopes to have a full line of clothing by the time he graduates from college, "I never imagined the baby business I started at my grandmother's kitchen table would one day be an internationally recognized brand."
Sources:
www.mosbowsmemphis.com
Belzer, Jason.
(2017, May 9). The Little Black Book of Billionaire Secrets: 15-year-old Mo’s
Bows Founder Hustles His Way into NBA Partnership. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2017/05/09/15-year-old-mos-bows-founder-hustles-his-way-into-nba-partnership/#54ed19104e87