Tell us about your experience in New York at TEDxTeen and what you learned.

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Jason: I had a fantastic time in NYC. It was not my first time, but I definitely enjoyed it much more knowing that I earned the trip across the country. TEDxTeen was truly an unforgettable event and I was very inspired by all the speakers, especially Sujay Tyle, who pioneered his own career in medicine at such a young age. Although he pursued a very different field than me, he is one of my true inspirations for taking such daring risks to follow his passion. Overall, I had a fantastic experience and it was a very memorable weekend.

I learned that there’s always someone out there that’s smarter or stronger; humility is the most important characteristic anyone can have when trying to build a project (or a business, in my case). The event was filled with amazing people and people with accomplishments out of this world. It was a great experience to meet new people and share my story, but listening to theirs motivated me tremendously.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to another teen who wants to start his/her own business?

Jason: The most important advice I can give is to keep humble but never give up. When it comes to world-changing projects, impacts, results and sales may take time to see, but as long as you do what you love, you will never fail. Put in the effort necessary and success will always be ahead.

Also, when starting a business, you need to realize your goal, and this goal shouldn’t just be about making millions. With iReTron, serving the community and the environment is first priority while the sales come second. It is a passion, and with all passions, as long as you are doing something to benefit others, the money will come in naturally. In the end, you shouldn’t worry about the sales or breaking even. Be sensible, have fun, do what you love, and the numbers will figure themselves out.



Second-place winner Jack Uesugi, founder of a1000x



Jack’s company, a1000x, partners with local artists and prints, sells venezuela whatsapp number database and promotes clothing and other merchandise featuring their designs, with a portion of all profits going toward social causes.

What have you been up to this summer so far?

Jack: Besides a1000x, I’m getting some prep work done for college applications. The end of the school year was rough on the business as I had SATs, AP exams and finals. It’s been hard to juggle everything.

How has the company changed/grown since you won the contest?

Jack: We are formalizing a different incorporation structure for the company. Some of the contest money has gone to that. There has been really great coverage in the media about a1000x. With my school load we stopped marketing as much, but I did work on a new marketing plan that we are implementing this summer. It will incorporate a lot of social media but also direct email and mail campaigns. The [prize] money ($2,000) is being used mainly for this marketing plan – for Google Adwords campaigns, Facebook ads and direct mail.