These amazingly talented kids aren't waiting until they move out of their parent's house to make their dreams a reality. Age isn't a prerequisite for them, either, because they've already given themselves a head start on pursuing their passions.
This batch of young black entrepreneurs, artists, philanthropists, actors, designers and musicians possess incredible ambition and drive.
Here are 21 kids under the age of 18 who've already had a huge impact on their communities from encouraging their peers to be more confident or financially savvy to funding global charities. These kids are nothing short of inspiring.
Leah Flynn, 7, Sanford, Florida
Flynn is an extraordinary violinist and YouTube sensation. Her rendition of "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" has amassed more than 400,000 views but that's not the only thing that makes her special. Last fall, Flynn traveled to Ferguson to play for peace in the midst of the ongoing protests after Mike Brown's death. Her performance included renditions of “The Prayer,” “Amazing Grace” and “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
Robby Novak, 9, Henderson, Tennessee
Ever since his older brother Brad Montague dubbed him "Kid President," nine-year-old Novak has amassed millions of views with his incredibly insightful and adorable advice on being kind to others and changing the world in his pep talks. "No matter who you are, somebody's learning from you," he said in one pep talk to teachers and students on YouTube. He's even met "adult president" and Beyoncé!
Esther Okade, 10, United Kingdom
At the age of 10, Okade is already enrolled in college courses at Open University. She's a math super genius who not only became the youngest undergraduate student in the U.K., this year, but she's also at the top of her class. "I want to [finish the course] in two years," she told CNN. "Then I'm going to do my Ph.D. in financial maths when I'm 13. I want to have my own bank by the time I'm 15 because I like numbers and I like people and banking is a great way to help people."
Mikaila Ulmer, 10, Austin, Texas
Ulmer's idea for her company, Sweet Bee Lemonade, came from her family convincing her to create something for a children's business competition. She was stumped until she got two bee stings which led to her fascination with bees and their part in the ecosystem. Ulmer, then, decided to create a product that could help the bees so she added honey to her great-grandmother's flaxseed lemonade recipe. Earlier this year, Ulmer's company even received an investment on "Shark Tank." Her lemonade now comes in four flavors and is available at select Whole Foods markets.
Olivia Allen, 10, Louisville, Kentucky
One of this young philanthropist's goals is to help her peers become more confident. "I realize some girls' confidence goes down when they start puberty," Allen told HuffPost. On Aug. 22, the self-aware preteen held a confidence conference for girls ages eight to 12. It was her first time hosting a conference but, she said, it wouldn't be her last.
Cory Nieves, 11, Englewood, New Jersey
This beyond stylish, mini-entrepreneur was only five years old when he launched his cookie company, Mr. Cory's Cookies, in 2009. Nieves and his mom created "the perfect chocolate chip cookie" with all natural ingredients. They also sell sugar, oatmeal raisin and other types of cookies, too. "I do my homework and I do business and I go to sleep," Nieves told New York Post. To top it all off, he's also an adorable Instagram sensation with more than 36,000 followers who "like" his sense of style.
Asia Newson, 11, Detroit, Michigan
Newson is Detroit's youngest entrepreneur. She started her candle company Super Business Girl at the age of five and it has since grown exponentially. However, on her website, Newson says her main goal is to help children become entrepreneurs and to "recognize the true potential in every child and to develop intrinsic security that makes optimum use of their individualized talent."
Lauren, 11, Ashleigh, 10, and Christian Conner, 9, New York City, New York
These prodigal siblings are using their talents to raise money for New York City's homeless. Lauren and Ashleigh play the violin while their younger brother, Christian, is an accomplished cellist. “I saw [the homeless people] on the street and I felt sad for them,” Christian told People. So the siblings, at the advisement of their mom, began playing classical music in a subway station to raise money for their cause. They plan to give a portion of their earnings to the homeless after they reach a large enough amount. Despite having to return to school this fall, the trio continues to play their instruments in subway stations on the weekends.
Kyndall Harris, 12, Memphis, Tennessee
Harris' mom quit her job, last year, to help her pursue her dancing dreams in Los Angeles. Since she moved to Los Angeles, Harris has become a hip-hop dancing sensation. She's caught thousands of viewers attention with her choreography to "Watch Me" and "Feedback." Even Janet Jackson was impressed by her dancing skills, and the mega star singer asked Harris to join her on tour this year. “Touring with Janet is beyond anything that I could have imagined!" she said on Janet's website. "She is the ultimate icon and I still can’t believe that I have this opportunity to dance with her!"
Zuriel Oduwole, 12, California
Three years ago, Oduwole entered a school documentary-making competition with a film on the Ghana revolution -- this was her first film. She was eager to make more films, so she taught herself tools and tips on filmmaking from the Internet and created three more documentaries on African issues. Holding the title as the youngest professional filmmaker in the world, Oduwole has already interviewed 14 heads of states. "I'm hoping that when people see these documentaries they will see Africa is full of positive things -- not just the things that are on the news for like war, famine, disease," she told CNN.
Moziah Bridges, 13, Memphis, Tennessee
Bridges founded his unique bow tie company when he was only nine years old because he couldn't find any bow ties on the market that he liked. So he started making his own using his grandmother's fabrics and landed a place on "Shark Tank" where, entrepreneur and fashion guru, Daymond John took him on as a mentee. "Designing a colorful bow tie is just part of my vision to make the world a fun and happier place," he wrote on his website. His ties are available online and in several stores on the East Coast, Canada and Jamaica, including select Neiman Marcus locations.
Maya Penn, 15, Atlanta, Georgia
This teen wears many hats. She describes herself as a philanthropist, environmental activist, entrepreneur, eco-designer, inspirational speaker, artist, animator, coder, illustrator and writer. She's also the CEO of her eco-friendly company Maya's Ideas, an online fashion boutique that sells accessories. She's also started a non-profit that provides sanitary pads to girls and women around the world. "I see my business growing and getting bigger, still eco-friendly, still giving back," she told The Root.
Gabrielle Jordan Williams, 15, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
At age seven, Williams fell in love with creating jewelry after watching an instructional YouTube video. She began selling her creations and established her business, Jewelz of Jordan in 2009. Today, she is also the co-founder of the ExCEL Youth Mentoring Institute where she helps other young entrepreneurs launch businesses and is the chief creative officer at Gibstr, an online teen content platform. “When I reflect back on my life, I want it to be filled with big dreams, big actions and big accomplishments and that’s what I want for others,” she said on her website. If that doesn't inspire you, take a look at her TEDx Talk. Williams wants to continue to build her jewelry business and go to gemology school.
Amandla Stenberg, 16, Los Angeles, California
When she's not schooling the world on cultural appropriation or advocating for #BlackLivesMatter, she's on the big screen starring in films like "The Hunger Games" and "Colombiana." She told The Huffington Post in an interview, "I feel like we’re the generation that’s really going to make a change." And she's helping to lead that change by shedding light on social inequalities. Just this summer in Chicago, she helped fight the idea that certain career paths are gendered by encouraging more young women and girls to pursue their interests in STEM.
Jaden Smith, 17, and Willow Smith, 14, Los Angeles, California
This celebrity sibling duo is truly unique which is largely due to their parents' -- Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith -- relaxed parenting style. From Willow's creatively introspective music lyrics in songs like "Female Energy" and "Why Don't You Cry" to Jaden establishing his hip clothing line, MSFTS. They have become stars and trendsetters in their own right. "You decide your own path and you decide your own rules," Jaden told Gulf News Tabloid.
Jordan Williams, 17, and Brandon Iverson, 17, Atlanta, Georgia
The two friends started their first business when they were only 10 years old. Then, at 13, they co-wrote Who Needs An Allowance? A Teen's Guide to Starting Their Own Business, to give young people insight on how to start a successful company. Today, they own the Young Moguls Brand, an urban clothing line which encourages teens to become entrepreneurs with its message of forming a "cult of creatives." They also advise their peers on financial literacy with their three-part video series, "Making Money for Teens", which they created in 2011.
Jaylen Bledsoe, 17, Florissant, Missouri
This tech savvy teen started his own information technology consulting business, Bledsoe Technologies, LLC, when he was 12 years old. In about two short years, Bledsoe turned his $100 investment in his company into a multimillion dollar endeavor. He told Fox2 he would advise his peers who have big dreams to: "Take risks... As a minor, there's nothing you can do that will shoot you down for too long. You can always jump back up and keep going."
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