It is with an entrepreneurial spirit that 11-year-old Hart Wilson founded Candles From The Hart, a company that makes handmade candles he hopes will earn him enough money to attend Howard University. Hart was inspired to start his company shortly after a visit to the prestigious HBCU when he was just 6-years-old. Howard became his dream school and he began devising a plan to save money for tuition.
He put his plan into effect last year, telling Because of Them We Can, “I got on the internet and saw that people were making different things to sell to earn money, and I settled on candles. My parents and I watched YouTube videos and started experimenting with making candles, and we figured it all out, and that’s when it all started.”
Wilson used the Etsy marketplace to sell his candles that come in scents like “Cashmere Plum,” “Tranquil Sea,” “Guava Fresca,” “Grapefruit and Mint,” and “Asian Pear and Basil.”
Support for Wilson’s products have come from a variety of places, including Inda Craig-Galvan, writer for ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder who not only ordered some, but spread the word about this young man and his products. The New Orleans Pelicans were also among the first customers to order a batch of products. Actress Keena Ferguson from Tyler Perry’s Sistas and OWN’s Queen Sugar actress Tracey Bonner also purchased items. Soon restaurants and shops in Chicago and Houston were calling.
Although Wilson would like to diversify his businesses, his eyes are set on achieving his goal of getting to Howard. Still, he offers the following advice for others who have a dream to pursue business: “The advice I would give other young people trying to pursue business is simple…DO IT! You can do anything you want. Don’t let anyone tell you no. Whatever you like doing, figure out a way to get paid from it and be successful.”