I decided to put up a list of entrepreneurs who dropped out of high school/college/university, I guess just a way to let you guys know that university doesn’t really determine your chances of being successful, at the same time, a lot of graduates also have become very successful, i will producing a list of top graduates that have money.

Mark Zuckerberg

Dropped out of Harvard University to Pursue Facebook, Now a Billionaire..Good choice or not?

Ashley Qualls

17 years old high school dropout. Made more than $1 million. Earns as much as $70K a month Starting whateverlife.com

Ben Kaufman

The 23 years old entrepreneur missed much of his senior year in high school while getting his first manufacturing line running in China, has a startup called Kluster, dropped out of college to pursue a career in world domination, a process he began by creating funky iPod cases?
Currently Running Quirky www.quirky.com

David Karp

David Karp is a high school dropout who founded Tumblr.

Dustin Moskovitz

One of facebook’s co-founder, Dustin attended Harvard University as an Economics major for two years before moving to Palo Alto, California to work fulltime at Facebook.

Pete Cashmore

Pete is the CEO and founder of Mashable.com. He founded Mashable in a small Scottish town in 2005 at age 19.

Matt Mullenweg

He dropped out of college and moved to San Francisco from Houston, TX

Kristopher Tate

At age 16, Kristopher launched a photo sharing page, Zooomr. He finished high school five years early, notoriously known for driving his parents’ car from San Diego to Cupertino at the age of 16 to launch photo-sharing site Zooomr.

Aaron Levie

He dropped out of college and moved to Palo Alto, Calif., to run Box.net, his online file sharing start-up with his friend and co-founder.

Blake Ross

Co-creator of Mozilla Firefox browser, A Stanford dropout

Adam Hildreth

He left school at age of 16 to face Dubit limited full time.

Derek Johnson

Derek dropped of the University of Houston Entrepreneurial program, Derek has raised half a million dollars in investments for the company from private investors and the Bellingham Angel Group.

Fraser Doherty

Doherty left school at the age of 16 to work on his jams full time.

Mr. Doherty borrowed $10,000 from a bank to cover general expenses and more factory time to produce three flavors: Blueberry & Black Currant, Rhubarb & Ginger and Cranberry & Raspberry.

Patrick Collison

Software wizard. Dropped out of MIT during his freshman year to help two friends develop and eventually sell Auctomatic for millions of dollars.

Kieran O’neill

After running HolyLemon and PSU while at school, He decided to leave the university to work full-time on Playfire full-time

Today I have an interesting interview with a 22 years old graduate from reading university, she talks about her latest project, her online vintage shop – Vintage amours and also moving to Paris.

Hope you enjoy it.

Hi Melissa, Nice to have you on YHP, How are you doing?

No thanks for having me, it’s a pleasure to meet you.

Can you give the readers some background information about yourself?

Yea sure, I’m 22 and I just graduated last year from Reading University where I studied French and Linguistics after which I did a few fashion interns, worked for a bit in London and then moved to Paris where I’m currently working as an International Assistant fashion buyer.

So let’s dive right into it, Vintage Amours is going live at the beginning of August, Tell us about the business, what you do?

Vintage Amours is a website selling vintage clothing but not in the ‘stereotypical’ way. Our motto is ‘Live for the moment, dress from yesterday’. We don’t feel that to wear vintage clothes you have to look like you’re walking out of a Calmity Jane movie…but instead you can take pieces you like and adapt them making them your own and put a modern twist on them.

Why did you decide to start it or go into fashion, what was the inspiration or story behind it?

I’ve always loved fashion – I remember having the fashion wheel when I was about 7 (laughing), I also had a sewing machine. But to be honest i’m really bad at drawing and I can’t design so I thought I’d stick with buying. I love the fact that fashion is what you make it…I think the people who are truely fashionable create their own styles rather than copying catwalk trends etc. Cliché I know but look at Lady Gaga! You’ve got the Beyonces trying to copy her now!

How did you first pursue your interest in fashion?

I did my 1st fashion intern in Paris when I was on my Erasmus year at university…the easiest way to get into fashion is to have connections. Fashion is an industry based on networking. The more people you know, the further you’ll go. If you don’t have those connections I say apply away and offer your services for free.

What has been your most difficult process in starting the business?

The most difficult thing is to keep motivated and to know that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. When I did the photoshoot for the S/S10 lookbook I had to stay up until 4 in the morning to get everything ready. The shoot was at 8! Times like that you have to choose between sleep and success.

Another difficult aspect is getting together a good team. I’ve been lucky because everyone i’m working with is dedicated and passionate about the outcome – especially my site designer Jodie and my marketing co-ordinator Nic. Real stars!

Who are your vintage style icons?

I’ve got loads, Miss Monroe of course, Miss Hepburn, Sophie Loren, Diahann Carroll, Jackie Kennedy, Tina Turner, so many I can’t possibly name them all!

Who are your style icons, and why? Does this influence the pieces that you present in your online shop?

I like things of the extreme – so florals of all kinds, anything that sparkles. But also simple classic items that can be styled a number of times…so I guess there’s a bit of Hepburn influence in the shop.

What is your favourite item of clothing?

You can never go wrong with a dress. Anything else you need to spend time matching but a dress, put a cardy with it and you’re sorted.

How important is fashion to you?

Fashion is extremely important to me. When I go to a meeting your sense of style can quickly tell the other person a lot about you. But it’s important to concentrate on areas you think no one else will too. Clothes aren’t the only important thing! Always have groomed nails – you’d be surprised how many people look at them.

Within vintage clothing, are there any specific periods of time that you feel have extraordinarily notable selections of clothes or styles?

Christian Dior in the 50’s was Christian Dior at his best. Elegant, feminine and modest!

What makes you prefer to work with vintage fashion, and do you still enjoy shopping for ‘regular’, modern clothes?

Yep, you’ll see that I’ve styled everything in a modern way on Vintage Amours. Whilst we believe that you can wear vintage clothes it’s important to remember that clothes evolve throughout the years according to society and the activities we take part in.

Wearing a full length ivory boned corset dress everyday to work isn’t something our generation is likely to do as it is rather restrictive. So my selection is mainly for those who want the odd vintage piece and isn’t too comfortable with going outrageously vintage head to toe – But of course anyone can shop with us (smiles)!

How would you advise someone on a budget, such as a student, to customise their own clothes at a low cost?

Rummage through car boot sales – swap clothes with friends, keep old clothes and re-accessorise them. Frayed jeans could translate into new shorts, an old waist band could really be a new headband.

I’d say just think out of the box. We’re putting on a charity event soon called ‘The Vintage Amours City Garden Party’ – I’ll keep you updated with the details. If you come down you’ll find some real bargains and £1 of your buy will go to Age UK.

There will also be other vintage companies there too selling clothes, trinkets and accessories. So check out the site next week for more information Will be fun!

Explain the most memorable point of your career in fashion to date?

Going to Fashion week parties with a close friend Harriet and getting the goodie bags. Always memorable (laughing). Um but I guess a memorable time would be getting the phonecall and finding out I was going to move to Paris!

Have you got any advice to offer a budding entrepreneur in terms of how to break into the industry?

Just do it – The time you take thinking about it, it could’ve been done. Also always ask for advice! I act on impulse and gut feeling – not too sure if it’s always the best thing to do.

What have been the key lessons that you’ve learnt so far in starting up a business?

Nothing ever goes to plan – so plan for it!

Thanks for your time Melissa.

No thanks for having me and remember guys ‘Live for the moment, dress from yesterday’

www.Vintage-amours.com
www.vintageamours.tumblr.com
twitter.com/vintage_amours

Hi Guys, I recently had the opportunity of speaking to Nmachi Jidenma, A Masters student at Cornell University, She talks about her passion for entrepreneurship and African development and starting CP-Africa.com

Hello Nmachi, Welcome to YHP, How are you doing today?

Doing great Jo, thanks!

So tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

I am a Masters student at Cornell University studying Applied Economics & Management. I have a passion for entrepreneurship and African development. I found the perfect intersection for both in journalism/new media and I am a proud Africa buff.

Now to CP-Africa.com, How did it all begin?

It started as an account on blog-spot in April 2009. Over-time it moved to the domain, CP-Africa.com

Why did you decide to start it?

Well like many young people like me sharing content on the web, I found myself constantly sharing links on positive trends on the continent (with an emphasis on my home country, Nigeria). I looked to the web for a platform where I could get inspired and find more inspiring content.

At the time, TED Global was the only place I could go to, but as we all know TED is very broad and though there is an African component, the Africa focus is not as heavy. As such, I decided to create my own space for inspiration on the web. I believed at the time that if we celebrate our success stories, we will be inspired to believe in ourselves and do much more. I still do.

Tell us about what you do @ CP-Africa.com? How many people are currently involved in CP-Africa.com?

Currently, there are 3 people involved. Personally, I do a lot of news curation, blogging, blogger recruiting and online partnerships.

Is CP-Africa something you do full-time?

No. It’s all part time.

How has the journey been so far?

It’s been really great. I enjoy doing it, a lot. African development has always been my passion. The blog gives me the opportunity to stay on top of African news and trends, promote causes and learn about inspiring stories of entrepreneurs, activists and enterprises. It’s something I’m very happy I chose to get involved in.

What are you looking to achieve with this platform?

With the platform, I’m looking to inspire Africans everywhere and provide a space for them to showcase their creativity, insights and ventures. I want the site to be the platform of choice for learning about the hottest progressive trends on the continent, the hottest start-ups, the latest events, the best ideas and the most inspiring accomplishments.

Can you tell us the essence of online collaboration and how it has helped your business?

Online collaboration has definitely helped in expanding our reader base. CP-Africa serves as a broad platform delving into a variety of areas so collaborations are inevitable. Collaborations have helped us get the word out and has helped strengthen our brand.

What has been your most memorable moment so far?

Well I’ll say it’s whenever I get a shout out about the blog and how it’s inspired someone. Those moments are very special to me. It’s always nice to have people appreciate your passion and vision.

What are the most crucial things you have done to grow the business?

I’ll say expanding the blog’s focus. My background is in Economics and I’ve always had leanings towards African development. In fact the blog’s first post was on aid to developing countries…so those kinds of topics have always come to me naturally to want to blog, share or rant about.

But ultimately, I want the blog to be a platform for people of all interests and so over time, I opened it up and gave it more of a group focus so that bloggers with different interests could use it as a space for voicing their opinion. Opening up was also nice because it enabled us venture into areas such as technology, music and fashion which are currently top trending areas on the continent.

What plans do you have now to expand it further?

I’d like to feature more Guest Bloggers and Thought leaders. Currently, we have good representation in Nigeria and Kenya but we can do more to expand our reach in both countries as well as in other African countries such as Ghana and South Africa.

We’d also like to do more to attract a global audience because ultimately our goal is to change perceptions globally and brand the continent as a place of creativity, ideas and dynamism.

What do you do for fun, especially when you’re not busy with CP-Africa.com?

I am a self confessed workaholic. However, whenever I get a minute, I hang out and I also watch movies. Music is also a wonderful outlet for me. I am also constantly working to improve my writing skills, so I try to read and write a lot- all genres, from poetry to fiction.

Are you involved in any other project?

With CP-Africa yes. We recently just launched a community feature which is essentially a voting and news aggregation site for African readers. We want it to serve as a hub for sharing interesting blog posts, literary pieces and news items. We would like the community portal to help promote strong writers that African readers might otherwise not have been aware of and thus provide value to African readers everywhere.

I am also involved with EwellAfrica.com, an African health and wellness site sponsored by Emzor, a leading Nigerian pharmaceutical firm.

I also have some side entrepreneurial ideas that I am currently exploring. If any of them pop off, I’ll certainly alert you!

What is the future plans for CP-Africa.com, what should we be expecting from you in the future?

Well, I just hope CP-Africa.com continues to grow and that we continue to expand our reach; that’s the immediate and long term goal. We want to be Africa’s leading hub for progressiveness; highlighting positive trends, ventures, people, ideas and initiatives. We also want to be Africa’s leading voice online showcasing our best blogging voices by giving them a platform to showcase their creativity.

What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs looking to start their business?

Find your passion, stay with it. Don’t be afraid to do what you love.

Thanks for your time Nmachi.

You’re welcome. Thanks for having me Jo!

Saving money on purchases is increasingly being done online. As well as providing extra security if you pay for purchases online by credit card, there are many exclusive deals and offers online for a range of products and services that are not available elsewhere. Buying on the web with a credit card can also save on fuel costs compared to having to drive a long distance, especially if it is a specialist item.

ONLINE SHOPPING

Shopping online has become increasingly popular in recent years, with faster broadband connections, easy to use Internet shopping sites and big name retailers as well as small independent traders offering an incredible range of goods and services. One of the most common ways to pay for things online is by using a debit or credit card. Apart from the convenience and ease of use that comes with paying for shopping online with a credit card, it can also save the shopper money in a variety of ways.

Getting better deals online

Whatever the customer is looking for, the Internet is useful because it allows easy to find information on prices and features on a range of products and services. Shopping sites are very popular with shoppers as it takes very little time to view the details on price, on the product and to find a product or service that suits your needs.

Buying online has in many ways saved people a lot of time and money compared to going to the shops, and spending money on fuel, and taking time off from other things in your free time, or spending time looking for good deals. Online it can often take just a few minutes or less to get all the information you need on the products and services you are looking for.

Credit card features and benefits

Because most shopping sites need some form of electronic payment, many customers find that when deciding how to pay, using a credit card can often be the safest and cheapest way of buying online. A credit card is essentially a small short-term loan between the cardholder and the credit card provider. This means that the customer can use this extra cash to buy a product or service immediately rather than having to wait until they have the money. Credit cards usually have a period of time before interest is added, so early repayments mean the loan is cost free. A degree of insurance is often provided with credit card payments, such as if the item is lost or stolen.

Another issue with shops is that quite often a customer can go in looking for one product, but get distracted by other goods on display. In the comfort of the customer’s own home, there is less pressure to buy something there and then online. They can browse the goods and services on offer, get good information on prices, but not necessarily feel compelled to buy the product immediately, since they have not had to spend any time or money on fuel or public transport to get to the shop.

Significant savings can be made by having a credit card, simply because they are accepted by online retailers with less overheads and more flexibility to offer competitive prices. Because an online shop will usually have fewer overheads, such as maintaining and staffing a high street shop and the associated costs of getting stock in or paying business rates on big premises, they can pass on the savings to customers. These price deductions compared to the high street are usually only obtainable if the customer has a means to pay for the product over the Internet. Because credit cards are a commonly accepted form of payment, this allows customers to take advantage of both lower prices and the peace of mind that comes with using a credit card.

If you’re aged 16-30 and have been running your own business for more than 3 months but less than 18 months, this annual competition could see you walk away with a £10,000 cash injection plus support from top PR agency Blue Rubicon at the Shell LiveWIRE LIVE! award final taking place in London on 13th October 2010.

So, if you think you’ve got what it takes to be our Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2010, Click here and apply

Deadline for entries is 5pm on 6th September 2010.

I have trying to get this interview done for a while now and you would agree after reading it, that the wait was totally worth it.

Loy okezie shares some insight into his company startups nigeria and also talks about the nigeria startup community.

Hope you enjoy the interview

Hi Loy, Welcome to YHP, tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi Jo, thanks for this opportunity.

No problem man, nice to finally get you on YHP

I have a background in Business Management & Strategy and upon graduation; I’ve been working on several projects with a focus on the impact of technology on media, business and entertainment.

You’re a business graduate right? What influence do you think attending University has on an entrepreneur’s life? Do you think it makes you more aware and prepared to start your own business?

Yeah, I think that University should prepare us all for the business world. Whether you have a background in IT, Business or Arts, I think that the knowledge, skills and networks you build over the years at the University should be leverage for you when starting a business.

As a result of some knowledge, skills and networks acquired while studying at the University, I started a small training outfit that helped over 100 students from different backgrounds to improve on their presentation skills.

From that experience, I learned how to deal and handle people with different abilities while improving my communication skills. Ultimately, I learned some practical lessons on managing people and running a business.

How did you get involved in technology and start-ups?

I grew up with computers and although I didn’t have my first PC until I was in the University, I developed a lot of interest in the technologies (I use every day), the companies (that innovate them), the people (behind them) as well as emerging technology developments in the new web space.

My inspiration came from several books I read on how technology companies such as Google, Yahoo and eBay started. Then, I started reading technology blogs such as TechCrunch, Mashable, VentureBeat, GigaOM and RWW, all of which provide a daily dose of Internet companies and their activities.

That said, my most inspiring entrepreneurial driving force is Sir Richard Branson, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies. His adventure into space tourism with Virgin Galactic which takes paying passengers into suborbital space is the most audacious venture I’ve ever heard of.

Thus, upon returning from France in 2008 where I spent about 3 years studying, I invested a lot of my time and resources exploring web start-ups. As a result, I founded Startups Nigeria in order to showcase technology-related companies especially web 2.0 and mobile start-ups from Nigeria.

This has afforded me the opportunity to meet some of the smartest brains behind some of the best start-ups as well as some potential investors in the web and mobile space.

Tell us about Startups Nigeria?

Back in April 2008, I founded Startups Nigeria as a startups and technology news-related blog with an international focus on Nigeria. The blog eventually became very popular, influential and highly respected within the Nigerian and African technology and social media space.

Today, Startups Nigeria is a youth-driven, online community for technology enthusiasts, internet start-ups, companies, entrepreneurs, investors and students, all pioneering innovations in Nigeria’s emerging start-up eco-system and Internet economy.

With the new platform found at www.startupsnigeria.org (still in private beta), users can build their profile page, add and promote their start-ups, share their start-up stories, photos, videos, follow other start-ups, find ideal start-up partners, find technology-related jobs, find entrepreneurs and investors and lots more.

The idea of the platform is to help build Nigeria’s emerging dot-com Internet industry and contribute towards a knowledge-based economy in Nigeria by the year 2020 and beyond.

In the future, we hope to become a technology start-up incubator and help fund financially viable start-ups from Nigeria and African entrepreneurs.

What companies are you excited about in the Nigerian start up community?

Basically, I’m excited about companies that are using innovation to create value and solve problems. Thus, if there are any entrepreneurs and start-ups out there that apply this principle, I’ll be singing their praises louder and possibly backing them financially.

What change are you looking for in the Nigerian start up, changes that should be adopted to bring growth and expansion in the start-up community?

We need to see a lot of innovative thinking and approach.

We need to see new and exciting business revenue models.

We need to see collaboration with other entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Africa.

We need to see a vibrant technology community that fosters healthy discussions on the emerging web, mobile and Internet industry.

We need to see our Universities teaching emerging web and mobile app technologies.

We need to see web and mobile app development competitions sponsored by huge technology companies and targeted at University students.

We need to see technology incubators and angel investments.

Do you think it’s important that any internet company fully engage in social media to be successful?

Not necessarily, but it could go a long way in building a community faster and easier.

You’ve typically been ahead of the curve with tech and social trends (video blogging, social media, etc). What do you see as the “next big thing” – a technology or trend that will change the game yet again?

Location-based services like Foursquare and Gowalla.

Any other words of wisdom for young entrepreneurs looking to start a new business?

Never Think Average. Never Quit.

So what’s next for you?

Building an emerging digital media brand that will change the way we live.

Thank you for your time loy, hope to speak to you soon.

Hi Guys, I had the opportunity to speak to a very interesting entrepreneur, who recently started his jewellery business, he is very involved in the philanthropical world.

Hope you enjoy it.

Hi Khotso, how are you doing, welcome to YHP

I’m doing well, thanks for having me

Can you give us some background information about yourself?

I am 20 years old, I am quite multi-African. I was born and lived in Cote D’Ivoire until 1996. I am half Sierra Leone and half from Lesotho (known as a Mosotho). I came to UK, Kingston University for my degree in 2008.

Name one Interesting fact about yourself?

I am the only person from Lesotho from my entire university.

I know you’re very active in the Philanthropical world, how did you get involved?

As soon as I reached the UK I saw a bursting world of opportunities to grasp, I took first homage within the United Nations Association Kingston Unviersity (UNAKU) (http://www.unaku.co.uk/). For the past two years I grew from being an active member to becoming the Campaigns Officer 2009 – 2010, the best highlights were the ability to help and inspire people within the university community, and to co-organise a Week For Haiti event in partnership with multiple Kingston University Societies, held in February 2010 for the Haiti Earthquake, it raised £3000.

The money was donated to the World Food Programme (http://www.wfp.org/students-and-teachers/blog/students-action-haiti) and the event was awarded the Best Achieving Event of the Year from the University Student Union . Am truly happy that it provided over 180000 cups of food to children in Haiti. During the same academic year I began my entrepreneurial life.

Tell me about your company sk2l jewellery?

Sk2l Jewellery began as a university project, the project allowed me, literally as much freedom as possible, for me to challenge and surpass my comfort zone boundaries, reaching a new level of personal development. It also inspired me to carry a multicultural message, as myself being from different nationalities I felt I needed to carry and promote that message to those whom are interested.

Selling Jewellery was an inspired idea by a fellow partner. Therefore the two were coupled together to educate and fashionise. Throughout the year my team members and I gradually grew the company. I had set a strategy at the beginning of the year, all I knew was I wanted to accomplish the vision, if not all at least most within the academic year. We initially sold to friends and family and then ran 4 Stall Sale events within the Kingston University Campuses; today the objective is to take sk2l Jewellery to new heights!

What ways have you been able to create awareness and bring some exposure to your business?

Sk2l Jewellery ran an online event between the 7th – 18th June, which included a blog launch to describe Sk2L History, to build a starter relationship with customers, cultural education messages through facebook and twitter, and an online store which launched on the 14th June – 18th only, to reach a wider audience to customers that are interested in unique Kurdish jewellery, not available in large commercial jewellery chains.

Thanks for your time Khotso, I wish you the best

Thanks Joseph for having me

Enjoy http://sk2ljewellery.bigcartel.com/

Two students, Sadie Gee (19) and James Pursey (20) from Southampton University are in the process of putting their mark on the entrepreneurial world. After spending a few months working together on the committee for Fish on Toast Southampton Entrepreneurs Society the pair realised that they should combine their skills and create a business.

The first milestone occurred in the Easter break when they founded Yoo Call – a cheap international calls service marketed for students. Yoo Call offers people the chance to call friends and family abroad for as little as 1p per minute, that means on average they’re saving roughly enough to buy a cheeky pint at the students union each time they make a call!

The fun doesn’t end there! Sadie and James are working on the launch of Yoo Discover, the ultimate guide for students which will incorporate a service to allow Southampton students (and eventually every student in the UK), to search for and discover the best places to go to eat, drink and party in the area.

The website will collaborate with other businesses to provide some of the latest discounts, deals and offers to ensure that it is the ultimate ‘student loan-stretcher’ in town! Also featured on Yoo Discover will be a collection of the most addictive free online games, a collaboration of useful study aids, help for those choosing student accommodation and much more.

The motivation to create Yoo Discover stemmed from their own personal frustrations at being new students to University. “We realised that not only had we never been to Southampton before, we didn’t have a clue where to go to grab a cheap meal, to have a good night out with friends or to even have a coffee!”

Yoo Discover solves all these problems and more, creating what will be the only website that students should visit to find everything they need to know in relation to their University life.

Keep your eyes peeled for the launch of www.YooDiscover.com in October, Add them as a friend on facebook: http://tinyurl.com/welcomeyoo

Kulveer Tagger has led an interesting life, much of it due to his determination and ambition. He completed a BA (Hons) degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford in 2005. During his time at Oxford, Kulveer co-founded the Oxford Entrepreneurs society and became the president of the society for a period as well.

In 2004 he was nominated by his peers as FreshMinds one to watch. This was certainly warranted, a young man who always looked to be ‘one to watch’. While in his early uni years he successfully invested in property on three continents. He always had the mindset to make money.

He started his first business, Boso.com, an online marketplace for students, in 2005. This received over 3,000 sellers on the website and received over £300,000 from UK angels before receiving investment from start up venture firm Y-Combinator.

Boso.com became the first non-US firm that Y-Combinator invested in. He also met Evan Williams (founder of Twitter) from whom he was able to seek advice and also became a shareholder.

Having to juggle a job in the city while maintaining a business was no mean feat and in February 2006 Kulveer bravely took the step of leaving his city job, where he had a steady income, to becoming a full time entrepreneur.

He took the risk in the hope of achieving greater success and the life that comes with it. His continued hard work led to him achieving this, a now he is able to enjoy (or not) the Vuvuzelas in South Africa, having been able to afford the best tickets all the way to the World Cup final.

Later in 2007 Kulveer launched the Y-Combinator funded, Auctomatic, an online eBay selling utility. Seven months on, Auctomatic was sold to Canadian firm Live Current Media for a staggering $5 million.

He founded Auctomatic alongside his cousin Harjeet who at 22 was a successful entrepreneur and Law graduate of Oxford University. So much success, so early in his career has not dampened the hunger to grow in business and in mind.

Lucas Bornert is an 18 years old young entrepreneur and the founder of Insign Watches, while studying in a preparatory class for top French business school such HEC, ESSEC, he decided to stop it to do an internship in the field of finance.

During this time, instead working on his maths, he was working on watches.

After initially starting a small website which he said had poor quality, with only one model, now he’s upgraded to a flash website with 4 collections.

He said “he will be looking to continue to focus on his studies but will still work on his watches”.

I like to create things, to build things, so I told me why not launching a watch brand, and my criteria were affordable, original, and colored watches.

I had the idea for my watch brand in January, I launched my website in February, I sold my first watch in March, and I had new collections in May! With these watches I want to make people life easier.