ionaries Dream Big on the First Coast by Teddy Regis
Pandemic hurdles have not dampened Florida ’ s entrepreneurial spirit . The U . S . Census Bureau reported that of 5.4 million new business applications filed last year , Florida represented 683,680 . Among these are young visionaries driven to chase their dreams . Evolve Magazine got to meet a few of them . What follows are snapshots of their stories ’ origins and innovations .
Thinking Differently
In 2021 , Ryan Clark opened two learning center franchises called Code Ninjas in Fleming Island and Ponte Vedra Beach . As a child , he was goal-oriented and intrepid . Ryan remembers watching the Challenger explosion on TV with his classmates in 1986 . Rather than seeing tragedy as a reason to give up , he thought , “ I want to be an astronaut .” His business is positioning children aged 5-15 to gain coding expertise with the help of ingenious gamification . Modeled after martial arts , “ ninjas ” report to their respective “ dojos ” to train as coders . They progress through a nine-belt system with a view to eventually becoming proficient “ black belt ” tier coders . “ Today , your fundamentals are reading , writing , arithmetic and coding ,” shares Ryan . An eye-opening life event arose after he finished his military service and began working for a digital bank . “ It was amazing to see how much of the work I did required coding ,” observes Ryan . “ Technology is … challenging us to think differently … it ’ s a necessity in everything we do .” Thinking differently is not limited to tech . The pandemic has taught us to question some pre-COVID procedures - re-evaluating whether they served or hindered us .
Optimism helped Ryan adapt to the uncertainty . “ I don ’ t know that there ’ s ever a right time to do something . But you don ’ t know until you try .” As someone who enlisted in the military shortly after 9 / 11 , Ryan knows what it means to embark on intimidating journeys . His mindset moved him to take a risk and build a business in the early portion of the pandemic . For him , a global crisis did not change the needs of parents and children in terms of connecting with peers in an engaging environment . This is precisely what Code Ninjas is doing . A time of isolation proved to be the relevant moment to build a business that brings families together . Even in the face of mistakes , Ryan says , “ Re-evaluate - redirect your energy and re-attack … come back after it in a new way .” This approach is an asset whether we face times of crisis or stability .
Fresh Air , Fresh Perspective
Beaten Path Co . ( BPCO ) is a clique-free outdoor clothing brand that has as its founders two veritable nature lovers .
Kendall Hewins and Miles Dittmar of St . Augustine did not cross paths until 2019 , but their respective upbringings charted them on courses bound for convergence . Kendall describes her childhood self as a studious “ tomboy mixed with a cowgirl wannabe .” The oldest of four siblings , she remembers lots of tree climbing and trampoline jumping . Her family moved frequently while her father served in the Air Force . “ It definitely helped me build an adaptive character ,” reflects Kendall .
Beaten Path Co .
Ryan Clark
Miles ’ childhood was marked by the freedom to spend
long days biking and exploring the outdoors with friends until dinner . For him , being an entrepreneur was second nature . He dabbled with selling duct tape wallets , knitting beanies
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