JANNELIZ AND HOW SHE BECAME A SEEDS OF CHANGE

More and more, customers are seeking products and services that are not just good for them - but good for the environment. Consumers with a conscience are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to make purchases that matter - paying more and doing more for products that benefit everyone.

Ten-year-old Janneliz Marie Hernández has captured the very idea of this in Harvest Your Way, a small business of which she is co-creator. Harvest Your Way aims to create ecologically sustainable-urban gardens in limited spaces. Using pieces of wood and string, they craft beautiful hanging planters so that anyone - regardless of their location - can enjoy the beauty of nature in their own space.

Janneliz is one of the most recent graduates from the SEEDS program from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. SEEDS is a STEAM-based entrepreneurship education program for youth in Puerto Rico. The program allows students to tackle real-world business problems and engage in a mentorship program with leaders in business from on and off the island.

When asked about the product, Janneliz shared some of their vision:

“We created this for people who do not have a garden to plant, such as those who live in condominiums and houses without a patio or yard. You can also place them in your office as decoration.”

Since starting their business, their profits have totaled nearly $1,000! Even with the amount invested in their materials to make the products, the net profit for their business was $485.

According to Janneliz and her family, who have been supportive throughout her journey, they expect to continue generating profit because they still have a lot of material to work with in the coming months, and are applying all that they learned in the SEEDS program. The majority of their cost goes towards the wood needed to make the products. Janneliz is learning how to navigate expanding their offering and increasing their product margin. 

Despite the complications and hurdles of opening up her own business, Janneliz has big dreams for the future of the business: “I like to have conversations with people, I like to learn, and I use the money from our sales to continue the production of the home gardens and make the company more successful.”

To find out more about Harvest Your Way, visit the SEEDS business page here to watch Harvest Your Way’s business pitch and ways you can support Janneliz and other students. You can also follow Harvest Your Way on Instagram here.

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