Meet the 16-Year-Old Interviewing Forbes, Dragon's Den & Shark Tank Entrepreneurs. Here's how she does it.

Meet Yasmin - The 16-Year-Old Founder of “Changemakers.”

At just 16, Yasmin is making waves in the entrepreneurial scene with Changemakers—her registered non-profit organization showcasing top voices in CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods), health, and wellness.

In under two years, she’s interviewed over 100+ industry leading CEOs, innovators, and creatives featured in publications like Forbes, Dragons Den, Shark Tank, and NPR.

Changemakers has reached ~75K students via educational content, garnered over 25K likes/interactions with content, and conducted interviews with industry leaders in front of 800+ students.

We sat down with Yasmin to see how she transformed her personal project into a powerful network for rising business leaders.

Learn from Yasmin

• 1- How did it start?

• 2- What was your biggest mindset shift to make Changemakers successful?

• 3- Advice you would give to a student who wants to launch an initiative?

  • 4- What's your 5 year vision for Changemakers?

  • 5- Advice you would tell your past self?

• Stay Connected

• Student Resources

#1: What inspired you to start Changemakers?

Yasmin:

Changemakers was founded by my interest in the health and wellness space. I was always inspired by the unique produces and services I was exposed to from a young age.

Changemakers started as a personal journey to connect with entrepreneurs in this area.

As I continued to interview more leaders, I felt inspired to share these powerful lessons with other students. That’s when Changemakers evolved into a platform with a broader purpose: educating more students about well-being & success by sharing the insights and journeys of top entrepreneurs.

#2: What was the biggest mindset shift you needed to take on Changemakers?

Yasmin:

I’d say that I have always been genuinely curious about business & entrepreneurship - but they key shift I had to take was believing that, as a student, I could have powerful, meaningful conversations with top industry leaders.

A lot of people ask me how I built my confidence to be able to network with entrepreneurs, CEOs, or founders. I’ve always said that it has to come from genuine curiosity.

One of my favourite moments was when I interviewed a 23-year-old entrepreneur Tara Bosch, founder of SmartSweets. (https://smartsweets.com/) I interviewed her in front of my entire school, around 800+ students. Everyone thought I’d be nervous, but when I was on stage, I didn’t hear anything but the entrepreneur’s story. I was genuinely excited when I heard about their wins, and genuinely moved by their challenges.

Authentic engagement makes every conversation richer and that’s been a core tenet of my work with Changemakers.

#3: Advice you would give to a younger student who wants to launch an initiative?

Find a unique angle to your passions. Changemakers initially started as a bootcamp. I helped students at my school with networking & professional development. While that work was fulfilling, I quickly realized that scope of what I was doing was a dime a dozen.

I settled on interviews I could recreate into short-form content. Most people creating interview content around entrepreneurs were in their late 20s or 30s; no one was doing this as a high school student. Even within the interview space, I noticed that not many accounts were creating co-posts with entrepreneurs on their Instagram. I thought that could be a great way to incentivize interviews as well. Co-posts would allow entrepreneurs’ to market their products to my younger student audience.

Small innovations can lead to something big. I’d always encourage students to think out of the box.

#4: Where do you want to go with Changemakers in the next 5 years?

Yasmin:
I see Changemakers as a portfolio of connections and a testament to the work I’ve put into building this platform. This is the first venture I’ve poured my heart and soul into. Eventually, I want to start my own health and wellness company, creating something that blends well-being with entrepreneurship. For now, that’s Changemakers. I do really want to continue and keep exploring this space, understanding its intersections, and empowering others.

#5: What advice would you give past self from a year ago?

Yasmin: Be bolder with outreach. I used to worry, “What’s the point if they don’t respond?” Now, I realize that a lack of response isn’t personal. These are busy leaders with packed schedules. I’d tell my younger self: reach for the stars. The next thing you know, you’re having a heart-to-heart with an entrepreneur.

Stay Connected

To see everything Changemaker’s is doing, visit their page:

• Changemaker’s Website

• Changemaker’s Instagram

More on Yasmin’s work:

• SheCan World Interview

Student Resources

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