My name is Rishi and I am a 4th grader at Wyoming Elementary School. I am the business owner of Starstruck Ovens. At first, The decision of what to make was difficult and I wanted a product that would stand out and was very successful. I started thinking that I would make coasters, but did some research and talked to my parents about using solar energy for my project.
My dad suggested building a portable solar oven that I can use to make smores or a light snack like cheese covered nachos.
At first, I was going to move on, but my dad told me I should consider this product. It was very obscure. I thought that it would not sell very well and be an unsuccessful business idea. My parents are energy conscious and we checked our home’s energy bills against solar energy. We use many energy saving techniques at home.
We experimented and created a prototype oven to show at TREP$ Workshop. Getting more boxes was a bit of a challenge. As we started to make ovens, it got easier and by the time of the Marketplace, we had made 40 solar ovens. Since they were made of pizza boxes, We could only bring 19. It had taken me 10 days to make all 40, I was sad with the fact that I could only bring 19. The price was based on what I spent making them. I learned the pricing method at TREP$.
At the Marketplace, we set up the table and started to sell. I made $140 in the end. I sold them for $8 each, but since I felt the urge to sell out, I sold 4 for $5 each in the end. My sister also went, wanting to buy almost every product. I loved the fact that I built a product that is environment friendly that my friends can easily use. I wish all our energy could be harnessed from the sun whether it is cars, airplanes, heating or lighting. Without the help of my parents, I would have never thought of this brilliant idea.
Note: Rishi participated in the TREP$ entrepreneurship education program as afterschool enrichment right at school. This extracurricular activity is a project based learning experience that helps kids gain an entrepreneurial mindset, financial literacy and life skills to improve their futures.
