At 16, Mahleik Crawford of Hartford has already earned more than $600 – selling sneakers to Connecticut teens.
It’s the love of sneakers that pushed Crawford to start his own business, and he admits he “likes to make money,’’ too.
He sells much of his merchandise through social media, using Instagram, Facebook and good old fashioned word of mouth.
He also likes to design his own footwear and hopes to some day have investors to back him to market his own brand of sneakers. He hopes to work with either Nike or Adidas.
When Crawford isn’t selling sneakers, he’s in school at the Hartford Journalism and Media Academy.
He plays basketball on the high school team and likes to draw.
Crawford wants to study business in college. He’s hoping to attend the University of Maryland, New York University or Sacred Heart University.
Talon Cooper is a junior at James Hillhouse High School, New Haven.