Did you know that Barbara’s, makers of the infamous Puffins line of crunchy cereal, was founded by a 17-year-old girl? Over 40 years ago, Barbara Jaffe launched a natural bakery in the Bay Area to feed her passion for creating good food made with wholesome ingredients. Now a national brand, Barbara’s recently gave back by supporting innovative kids that are changing the world through business.
Launched in February, Barbara’s search for an exemplary “kidtrepreneur” commenced by calling on pint-sized owners to submit a video or essay on Barbara’s Facebook page highlighting their ideas. While the founders of this business contest were diminutive, the grand winner received a whopping $10,000 grant to further his business—a huge amount for a fledgling company.
After a month-long voting period, the adorable winner is 7-year-old Kaden Newton, whose company Mac & Cheese and Pancakes collects kid-friendly foods for food pantries near his hometown of Dallas, Texas. To date, he has donated more than 37,000 pounds of food.
Of his win, Newton said, “When I eat mac and cheese, my heart is happy and now many more kids will be able to eat foods they like too. Thank you to everyone who voted for me to help me get this $10,000 for my company. I’m so happy!”
Check out Barbara’s announcement video above (warning: you’ll definitely experience cute overload).
