This time last year, Ace did not have a home to call his own.
At 18 years old, he had been bouncing around from couch to couch, ultimately landing in emergency housing supplied by Columbus’ Kaleidoscope Youth Center.
“I just didn’t have my own place to stay,” Ace said.
Fast forward a year, and Ace not only has his own Columbus-area apartment, but also a thriving skin care product line.
Add that to his heart full of appreciation for the LGBTQ+ organizations that have supported his journey and you have an all-natural recipe for success.
Starting Early
Ace’s can-do spirit can be traced all the way back to his childhood, where he remembers being entrepreneurial from a young age.
“At 9 years old I went around selling things such as painted rocks, and a lot of people always told me that I should start a business,” Ace remembered.
Entrepreneurship was a family affair: His father owned a construction company in Jamaica, and his mother inspired his love of good skincare. When she immigrated to the United States from Jamaica (which had less-than-plentiful skincare choices), she sought out the highest quality beauty products.
“My mom was always reminding me to put lotion on when I was younger,” Ace said. “When I got older, I started being more interested in skincare and trying to figure out the best way to emphasize my skin.”
As he watched his mother’s skincare routine and the compliments she would habitually receive from passersby, a germ of an idea entered Ace’s head. He threw himself into researching ingredients that were non-toxic, vegan, organic and all-natural, and became dedicated to creating his own formula.
Not every result was a success. Finding the best formulas for his products, “was a lot of trial and error,” Ace said.
Finding Support
As Ace moved towards launching his own skincare line, life, of course, happened.
“I had to run away due to conflict within myself,” Ace said.
He found himself crashing at friends’ apartments, never without a place to stay, but still desperately wanted a stable place to call his own. He was working at Target and was in the process of applying for an apartment, but that had a six-week waiting period.
Not sure where he would stay in the interim, he shared his situation with staff at Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC), the largest and longest-standing organization in Ohio solely dedicated to serving and supporting queer youth. .
“Kaleidoscope let me know that they had emergency housing and another housing program to help me get into an apartment as well,” Ace said.
Staff at KYC herald Ace’s story as emblematic of the important changes needed for Ohio’s vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth, a population that increasingly needs support as they are disproportionately more likely to experience bullying and homelessness.
“Ace’s story is one example of what’s possible when we provide culturally responsive programs and resources that are low-barrier, and ultimately center and affirm the humanity of our young people,” said Erin Upchurch, KYC’s executive director. “KYC is committed to cultivating spaces and opportunities where we work in partnership with participants like Ace, to support them in moving from a place of survival to a place of thriving.”
Looking Ahead
Ace is excited for more people to discover Covet Concoctions, his skincare line, which offers everything from lip, hair and body butters to body scrubs to candles. He prides himself on the quality of his products and the transformation they can provide to his satisfied customers.
This 19-year-old’s advice for entrepreneurs just starting out? Take your time and do your research.
“I didn’t have any prior educational business knowledge, so a lot of it I had to research on my own to make sure I wasn’t losing money and [was] making smart business choices,” Ace said.
Now, that research is paying off.
With a growing audience on TikTok – where a lab-coat-wearing Ace can regularly be seen showing viewers how he creates his products – this entrepreneur is ready to see his all-natural products on the counters in more homes.
It’s something he appreciates even more, now that he has his own counters in his new apartment, a space he can finally call his own.
“I love it here,” Ace said. “I hope to start decorating how I really want to soon.”
Given his journey to thriving, odds are those decorations will be every bit as inspiring as this entrepreneur himself. 🔥
Ignite Action:
- Check out Covet Concoctions, Ace’s line or organic, vegan, all-natural and made-to-order personal care products by visiting his website and following him on TikTok.
- Support the wonderful work of Kaleidoscope Youth Center by visiting their website.
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