12-Year-Old Starts Vegan Popcorn Business

Jayden Hammond—a forward-thinking 12-year-old from Chicago, Illinois—has launched J-Rock’s Pop Gourmet Vegan Popcorn, and it’s all for a noble cause. The young, ethical entrepreneur originally started the business in order to raise money for a class trip to Cuba, and soon decided to donate five percent of his profits to aid the water crisis in Flint, MI. Hammond’s idea stemmed from his family movie nights, where he routinely experimented with various popcorn topping recipes—all vegan. “It excites us very much because we know he’s going to be alright,” said Hammond’s mother, Terisa. The company currently sells three GMO-free popcorn flavors—Plain, Ethiopian Barbecue, and Classic—and uses nutritional yeast for a cheesy taste. Hammond’s popcorn is sold both online and at a local farmers’ market in Chicago.