22 | SEPTEMBER 10 • 2020 

 Kid
Entrepreneurs

Pandemic propels kids to start 
businesses that help others.

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jews in the D

A

lthough the pandemic has present-
ed many challenges to the commu-
nity, it has inspired young people to 
create businesses that also help the commu-
nity. Here are some of these young people 
making a difference.

“TWIN TREASURES” 
RAISES FUNDS FOR CAMP
COVID-19 dashed Brendyn and Emma 
Tischler’
s plans for their first trip to sleep-
away camp when Camp Tamarack stayed 
closed this summer. The nearly 8-year-old 
twins needed something else fun to do.
They thought about a lemonade stand 
outside their West Bloomfield home, but 
that didn’
t seem practical in the pandemic 
era. Since they enjoy creative arts, they 
settled on making beaded chains for face 
masks.
They had made beaded necklaces and 
bracelets in the past, and Brendyn thought 
it would be cool to clip chains onto the face 
masks everyone now has to wear.
The twins were inspired by their father, 
Jeff, a senior vice president at Fifth Third 
Bank.
There was always lots of money talk at 
home, said their mom, Elissa, a kinder-
garten teacher at Hillel Day School, where 
the twins will enter second grade this year. 
They each have a college fund, and they 
knew whenever money came their way, 
they had to save some of it.
They asked their father lots of questions 
about building a business and what to do 
with their earnings. Because tzedakah has 

been a strong family value, they wanted 
to give some of the money from sales to 
a worthy cause. They settled on the Send 
a Kid to Tamarack fund, which provides 
scholarships for campers.
The chains are made to order, with cus-
tomers describing the colors and/or style 
they prefer. Their dad created an Excel 
spreadsheet for them to keep track of their 
orders and sales.
Brendyn and Emma named their enter-
prise Twin Treasures. Their mom started a 
Facebook page for them — EmmaBrendyn 
Tischler — where customers can see their 
products and order chains. Sales boomed 
through word of mouth. To date, the twins 
have raised more than $130 for Tamarack.
Elissa Tischler says there have been a lot 
of little lessons along the way, including 

pricing and profit margins. The twins sold 
their first creations to family members for 
$5 apiece, and soon discovered that after 
accounting for their expenses, they’
d have 
only $1 per piece left to donate. So they 
raised their price to $8, with $2 from every 

sale going to help needy campers.
They enjoyed working together and 
doing something creative, said Elissa 
Tischler. But they also learned that busi-
ness owners have to put in an effort even 
when they’
d rather be doing something 
else because their customers are relying on 
them.
“
At first I thought having a business was 
easy, but it’
s really hard work,
” Brendyn 
said. “It’
s not about just making money for 
ourselves. It’
s about giving money to other 
people, too.
”
Emma said it makes her feel good to give 
people something they want. “It makes me 
happy that people are using our product,
” 
she said.

DANDY DOG BISCUITS RAISES 
FUNDS FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
Two summers ago, Alex Gross, then 8, 
learned to make dog biscuits while attend-

LEFT: Alex 
Gross biscuits 
and dog toys. 
BELOW: Emma 
and Brendyn 
Tischler with 
chains.

“At fi
 rst I thought 
having a business
was easy, but it’s
really hard work.”

— BRENDYN TISCHLER

