A kid with dyslexia and a million-dollar invention? Why not?
Max Ash is an inventor and entrepreneur with a million-dollar-plus business. He’s also a high school senior with dyslexia. In second grade, Max came up with his first invention, a ceramic mug with a basketball hoop attached to it. (Think shooting mini-marshmallows into hot chocolate or cereal into milk.)
Fast-forward nine years, and the line has expanded to include five other sports. Max has won a number of awards and grants, and his company MAX’IS Creations has sold more than 170,000 mugs. Max plans to go to college to study astronomy. But he’s an entrepreneur through and through.
Here’s Max…
The success of “The Mug with a Hoop” has been pretty incredible since it launched in 2014. It started out as an idea for a gift for my brother and became a successful brand in just a few years. I don’t think a lot of people would expect that a kid with dyslexia would be the creative mind behind it all.
I went to a school specifically for kids like me with learning disabilities. I was a visual learner and I really enjoyed art class. One day, the teacher had us create a mug using clay. Hanukkah was coming and I wanted to make a really fun gift for my brother.
We both liked sports and hot chocolate, so I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to make a mug that had a hoop on it?” I quickly found out that I was on to something pretty cool once other kids in my class started making their own versions of my mug.
But it was Amazon that truly showed me just how cool “The Mug with a Hoop” was.
One day, our product manufacturer decided to list the mug on their Amazon storefront. To our surprise the mugs sold very well. So well that Amazon wanted to interview me to learn more about my story.
I’d say my story is pretty awesome. I’m a teenager who has dyslexia and owns a successful business. I’m applying to colleges and partnering with Walmart to develop a product line.
Entrepreneurship grabbed my attention at a young age. I mean, what kid doesn’t like making money? But MAX’IS Creations is more than just the money for me. (Though the money is nice!) Being an entrepreneur has shown me what I’m capable of. And it’s reminded me that having dyslexia has never stopped me from reaching my goals. And it never will.
