4 teenage moguls: How they're changing the world

Fraser Doherty, SuperJam — (Image credit: Facebook.com/SuperJam)

Let's face it: As much as we try to make everything equal for our children these days (yes, honey, everyone gets a trophy at the Little League championship!), there are some kids who just stand out.

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Then, when Doherty was 14, his grandmother taught him how to make jam using her secret recipe — one that substituted grape juice for sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Doherty, naturally, began selling his finished product to friends and church members, eventually making a thousand jars a week. Five years later he was the 19-year-old head of SuperJam, a million-dollar jam empire that stocks 130 supermarkets in the United Kingdom.

Today, the site has more than 4 million users, and Brindak, now 24, is a self-made millionaire. The key to her success? "We've really been able to understand our target audience because we're constantly asking for their input," she says. Not to mention that it's a website parents can get behind: "Our safe socialization is what makes us unique compared to other sites. Anything that a user types isn't automatically submitted. Instead, it goes into our admin, where human eyes approve every single piece of content to make sure that no identifiable information is in the posts, and that they are age- and topic-appropriate."

"I drew inspiration from the 2000 election cycle in those early days," says the 15-year-old motivational speaker and author of "Flying Fingers." Her passion to share her love of reading and writing led to her book deal at age seven. By 12 she was speaking at her first TED conference, explaining to the audience why the world needs "childish thinking" — bold ideas, creativity and optimism. Today, the well-known literary prodigy is organizing the TEDxRedmond youth conference for the fourth year in a row, and researching a nonfiction book about her generation.

So what makes her different from other kids? "I try not to think of myself in terms of what sets me apart," she says. "Progress needs solidarity, and that takes people realizing they have a lot in common — not superheroes or saviors." This explains why Svitak wants to do more with her life than just write and speak — her goal is to change the world. "By 25, I hope to have attained some elected political office or other policymaking position," she says.

Ten years ago, when Daniel Feuer's grandmother was battling colon and breast cancer, he often accompanied her to chemotherapy treatments, where he met other patients, including children. "I wanted to do something to make them feel better," he says. So after consulting with his dad, an oncologist, he decided to bring them homemade smoothies at every visit. "I thought smoothies would be the greatest, healthiest and most effective method for bringing comfort to people suffering from cancer," says the now 20-year-old.

1. If they don't like something, encourage them to change it. Children are often frustrated by rules or confused by regulations, so encourage them to respectfully work toward an improvement. Supporting teens means encouraging their passion, believing in their ability to solve problems and taking one step back to be an interested spectator while they work! — Dr. Deborah Gilboa, mom to four boys who have launched a website intended to "fix the world"

2. Help them create a "bullseye goal." Ask your children what their HUG (Huge Ultimate Goal) is and write it in the bullseye of a three-ring target. Then ask what the next best goal would be (note it in the second ring), followed by the last accomplishment they'd still be proud of (jot it down in the outermost ring) The next step is to discuss what kind of actions would be required to accomplish their bull's-eye goal by the time specified. If you notice your children falling off target, help them readjust. Knowing that parents support their goals and believe in their abilities gives kids the desire to take risks and go for their dreams. — Tara Kennedy-Kline, radio host and author of Stop Raising Einstein: Discover the Unique Brilliance in Your Child and You!