Eight years ago, 13-year-old Alina Morse sat in Entrepreneur’s New York City office, experiencing what she called “a fairy tale for a girl from a small town in Michigan.” She was, and still is, the youngest founder to make the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine.
But Alina had plenty of experience in the spotlight before then, and has continued to make headlines eight years later with her brand Zolli Candy and its complementary 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Million Smiles Initiative.
Now she’s a senior at Michigan State University, choosing college because she says her love for learning and natural curiosity don’t take away from the business — they enhance it. Plus, she’s never known anything different. That “Hannah Montana” life, as she calls it, is the norm.
We checked back in with Alina to see how the business and her vision have evolved since 2018.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What was it like to be on the cover of a magazine at 13?
Between nine and 13 years old, we had expanded a lot through Whole Foods, Walmart, and Amazon.com. I was finishing up my seventh-grade year. The bell rang. I got my phone out of my locker. I had a missed call from my publicist. I called him back, and he said, “You’re going to be on the cover of a magazine.” I skipped down the hallway. Then I was like, “Oh my gosh, I still have braces. Can I do a closed-mouth shot?” I did not have a lot of confidence by any stretch of the imagination. But something that stayed really consistent is my passion for my business. To say we’re still here and we’re still growing is a testament to that middle schooler’s drive.
Photo credit: Entrepreneur Media
What changed for you and the company after the cover?
Those were really formative years in cementing our status as not just a startup but a real company. We use it as a catalyst for meeting with a new retailer. We’ll send them a copy of the magazine with some samples, and it gives validation. That’s something we’ve carried as a badge of honor.
What made you choose to go to college?
I’ve always been the person who loves to learn, and that’s a big reason why I always stayed in public school while growing Zolli. After and before school, I worked my butt off on Zolli. The weekends were work and media and travel and meeting with retailers and making sacrifices. I’ve always just been used to balancing being a student in some capacity while being an entrepreneur. I’ve experienced such an outpouring of support from my university and my peers. And I’ve had a lot of opportunities that have come from being an entrepreneur in college that I don’t think I would have gotten. And on top of that, the social and emotional aspect and the growth that I’ve experienced as a person being here is unmatched.
Photo credit: Alina Morse / Zolli
What happens after you graduate? What stays the same?
The two constants in my life have been school and Zolli for as long as I can remember. I’m used to being a really busy person, and I don’t think that will change, but I’ve just got to find other avenues to put my energy into. If I can be an entrepreneur full-time and also be a full-time student, what else can I pack in when I lose the student part? And I’m really excited to figure out what that is. Whether it’s on the nonprofit side or on the Zolli product side or in my personal career. The sky’s the limit.
How do you balance your life as a student and entrepreneur?
The idea of entrepreneurial balance is kind of a hoax. There is no balance. You have to live it. And if you don’t want to live it, that’s okay. There is a part of my brain that I cannot switch off. Even when I’m doing things that are on personal time. If I get a call from our 1-800 hotline, I’m picking it up. It doesn’t matter if it’s midnight. That is what being an entrepreneur is. So the whole idea of balance, it’s not the same every day. It’s not a formula that you can quantify.
Photo credit: Alina Morse / Zolli
If we were to check back with you in another eight years, what would you want to say you and Zolli have achieved?
Looking at our trajectory, I’ve always said that a crazy audacious goal was to be the No. 1 zero-sugar candy company globally, and we’re well on our way. So we’re going to keep chugging away at that. Through the Million Smiles Initiative, I want every kid in America to have a clean mouth, a healthy smile, and a Zollipop in their hand. Every year we’ve been able to grow, we’ve been able to give more. That’s always going to coincide with the larger business goals.
What advice would you give to your 13-year-old self?
Smile with your teeth. Don’t be so worried about what other people are going to think. No one’s going to judge you. It’s okay to be proud of yourself and to enjoy the moment and to continue to work hard, which she has. I’m so proud of her.
Photo credit: Alina Morse / Zolli
Do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs who are holding back from taking that first step?
Think like a seven-year-old. They don’t have the fear of failure that adults have. That thought of “maybe this won’t work” doesn’t even cross their minds. I just encourage people to think like kids. It may seem like it’s a naive perspective, but really it’s a very tenacious and curious perspective that I think adults could use some more of.
Eight years ago, 13-year-old Alina Morse sat in Entrepreneur’s New York City office, experiencing what she called “a fairy tale for a girl from a small town in Michigan.” She was, and still is, the youngest founder to make the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine.
But Alina had plenty of experience in the spotlight before then, and has continued to make headlines eight years later with her brand Zolli Candy and its complementary 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Million Smiles Initiative.
Now she’s a senior at Michigan State University, choosing college because she says her love for learning and natural curiosity don’t take away from the business — they enhance it. Plus, she’s never known anything different. That “Hannah Montana” life, as she calls it, is the norm.