The 14 Year Old CEO #amazinghumans

Why It Matters

Mind Miners showcases how young founders can disrupt edtech, proving that age‑agnostic innovation can attract global users and investment, reshaping language‑learning markets.

Key Takeaways

• 14‑year‑old launches global language‑learning app for kids today
• App connects peers across 50+ countries in safe environment
• Founder balances CEO duties with school and personal life
• Mentorship and family support critical to early entrepreneurial success
• Market gap: fun education bridging video games and traditional tools

Summary

Teen entrepreneur Hillary Yip, 14, founded Mind Miners, a peer‑to‑peer language‑learning platform that links children from over 50 countries. The app aims to fill a niche between video games and traditional educational products, offering a safe, fun environment for cross‑cultural interaction.

Yip’s journey began with a struggling Mandarin class, a mandatory Chinese summer camp, and a school entrepreneurship competition that sparked the idea of moving language practice online. With mentorship secured after the contest, she built a prototype, attracted early users, and now spends her days pitching to investors, crafting decks, and overseeing marketing while balancing schoolwork.

She highlights the importance of family and mentor support, noting that “people will tell you you can’t because of your age, gender, or origin,” yet she persists. Her daily routine includes reading, debating, and socializing after completing business tasks, illustrating disciplined time management.

The venture signals growing demand for engaging, socially‑driven edtech solutions and underscores that age is no barrier to startup leadership, potentially attracting investors keen on youthful innovation and global language markets.

Original Description

Like anyone who runs a startup, Hillary Yip spends a lot of time developing investor pitch decks, executing marketing plans and conferring with customers. But she has to do all of this after she finishes her homework. She is just 14 years old, after all. Yip, who lives in Hong Kong, is the founder and CEO of Minor Mynas, a language learning app for kids. Yip got the idea for the company after she learned how to speak Mandarin at summer camp. We scheduled a meeting with the busy entrepreneur to find out what it’s like to be a boss.

Welcome to Great Big Story’s Amazing Humans: Our celebration of the outliers, dreamers, and everyday heroes who remind us just how extraordinary life can be. Here, we share true stories and real-life biographies that capture the weird, wonderful, and everything in between. These often untold stories sit at the heart of our DNA, portraits of creativity, courage, and curiosity in all their forms. From quiet change makers to joyful eccentrics, each film is a glimpse into what makes us beautifully complex and deeply human. Join us and meet the people who make the world a little more remarkable. And if you know someone who should be featured on the series, we'd love to hear, get in touch