A heart in the right place: a soap dish

Christine Carrillo

What started as a school workshop for all fifth-graders at Pegasus

School in Huntington Beach turned into a thriving business of love

for one 10-year-old Newport Beach boy.

After just two days of learning how to make soap, David Penner

decided to use everything he had learned to capitalize on the

upcoming holiday, Valentine’s Day, like a true businessman.

He purchased the supplies, made his product and ventured out into

the world of commerce in search of a target clientele.

David found it.

After testing his salesman skills in various areas, grocery stores

and coffee houses, David began to assess the progress he made at each

location and quickly noticed that the laid-back mentality of

customers at a coffee house -- that is, once they’d had their coffee

-- was much more profitable.

“If you don’t sell your soap at a good price, your supplies will

end up taking over your business,” David said, when talking about

some of the nuances he’s learned about business. “I feel like an

entrepreneur and I didn’t even know what that word meant until three

weeks ago.”

Having sold more than 100 scented soaps in the shapes of hearts

and frogs, David has found himself running a business with a product

in high demand.

“This was one of those cases when a kid realizes his

entrepreneurial interests,” said John Sullivan, the assistant head at

Pegasus who also taught the workshop. “He’s going to be a

businessman. We can all see it.”

And seeing the profitability, David has also seen the effect he

can have on others. In honor of his grandmother, who survived a heart

attack in November, David has set aside 20% of his profits for the

American Heart Assn.

“I believe that you have to teach kids how to give back,” said

David’s mother, Joy Penner, who admits she’s not surprised by her

son’s entrepreneurial spirit. “It’s important to learn at an early

age how to give back.”

As his business continues to prosper, and the number of soap

hearts he’s made starts to dwindle, David has already set his sights

on the next holiday -- Easter.

“He looks at something and he’s able to see the possibilities. ...

It’s just amazing for me to hear about what he’s doing now,” Sullivan

said. “He’s the one that just saw the possibilities that he could do,

and ... that’s what every educator wants is a kid to be sparked by

something that you taught.”

While Pegasus’ mission, “building wings so bright minds can soar,”

helped inspire David, his personal drive allowed him to turn that

inspiration into a reality.

“This workshop really built my wings,” David said. “But I decided

to make my bright mind soar.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].