Michael Platt was 11 when he decided to turn his 'epic sweet tooth' into a business that would help the hungry.
Now 14, the Bowie, Maryland native runs Michael's Desserts, a business that runs on a simple sharing philosophy: Make one, give one.
Every month, Michael bakes about 170 treats, usually cupcakes, which he makes in the kitchen at home. For every treat he sells, he delivers another to domestic violence shelters, transitional housing areas, and homeless shelters.
At age 10, he began to be homeschooled after he was diagnosed with severe epilepsy. One day he watched his grandmother make a cake and became fascinated with the process. Baking became first a passion, then a hobby, and then a business, and one with a heart.
Even his creations have meaning. He has a special cupcake dedicated to Harriet Tubman (mint chocolate chip) and to Martin Luther King Jr. (featuring a sweet potato filling.)
He says he knows cupcakes won't solve world hunger, but it is a start.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.