If Only They Knew Omari McQueen, 11-year-old CEO

Omari mcQueen, the 11-year-old founder of Dipalicious & award winning entrepreneur Omari McQueen is the (very) young entrepreneur that has turned his passion into paper after founding Dipalicious, the place for all the best, 100% vegan approved, dips. If Only They Knew spoke to Omari, who shared a golden piece of advice for other young entrepreneurs. Cooking had always been something that Omari loved, spending a lot of his younger years baking with his family. The passion then grew stronger after his family taught him how to cook meals as his mother was ill and needed a helping hand in the kitchen. This all somewhat prepared Omari to start his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 8 when he uploaded a video of him making vegan pizza to YouTube - which now has over 2000 views! Whilst filming, Omari realised that he was unsure whether Heinz tomato sauce was vegan or not, and this is where the first Dipalicious was born! The first dip (Caribbean Kick) was loved by his family, so Omari decided to make more dips to sell. Since then, Omari has seen large amounts of sales and a huge impact on his personal brand. Instead of spending his money on things that many other 11 years old would have, Omari decided to invest in a bus that was then converted into a restaurant to sell vegan meals for children. Omari has also become heavily involved in the vegan world after watching a PETA video on Youtube. He then educated himself on the matter and aims to teach other children about the food they eat. McQueen stresses the fact that: “You’re never too young or old to follow your dream and find your passion” The young entrepreneur’s success has led to him winning 3 awards: TruLittle Hero Award: Entrepreneur Hero under 12 2018 by Cause4ChildrenCompassionate Kids Award (for using his entrepreneurial flair whilst also helping animals) Proud and Gifted Award in recognition of being a vegan chef & youth-empowerment speaker. As well as this, CEO of Boxpark (a chain of food halls of in London), Roger Wade, had also waived the £1000 rent for a week-long pop-up at Boxpark just for Dipalicious - allowing Omari to claim the title "the youngest restaurateur". Roger states that: "Age doesn't define a person any more than gender or race does. We were happy to support a dream. Omari is a role model for dreaming big." At such a young age, it will be exciting to see where Omari’s career leads him! Omari McQueen: Instagram Youtube LinkedIn Twitter Dipalicious: Instagram Twitter If Only They Knew: Instagram Twitter Linkedin Website