11-Year-Old Maryland Girl Pitches Cupcake Business To Warren Buffett
COLUMBIA, Md. (WJZ) -- Just how nervous would you be if you got a chance to pitch a business idea to billionaire Warren Buffett?
As Mary Bubala explains, a local 11-year-old is making it look like a piece of cupcake!
"I'm so excited that I am shaking, kind of," said Krissa Hillman.
The 11-year-old is honing her pitch in front of some Howard County entreprenuers.
Money also goes to schools, libraries and reading programs.
Krissa's business idea called Cupcakes For Literacy caught the attention of the third richest man in the world, Warren Buffett.
He loves it.
And Krissa beat out thousands of others.
Now she and five other students will compete in his Secret Millionaires Club Challenge this weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.
"Not everyone gets a chance to do this and you know 4,000 people. I was like it's a one in a billion chance because there are so many great ideas and the fact that he picked mine really kind of touches my heart," said Krissa.
Leaders from the Maryland Center For Entrepreneurship in Columbia are giving Krissa some feedback because she'll be in front of Buffett this time Saturday delivering her pitch.
"You can look at them and tell if they are listening or not by how they react," said one leader.
She has figured out very early that giving back is an important part of a business model. Her cupcake business raises money to buy books for children.
"If people know that you are doing it for them, they will want to give more and more and more, but if you are doing it for yourself, they won't want to put money into to help you out," said Krissa.
Krissa has a chance to win $5,000 in seed money to help her start her business.
