SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — One of Arizona's newest florists is Stemistry, a hip space that offers a build-your-own bouquet experience along with unique coffee options — some even topped with edible mixed flowers.
The owner? 16-year-old Dylan Capshaw.
"For kids to have a dream or say, 'I want to start a business, but I'm gonna wait until I'm an adult,' or, 'Wait until it happens,' there's no reason to wait," Dylan said.
Dylan is the living example of that motto. Believe it or not, he's been pitching business ideas since he was in grade school.
"He was 6 — I have that on my phone, he would kill me if I showed anyone — but he pretended he was on Shark Tank and was promoting this bento box idea," said Dylan's mom, Amy Okun Capshaw.
While the bento box idea didn't make it far, plenty of others did. Dylan already runs a wildlife foundation and manages a slate of vending machines that provide sanitary products and personal protective equipment. He was even nominated as Nickelodeon's "Kid of the Year" in 2020
However, Dylan's true passion is flowers.
"When I was 14, I started an online flower shop...it was really just our landscaping — we had olive trees and citrus trees, and I was cutting the branches and selling those," Dylan said.
He soon established relationships with exotic flower growers around the world, purchasing them wholesale and selling them online.
"Fast forward two years, I would be up until two in the morning boxing orders, get home from school and immediately sit down, push homework aside and start boxing," Dylan said.
The business blossomed so well that Dylan saved enough money to open Stemistry.
"I think it's beautiful. It's comfy. It's not crazy like a Starbucks," one customer said.
"I have a son who is a freshman in high school, and I can't imagine him running a business," another customer said. "I am so impressed with this young man."
The store is hosting a soft opening this week and its grand opening celebration on Saturday. Even Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega says he plans to stop by.
Dylan's hard work is paying off, and he's proving that age truly is just a number.
This story was originally published by Cameron Polom on Scripps station KNXV in Phoenix.
