Meet Josh
Hi — I’m Josh. I’m a 15-year-old entrepreneur from Cleveland, Ohio, and I’m the founder of Jam by Josh.
I’ve always had a passion for creating things people enjoy. Even when I was in elementary school, I was finding ways to turn ideas into small businesses — selling things to neighbors, friends, and anyone who was willing to support a kid with big energy, and even bigger goals. That drive to build something of my own has always been part of who I am.
But it hasn’t always been easy. I happen to have a stutter. And for a long time, I worried that it might make it harder for people to take me seriously or to understand what I was trying to say. What I’ve come to realize is that my stutter doesn’t define me — it’s taught me resilience. It’s forced me to work harder, to show up even when it’s uncomfortable, and to keep pushing forward, especially when it comes to sharing my ideas and connecting with others. In a way, it’s shaped the entrepreneur I’ve become.
My first official business began during the 2020 lockdown. Everyone was stuck at home, and I wanted to help people feel a little more connected. So I launched a project called Cooking Classes for Kids by Kids — live Zoom classes where I taught other kids how to make simple, fun recipes from scratch. The idea took off, and before long I had students from all over the country, and even from other parts of the world. I ran hundreds of classes that year, and I saw firsthand how a small idea, if it connects with people, can grow into something much bigger than you expected.
Canning Is My Jam!
The transition to jam
After about a year of teaching cooking classes, I was ready for a new project — so I turned to gardening. I spent the summer building a big backyard garden, growing everything from tomatoes and cucumbers to beans and herbs.
One day, I had some extra produce left over. Instead of freezing it or letting it go to waste, I figured it’d be cool to learn how to can. I pulled up a YouTube video and just went for it. Honestly, the first time I tried canning tomatoes, I had no idea what I was doing. But the more I experimented, the more I fell in love with the process — the hands-on work, the creativity, and the challenge of making something fresh last beyond the season.
Eventually, one thing led to another… and I found myself making jam.
At first it was just a few jars for fun. I brought one over to my grandma’s house to try it, and she absolutely loved it. In fact, she’s the one who convinced me to start selling it. And let’s be honest — when your grandma tells you the jam is good, you know you’re onto something.
How Far I’ve Come
After a lot of late nights perfecting my recipes and selling jam at local farmers markets, things started to take off. My first big break came when Miles Farmers Market, a well-known grocery store in Solon, Ohio, took a chance on me and put my jam on their shelves. That moment changed everything.
From there, I kept refining the product, improving the packaging, and building the brand. Eventually, I got accepted into a regional distributor — and now, Jam by Josh is carried in over 35 stores across Ohio.
Along the way, I’ve also had the chance to compete in — and win — some of the biggest student business competitions in the country. Those experiences gave me not just exposure, but funding and mentorship to keep growing the company the right way.
What started as a backyard project turned into a real business — and I’m just getting started.
What’s Next?
My dream isn’t just to be local — it’s to be everywhere.
I want to see Jam by Josh on grocery store shelves nationwide, in homes across the country, and eventually, as a lifestyle brand that represents quality, creativity, and doing things differently.
The mission stays the same: keep it small-batch, stay hands-on, and never lose the heart that started it all. But the vision? It’s getting bigger every day.