Young Millionaires

elainej — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 00:51:36 -0000

Young Millionares: Part VI

Can you make a million before you're 40? Meet 45 who did.

Andrew Zenoff, 31

Company: Zenoff Products

Year Started: 1995 Start-Up Costs: $12,000

1996 Projections: $1 million

How does a broke, out-of-work actor keep himself from winding up on the streets? By inventing a pillow to help lactating women breast-feed their newborn babies, of course.

An unlikely story? Yes, but a true one for Andrew Zenoff. After 110 auditions-and 109 rejections-in an 18-month period, he had hit rock bottom. Then Zenoff, who had previously studied marketing and entrepreneurship at Babson College in Babson, Massachusetts, met a friend's sister, who'd just given birth to her second child. She told him about the problems women have maintaining correct posture while breast-feeding. "I was determined to come up with a solution," says Zenoff.

With funding from four fellow Babson grads, he designed My BrestFriend, a support pillow that helps breast-feeding mothers-and bottle-feeding fathers-have correct posture.

Available in upscale catalogs as well as baby specialty stores nationwide, My BrestFriend also helps moms in five overseas countries. Although the business is a financial success, the Mill Valley, California, entrepreneur isn't in it for the money. "My hope is to create high-quality products that enhance people's lives," Zenoff says. "The money is just a byproduct."

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Young Millionaires