The Whiz Kid Kimeila Campbell is Being Called "Mini Oprah" for Good Reason

Growing up in St. Ann, Jamaica, WI, Kimeila Campbell became known as the “Whiz Kid” for her extraordinary intelligence at remarkably young ages. Kimeila could read at only two years old, and by the time she left Jamaica at six, she had been featured in a variety of different Jamaican media outlets. Having such a childhood laid the foundation for success, as Kimeila was able to know from a young age that she was going to have an impact on the world. “A lot of people expected a lot from me.”

I had the pleasure of speaking with Kimeila about her journey into becoming an entrepreneur and launching her brand “YNTY Magazine.” Kimeila and her mother Mesha moved to Queens, NY when she was only six years old. Moving across the world at such a young age was difficult, especially due to the negative reactions that children often had to her accent. This resulted in Kimeila moving through various schools before landing at the Collaborative Arts Middle School in Queens, where she attends now.

Despite such a difficult move, Kimeila continued to remain engaged in school as an honor roll student. Kimeila is a forward thinker, and as a result, she has had a dream since she was young of going to the prestigious Harvard School of Law to become a lawyer and then eventually a judge. Despite being passionate about law, at thirteen, Kimeila decided that she wanted to start a business. She scared that she was too young to accomplish such a lofty goal. However, her mother, who is also an entrepreneur, encouraged her to follow her dreams, emphasizing that “you are never too young.” This is where the acronym and idea for YNTY was created. Noticing the issue of feeling too young to pursue entrepreneurship, Kimeila realized that there are many other kids that probably feel the same way. Kimeila saw a problem in the world, and decided to try and create a solution.

YNTY is a magazine that showcases youth entrepreneurs and provides helpful tools and tips for pursuing entrepreneurship at a young age. Kimeila summed up the goal of YNTY as “to show young people that they can accomplish their goals without procrastinating.” In other words, the goal of the magazine is to educate and empower. YNTY helps kid entrepreneurs to be inspired to chase their dreams while being given ideas on how to do so. The magazine was launched on January 23rd, Kimeila’s 14th birthday, and was celebrated by a red-carpet release event in Queens. The reception since the magazine’s release has been overwhelmingly positive, and the support has come from all over the world. The magazine is only in its first issue and is already gaining traction, with exciting commemorative issues being planned for February and March, in honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month.

Kimeila Campbell, the Whiz kid, is a fourteen-year-old entrepreneur who dreams of venturing into the world of law. She values family and religion, citing her church as one of her biggest supports. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and dancing. What would be her advice to young entrepreneurs like herself? She emphasized that procrastination is the enemy of success, that being a kid is no good reason to wait on fulfilling your dreams. She also discussed the fact that many successful people keep their knowledge to themselves, and that she would encourage anyone pursuing entrepreneurship to look to spread awareness as well as to make a profit. Despite being only fourteen, she is wise beyond her years, and is refusing to wait until she grows up to make her impact on the world.