STANDARDS

CCSS: 7.RP.A.2.C, MP2, MP4, MP7

TEKS: 6.5A

Kaylynn’s Popcorn

THE KIDPRENEUR FILES

Meet some amazing kids who started their own businesses!

Person holding a bag of popcorn with a yellow popcorn background

(c) 2021 Kaytie Boomer | MLive Media Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

NAME: Kaylynn Martin

AGE: 16

BUSINESS: Kakes the Great Popcorn Company in Saginaw, Michigan

Starting A Business

“It all started with a trip to the orthodontist,” says Kaylynn “Kakes” Martin, founder and CEO of Kakes the Great Popcorn Company. Kaylynn learned she would need braces and surgery. But the pandemic had shuttered her mom’s beauty business, and money was tight. To help, Kaylynn decided to start her own business.

She began by asking herself, “What do I like? What do people like?” And it came to her: popcorn! But back then, Kaylynn only knew how to make microwave popcorn. She laughs, “I didn’t know how to make it on the stove. I didn’t know how to make anything!” She taught herself with online videos and recipes.

Kaylynn eventually developed her own secret recipes and began cooking kettle corn in her kitchen and selling it to friends and family. Today, Kaylynn sells flavors like Myrtle Turtle and Black Girl Magic in her mom’s reopened shop, at a local marketplace, and online.

Taking Care of Business with Kaylynn Martin
Watch a video about Kaylynn Martin's popcorn business

Coolest Moment

Two people holding a large check and smiling

Courtesy of Kakes the Great

Kaylynn and her mom hold up their winning check!

In October 2021, Kaylynn got the opportunity to pitch her business to Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan. But the event was a surprise, and Kaylynn had only two days to prepare! Although she was nervous, the presentation went very well and Kaylynn won $2,000 in funding. “When I got done, Whitmer gave me the biggest hug,” Kaylynn says.

Two people surrounded by colorful bags of popcorn

(c) 2021 Kaytie Boomer | MLive Media Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Kaylynn sells her popcorn at her mom’s beauty business.

On The Job

Kaylynn’s day starts with school, then she heads to her mom’s beauty shop, where she works as a receptionist. At home, she fulfills orders and makes time for friends. Kaylynn’s family helps too! Her mom is the operations manager, and her twin brother, Kristian, is “the muscle of the company” and helps by lifting heavy boxes.

Kaylynn holds meetings in a shared workspace. Right now, she fills 20 to 30 orders per week, plus subscription boxes. She hopes to grow her business, but “I still want to be a kid. I still want to do teenage stuff,” she says.

Two people posing for a photo while surrounded by an assortment of different kinds of popcorn

Courtesy of Kakes the Great

Kaylynn and her brother, Kristian, work together running a booth at a local market.

What I've Learned

Popcorn in a pan with someone drizzling chocolate on top

Courtesy of Kakes the Great

Running a business has taught Kaylynn the value of delegating. “I would stay up late, because I was trying to prove to myself I could do this,” she says. But she soon realized “you can’t do everything by yourself.” Kaylynn’s confidence also grew. She learned that “I deserve to sit at a table full of adults. They can learn from me, and I can learn from them.”

Popping Proportions
Play a fun math game about proportions.
Writing and Solving Proportions
Watch an instructional video about writing and solving proportions.

MATH BEHIND THE BUSINESS

Key Math Idea:

Measurement and proportions
When making popcorn, Kaylynn must measure out her different ingredients in the correct proportion. A proportion is an equation that states that two ratios are equivalent.

Here's how they do it. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

Bags for Kaylynn’s premium flavor can hold 10 ounces, but to maintain freshness, she puts 7.5 ounces of popcorn in each bag. How many ounces of popcorn are in 8 bags?

When popped, popcorn expands 40 times its original volume! For every  cup of kernels you cook, you get roughly 8 cups of popcorn. How many cups of kernels would Kaylynn need to make 56 cups of popcorn?

Kaylynn fills about 40 orders every 2 weeks. If the average order is for 2 bags of popcorn, how many bags will she sell in 6 weeks?

Games (1)
Text-to-Speech