Churchill High School Student Runs Own Business; Gives Back

As the new school year begins, many high school students will have to get back into the routine of balancing school work, family life, extracurricular activities, and hanging out with their friends.

junior Jack Reese is no different, but as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, his juggling routine is a bit more complicated.

Reese is the founder and owner of Chocolate Lizard, a Potomac-based business that creates tie-dye T-shirts. The origin of Chocolate Lizard, a play on words combining his current surname, Reese (like the candy), and his mother’s maiden name, Gecko, is much like other entrepreneurial stories.

“I found that I liked tie-dyeing,” said Reese “and family and friends seemed to like them too, so I began selling them at the holidays.”

Reese does most of the work himself—dyeing the shirts, managing silkscreen customization, and setting prices—but is quick to praise his mother’s support, especially when he has a busy workload from school.

“I’ve ruined my fair share of rugs, carpets and clothes around the house, but my mom sees it as part of the learning process. She’s a really big help,” Reese said.

“I am very proud of all my kids,” said his mother Rena. “I don’t think of Jack as a son or teenager, but what we all hope a teenager can grow up to be. He is mindful of normal teenage stuff, but has a global perspective of the responsibility of people that have to help people who don’t,” she continued.

Chocolate Lizard’s tag line “Look Good, Do Good” is about as accurate and telling as any marketing copy devised by Madison Avenue.

In the spirit of giving, Reese handpicked the “Wacky Wednesday” cart at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, KY, to be the beneficiary of a portion of his company's sales.

Denise Taylor, who created the cart in memory of her daughter who passed away from leukemia, simply gushes when asked about Reese.

“Jack’s deep desire to support the growth of Wacky Wednesday and his financial contributions have been incredibly moving and beneficial to our cause,” she said.

Taylor, who is motivational speaker, author and founder of We Get To, targets much of her efforts into motivating the young to do more good in the world. She realizes that young adults get a bad rap sometimes and that there are likely more people in the world like Reese, exemplifying selflessness and charity.

“Denise is a friend of my mom’s,” Reese said.

“Her daughter died of leukemia, and she always thought of it as ‘getting’ to do things, rather than having to do things—‘I get to give my daughter a hug’ or ‘I get to send my daughter to heaven.’ It’s a great outlook on life that I am trying to spread though Chocolate Lizard.

While he still sells some shirts by word of mouth, Reese is a charter member of the Potomac Village Farmer’s Market’s “Young Entrepreneur” program. From May through October, he can be found selling his tie-dyed creations alongside the booths filled with fresh vegetables, fruits, cheeses, and other locally produced goods.

Suzanne Hermes, who runs the program, is also a fan of Reese’s. “He is one the most dedicated vendors at the market. It takes a real commitment to work outside selling your product during the hot summer months, rain or shine.”

Hermes also mentioned that market customers love his entrepreneurial spirit and his shirts for their “youthful edge.”

When asked for his best piece of advice for other young entrepreneurs, Reese quickly mentioned money.

“First thing is, don’t worry about the money—it will come with hard work,” he said. “Focus on getting your name out there, working on publicity and the quality of your product. The money will come from that.”

You can view Chocolate Lizard merchandise on Reese's website. To learn more about this young entrepreneur, visit the company’s Facebook page.