Name: Andrew Winbush
Name of car wash: Wash On The Go
Age: 15
How did you get involved with the Change Happens Rescue Youth program?
I started in the Change Happens program at the age of 8. The program has kept me busy during the school year and also in the summer. Since joining the program I have met CEOs, doctors, lawyers, Secret Service agents, educators and other successful Houstonians.
How did you receive the funding through the Change Happens entrepreneurial program?
Change Happens taught a group of us how to write a business plan and I paid close attention because I really wanted to start my own business. I submitted my plan and Irvin Ashford of Comerica Bank gave me the money to get it started. I was so excited because Irv believed in me. Even though I live in one of the roughest areas in Houston, he took a chance on me. He is now my mentor and it feels great to have a positive and successful role model in my life. Every week I provide him with my grades, which keeps me focused and motivated to not disappoint him or myself.
What made you decide on a mobile car wash?
I like washing cars! That is a business that is always going to be around because everyone drives a car and no one wants to drive a dirty car. So I will be right there to wash it. I am only 15, so I don’t have a driver’s license but I ride my bike or my mom will take me to wash the cars.
Do you think you would have chosen a different path if it wasn’t for the Rescue Youth program?
I live in [the] Third Ward, which is a pretty tough area in Houston. I am surrounded by a lot of crime and kids my age are focused on gangbanging and selling drugs, but that’s not my focus. With the mental and spiritual guidance of my mother, Change Happens founder Rev. Smith and my mentor Irvin Ashford Jr. with Comerica Bank, I know that I have a chance to be successful.
Where do you see yourself in the next 20 years?
In 20 years I see myself as a college graduate and CEO of my own enterprise. I will continue my business while in college and I hope to hire staff to assist me. Eventually, I may sell it to one of my bigger competitors like Mister Carwash [laughs].
For more information, please visit:
