A Pennsylvania father decided to give his daughter a gift that will keep on giving. Instead of toys, video games, or clothes, Reco Oxendine gifted his daughter a vending machine.
“I want her to be a boss,” the 28-year old father told Atlanta Black Star. “I want her to understand (the) value of being a business owner at a young age. So, when it comes to her growing up… and she has to make decisions about how she can earn money, she knows that a job isn’t the only way.”
Oxendine wants to educate his 10-year-old daughter on business, saving, and wealth-generation. He also wants to expand these lessons to other children, which is the mission behind his new venture Next Uplifted, a platform that teaches financial literacy to children through applied skills.
“I looked around
my community, and I saw where we stand as black people in regards to wealth,” said Oxendine. “I saw that, and I was trying to find a way that I can personally affect my community. So I decided to teach financial literacy to kids, and I’ve just been studying ideas on how to create wealth.Oxendine’s entrepreneurial exploits with his daughter started back in 2016 when they
started a candy business in the community called “Candy Lovers” with other children. They would go to barbershops, beauty salons, and sporting events, selling candy. They would also go door-to-door throughout the community.“She was making executive decisions from day one, saying she could run it better than me,” Oxendine, 28, told Atlanta Black Star. “It just put her in a business mindset.”
Oxendine’s daughter was very
excited to receive the vending machine as a gift. Vending machines can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 depending on the features, according to DiscountVending.com.“When we were selling candy in the local salons and barbershops, I built trust with the people who worked there,” Oxendine explained. “So, when it came time to actually sell them on our vending machine [idea], it was an easy conversation.”