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Published: June, 2009

The Inland Empire's best and brightest

Jason O’Neill
Junior entrepreneur
Grade: 7
Rancho Community Christian School, Temecula

Move over, Bill Gates and Donald Trump. Jason O’Neill is on your heels. The 13-year-old 7th grader at Rancho Community Christian School has already been named to the Forbes.com list of Top 10 Role Models Age 18 and Under. He joins Miley Cyrus and Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson on that list.
   
At the tender age of 9, Jason started his own company, Pencil Bugs. His product: handmade bug-like pencil toppers that come in eight different colors. The marketing strategy: Each “bug” comes with its own certificate of authenticity that notes its birth date and given name, as well as care and training instructions.
   
Like any good businessman, Jason expanded his product line to include matching bookmarks and T-shirts. Pencil Bugs has an online store at Café Press, and this year, Jason launched his own line of Pencil Bugs greeting cards.
   
At age 11, Jason has the distinction of being named the youngest to receive the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Young Entrepreneurs of America. Since he started his business, he’s been donating to help kids in foster care and hospitals. He has a program with Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, where he delivers gift bags to the kids.