By Ariana Pedraza
At age 17, most kids are seniors in high school worrying about grades, exams and the next Friday night football game. De’Undre Lee, a local Newsome High School senior, does all that while running his own vending machine business.
Inspiration for his business, Mo’ Munchies, struck while playing video games one night with his friends. Running a vending machine business in-game got him thinking, “If this is so much fun in a game, what would it be like in real life?” He did some research and, after that, there was no stopping him.
First creating and organizing lists of businesses, Lee set out to make his idea a reality. He first took those lists of possible businesses and reached out to them, eventually scoring the opportunity to place his first machine at a real estate office through the help of his mother.
“There is not a decision made or an email sent that she doesn’t help me with, and I am so grateful to God for her,” he said.
Lee was given the opportunity to place a vending machine at his school, Joe E. Newsome High School, and has since expanded, having a total of six machines. He plans to continue expanding, and maybe even bring on some employees to help as he grows.
Lee’s mom, Lolita, proudly expressed, “Dre has an unrelenting spirit, he works hard and is so full of new ideas and venues concerning multiple strains of income. He’s way ahead of the curve as an entrepreneur and we can’t wait to see what he has in store in his future.”
While Lee is very focused on his business, he does still allow himself time to just be a teenager. When he is not sending emails and planning for his business, Lee enjoys running and playing basketball as well as reading and spending time outdoors. He also likes researching topics that interest him for fun. His goals include being a better person in all aspects of his life and wanting to possibly achieve a business degree.
For more information, email mo.munchiesvending@gmail.com or find the business on Facebook and Instagram under ‘Mo’ Munchies Vending.’
