Young Entrepreneurs: Noa Mintz of Nannies by Noa

In August 2012, Noa Mintz started her own babysitting agency after realizing how difficult it was to find a babysitter who actually cared about the wellbeing of his or her charges and gave them the necessary amount of attention.

This perspective sounds like it comes from a seasoned parent – but surprisingly, this insight comes from a then-12-year-old girl. She was tired of spending time with caregivers who were more interested in texting than actually spending time with Mintz and her siblings. Over time, she realized that her family – and those throughout New York City – deserved better and took the matter into her own hands.

“For what you’re paying, your kids should be more stimulated. At seven, I would tell my mom, ‘You need to get more bang for your buck,’” Mintz told the New York Post. “It would drive me insane!”

Mintz and her family realized early on that her knack for finding the right fit between families and babysitters and nannies was more than just a helpful hobby. She started by helping find babysitters for her family before branching out to help other families in the area. Mintz started drumming up business at her weekly SoulCycle classes and through her dad’s business contacts before launching Nannies by Noa in 2012, servicing New York City and the Hamptons.

Mintz’s model for pairing up families with engaged caregivers starts with a rigorous screening process, including a background check, interviews, reference checks and more. Once the match has been made, Nannies by Noa continues to stay involved, offering ongoing training and support.

The New York Post did the math and suggests that Nannies by Noa is bringing in more than $300,000 in annual revenue – but now 16-year-old Mintz says she doesn’t take a salary. In fact, she recently hired a CEO, Allison Johnson, to run the company so she could focus on school.

Johnson says that although Mintz handed over the reigns, she’s still committed to the growth of the company, telling the Post, “We’re in touch every day -- phone and email. She’ll get back to me during study hall. She can’t shut off.”

Mintz has a lot to be proud of in just four years as a business owner – and she’s only just begun. She’s already provided jobs to 25 full-time nannies and 50 babysitters, according to People.com, and has made her nearly 200 clients focus on what really matters when looking for a caregiver for their children – one-on-one attention and engagement.

Mintz was recently ranked as one of Fortune’s 18 Under 18: Young Innovators Who Are Changing the World. At the end of the day, entrepreneurs like Mintz, regardless of their age, are finding problems to solve and filling a hole in the marketplace.

When asked what she thinks she’ll be doing in 20 years, Mintz says, “In a business that places a premium on customer service. I anticipate I will be working on a venture that was triggered by a problem and created from a solution — and that may be Nannies by Noa, which is only four years old.”