A 10-year-old in Texas is running his own 3D printing business out of his bedroom – and saving up to buy his mom a house.
Ernesto Gael Hernandez, from Brownsville, told his mother he wanted to make money with 3D printing. She didn’t buy him the printer. She told him to earn it.
“My mom said that I could save up my chore money and buy my own 3D printer with my money,” Ernesto told KRGV.
He saved $500. He bought the printer. He named the business Prestige 3D Labs.
Three months later, the fifth-grader has three printers running at once and around $1,500 in profit. He designs and prints keychains, whistles, can openers and fidget toys aimed at people with anxiety, ADHD and stress. A local Brownsville clothing store called Jungle now stocks his work.
“I would wake up early and set something to print while I’m at school or after school,” Ernesto said.
He taught himself custom design from YouTube tutorials. He runs production around football practice. He gets up early.
His mom, Samantha Quezada, said the business has become a family project.
“It’s a handful, but honestly I enjoy that we get to do it together. So it is part of our quality time. We’ll usually go to the farmer’s market,” she said. “As tiring as it may be, sometimes it’s a little bit stressful. Time management is hard. I would go for it. It’s been one thing that we enjoy doing. We get to do it together and it keeps him on the right path.”
Ernesto’s plan goes well beyond keychains.
“I just like doing it because I want to invest in a house for my mom and me when I grow older,” he said.
