Hi, I’m Jon, and I’m a San Diego entrepreneur. I am currently on my seventh business, which I co-founded with my daughters. It’s called My Lil Startup, and It’s a business in a box for kids aged 6 to 12 that teaches them entrepreneurship. We’ll have dozens of boxes, the first of which is a slime business in a box that is launching next month on Kickstarter. I moved to San Diego 25 years ago for college. I attended Point Loma Nazarene University. I dropped out when the first company started to take off. My businesses have ranged from bootstrapped to venture-funded. I’ve raised around 100 million in venture funding, employed hundreds of people, had business failures and successes, and it was all done here in beautiful San Diego.
About Jon Carder
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My parents live in Orange County And they’ve been married for over over 60 years. I have three sisters, and two lovely daughters. In other words, I am surrounded by women ????
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
My entrepreneur journey began when I was 12, I had a hotdog stand at the end of my parents driveway that got shut down by the police because I didn’t have a food permit. I love building companies, I love the creative. My favorite business is my current business, My Lil Startup Because it’s helping kids through a formative phase in their life to understand they can follow their passion as their career. I also love it because it’s the first business I get to work on with my daughters.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Find out what’s in your genius zone, meaning what you’re really good at and you love, and work on that as much as possible because overtime you will get so good at it that you will earn a good living and more importantly you’ll love what you do every day.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I would hope that My Lil Startup Is inspiring millions of kidpreneurs every year, And that my daughters have been inspired to follow passions.
Jon Carder & Our Community
Q: What are a few of your favorite restaurants in our community?
I love Azuki, Flamin’ Pho and Sushi, Anime, Burger Lounge, Coasterra, Agave, and so many more. I probably eat out at San Diego restaurants 3 to 4 times a week 🙂
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
27 years
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
I’ve been a member of the entrepreneurs organization of San Diego for 25 years, And in that group I have met so many interesting interesting people that are changing our local community for the better and the world in general with their creative business ventures, impossible to pick a favorite
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Alfredo’s pizza, because I used to deliver for them when I went to Point Loma Nazarene University
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
It has everything you need to live the best lifestyle. Perfect weather, surfing, lots of parks and beautiful hikes, an amazing downtown with some incredible restaurants and nightlife, the bays, the beach communities, Mexico a short drive away. There’s a flourishing Startup ecosystem. In other words, it’s paradise.
Q: If you could choose anyone alive today and not a relative, with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would you meet for this lunch?
Elon Musk, Pacific Coast Grill, so we could watch the waves while we eat.
For Fun
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I recently watched The Gentleman series on Netflix have a very entertaining.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I’ve had a lot of near death experiences, once surfing a 35 foot wave, once running into a great white shark off the coast of South Africa, a bad dirt bike accident, and several other times which makes me thankful to be here still.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Life – when you take a minute to think about the vastness of the universe and the endless possibilities we are presented with in life, it’s a 10 out of 10.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Elon Musk inspires me on the entrepreneur side. I’m inspired by Eckhart Tolle on the spiritual side.
Q: What community organizations and/or local nonprofits do you admire/support?
Entrepreneurs organization of San Diego, it’s changed my life.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Do you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.
Q: What Neighborhood do you live in?
Bankers Hill
What I love about my Neighborhood:
Close to food, downtown and the airport, and it’s a very chill neighborhood.
Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend:
Out with friends on Friday night, waking up and surfing on Saturday doing a little creative work Saturday afternoon, all day Sunday with my daughters. Friends, me time, family time.
Q: Finally, what three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Love, family, comfort
