Hillary Yip is a 13-year-old CEO phenom that impresses everyone who has heard her speak. Her iOS app, MinorMynas, already has over 40,000 downloads from more than 50 countries. Hillary’s app aims to revolutionize how children learn languages by providing an engaging online platform.

Hillary Yip, Founder, and CEO of MinorMynas, recently was interviewed by the South China Morning Post:

MinorMynas App Has 40,000 Downloads

I’m Hilary Yip, I’m 13 years old and I’m working on a startup called MinorMynas which hopes to connect the world through kids. We’re an online kids community where we can have kids from all over the world on our platform talk to each other on different topics that interest them. If they want to learn a new language they have access to native speakers worldwide so they can chat in a fully immersive environment. Right now we’ve got more than 40,000 downloads from more than 50 countries.

As a 13-Year-Old, Do You Get Nervous Presenting?

Let’s put it this way if you get me debating or talking about MinorMynas or presenting you will never see a hint of any nerves but you get me to sing and I’ll have knock-kneed and I’ll probably puke as I go on. When I first presented the idea of MinorMynas I have very fond memories. I remembered that the whole build-up period was extremely exciting. I was working my mom at home and my teachers at school back then were very supportive.

It was just so exciting because it was my first time doing it properly. The idea is that education is transformative and will change our world. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this but I’m very into politics. I think that being a politician is not the best way to change our world, but doing education is.

Connecting Kids Can Have a Profound Effect

I think it was a couple of days after my final pitch for at an event when I was younger. I was going to a meeting with someone who said that you know what this could work. During a meeting, he told me the life cycle of a start-up from seed round to IPO, kind of very far ahead. He walked me through the entire process and told me that failure is almost inevitable but it’s something worth doing.

That led me afterward to think is this something that I really want to do?

When I realized that learning something new, connecting kids was something that can have a profound effect on society, I was like, “like let’s do it.”

Young Female Entrepreneurs: Be Your Own Person

My role model is Michelle Obama because I think she’s a very inspirational figure. I think that is admirable that in the past when she was younger that she left a high paying job to go and work for the community and to make an impact in the place where she lives. (If she met her) I would say to her that today is an exciting time where girls like myself and many others are working to make the world a better place. I would love to meet her if I could.

I would say to any young female entrepreneurs that you are your own person. There’s no need to be swayed by extra influences because there will always be people who belittle you and tell you that you can’t. The most important thing is to move on from those criticisms. If they’re of any use take them into consideration. If not, just ignore it and move on and do what you want to do most.