Marvin Lenzy, 15 – Operational Business
Extreme Kleen
Suitland, Maryland

"My teacher told me how acting out in class would get me nowhere in life, and that performing in front of judges who are CEOs, venture capitalists and college presidents is more important than showing off in class!"

Marvin Lenzy’s Extreme Kleen provides auto detailing services for cars, classic cars, motorcycles, limousines, trucks, and vans. Marvin came to auto detailing from his relationship with his uncle. “I fell in love with what he does,” Marvin says. Marvin proved to be so good at it that his uncle trusted him to detail cars on his own, which became the basis for launching his business.

In the NFTE Entrepreneurship class at Suitland High School Marvin was exposed to writing a business plan. “I guess I really did not take it seriously, because I did not do my homework as I should,” he says. “I was cutting up in classes, not doing my school work and being disrespectful to adults in some classes.” His teacher, Mena Lofland, took him to task, spoke with his mother, and made Marvin “practice and practice and change my plan over and over,” he says.

Marvin went on to win his classroom competition and took first place in the NFTE Greater Washington competition in January. He was the youngest in the competition and the only student from his county. “I even got an offer to detail a boat in Annapolis—wow!” he says. “Now I am trying to be more serious about school because I cannot get college scholarships with a low average. I have to be a mature and responsible, educated NFTE youth entrepreneur.”