At eight, Penn stitched ribbon headbands for friends, turning scraps into a startup after her mother gave a $200 budget that she recalled in a 2013 interview.
Her father, John Penn, an entrepreneur who earned NASA and Air Force honors for solar energy projects, taught her to question conventional fabrics and pushed her to research dyes and recycled materials.
The online shop 'Maya's Ideas' now sells handcrafted accessories and clothing made from recycled fabrics and organic cotton, and is slated to gross $55,000 in 2013 sales.
Penn earmarks 10% of profits for Atlanta charities; the 2013 interview cites $4,000 already donated to local food banks, underscoring her commitment to community.