Ava Dorsey | Founder of Ava's Pet Palace
Ava Dorsey, founder of Ava’s Pet Palace, shares how a business plan drawn at age six turned into a real pet brand—selling homemade treats, landing in big-box retail, winning Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and balancing school with building a fast-growing pet business alongside her mom.
We chatted with Ava Dorsey, the founder of Ava’s Pet Palace.
In this conversation, Ava shares how her love for animals turned into a real business at a young age, what it was like starting Ava’s Pet Palace from her family kitchen, lessons from early craft shows and TV appearances, and how she balances school, life, and entrepreneurship while continuing to grow her brand.
Some say entrepreneurs are born not made. If that's true, you are the epitome of the saying. You drew your first business plan at 6 years old—what did you write and what was the business?
So my first business plan was this palace-type building. It had an animal shelter, a vet, an animal restaurant, an animal daycare, and basically everything for animals. I knew that I wanted to do something good for our animals. I’ve loved them for as long as I can remember.

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