Caleb Hunter, 14, operates a drone photography business in Moultrie, but his participation in a program with the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce helped get the company off the ground.

MOULTRIE, Ga. – Fourteen-year-old Caleb Hunter has loved business and entrepreneurship for as long as he can remember. Now, thanks to a program of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, the Moultrie native has his own company.

“I’ve always been interested in it,” said Hunter. “And it’s funny because even when I was just 5, my mom would watch ‘Shark Tank’ and I would ask ‘What are their jobs, Mom?’ and she’d say ‘They’re investors,’ and I’d say ‘I want to be an investor.’”

Hunter is the chief executive officer of Estate Xposures, a business that delivers printed and framed photographs of business real estate using drone technology, and now delivers USB files to his clients as well.

“Right now, I’m working on photos of Colquitt Regional Medical Center, but I’ve also delivered photos for TKO Nissan in Valdosta and Lauri Jo’s, which is unfortunately closed down now,” said Hunter. “I’m also working on photos with BMA Martial Arts.”

Estate Xposures is the brainchild of Hunter that came to fruition with help from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy during the 2018-19 school year.

YEA is a 26-week after-school program sponsored by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber that teaches children from grades 6 to 12 how to start and operate their own businesses. According to Hunter, the students had to write a short essay in order to be considered for the program and once admitted, the students are given a chance to learn and grow with the eventual possibility of getting their business idea funded.

“Once you’ve made it that far, then it’s the fun part. You get to market your business with fliers, a logo and a website. And you get to go on super cool field trips to businesses around Valdosta,” said Hunter.

Some of these trips included a behind the scenes look at Chick-fil-A and Home Depot. The winner of the local program would earn a trip to Rochester, N.Y., to compete on a national and international scale. Hunter’s mother Kelly had no doubt in her mind that her son would win.

“Caleb is the most dedicated and driven 14-year-old that I know,” she said. “He excels in everything that he does. We own our business, so he’s been submerged in this since he was little.”

Hunter assists his parents with their businesses as well: TLH Incorporated, a contracting agency in the Moultrie area, and Hunter Outdoor Connections, which sells portable storage buildings, trailers and boats.

“He’s doing some marketing for us, so he’s expanding what he has learned from the class. I knew he would do great,” she said. “It’s been a year now, and he’s still trucking on.”

When asked if he had any words of advice for young entrepreneurs, Caleb answered with grace.

“Don’t be afraid to try,” said Hunter, “There’s a lot of learning and education; it’s more like learning from people who have been there, done that. You need to learn from those people and build on that.”