Shem Abel
The Nitro Forge
Glen Allen,VA
6
years of professional experience
18 year old high school student, business owner, and leader who built a nationally recognized poultry breeding company from scratch. I treat every sale as something to learn from, adjust my approach to fit the customer in front of me, and build relationships that outlast the transaction.
Work History
Founder
1 Year 8 Months- Build and run a Shopify storefront end to end — product pages, branding, payments, and blog
- Designed an original clothing brand from concept to finished product, handling the design work and sourcing myself
- Secured a wholesale account with Vivid Racing and a salvage license, opening aftermarket auto parts as a potential revenue line
- Run all social media sites
- Handle every side of the business solo: pricing, customer questions, orders, and shipping
Volunteer
- Helped run a Barnes & Noble pop-up bookstore at the Milken Institute Global Conference, a multi-day event for global business and policy leaders
- Sold books on the floor to conference attendees, recommending titles based on each person's industry and role
- Moved and shelved over 1,000 pounds of inventory during setup, then handled full breakdown and packing at close
- Supported author book signings, managing lines and assisting authors during events
- Worked directly with high-profile attendees and speakers, including former heads of state
Intern
- Researched emerging trends in the fitness industry and pitched findings directly to the CEO and COO, including recommended changes to the company's strategy
- Interviewed every department head at the company to understand how each function operated and where the business was headed
- Studied partnership strategy in a session arranged by the CEO with the founder of GoWOD, covering how lasting business partnerships are built and sustained
- Maintain the relationships built during the internship, staying in contact with the HWPO team past the end of the internship
Founder
3 Years 5 Months- Founded and operated a nationally recognized poultry breeding company, growing it from a personal project into a registered LLC over three years
- Built and ran an e-commerce platform selling fertilized eggs and live chicks nationwide, shipping to customers in all regions including Alaska
- Sold exotic poultry face to face at over 50 livestock events across the East Coast, handling pricing, negotiation, and customer education on site
- Taught poultry and agribusiness sessions at a local prep school and donated stock to area schools and 4-H programs
- Grew a social media following of several thousand and built standing partnerships with nationally recognized champion breeders
- Sold the business in 2023 as a going enterprise, including livestock, brand, and customer base
Education
High School Diploma
- Weighted GPA: 4.65 | National Honor Society | Honor Roll, 2024–2026 | Impact Scholarship recipient
- AP coursework: World History (5), US History (5), Computer Science Principles (4), English Language and Composition (4), Calculus AB (4)
- Student Government: Elected Student Body President (2024), Vice President (2025, 2026), and Class Officer (2027)
- Automotive Club President and School Ambassador, 2024–2027
- Leadership Capstone — The Future of AI: Designed and delivered a seminar series for students and faculty on how artificial intelligence is reshaping society
- Selected for the school's Leadership and Entrepreneurship programs
University Credit Courses
- Stanford University High School Summer College — completed three university-credit courses, GPA 3.89
- Romanticizing the Room: Public speaking and persuasion, including a unit on commanding a sales room
- Minds & Machines: Psychology and computer science as they converge in artificial intelligence
- Introduction to Decision Analysis: Quantitative frameworks for structuring decisions and evaluating outcomes under uncertainty
Skills
Direct sales and negotiation
Customer relationship management
E-commerce operations (Shopify)
Social media marketing
Public speaking and presentation
Business development and partnerships
Market research and trend analysis
Team leadership
Timeline
Volunteer
Barnes & Noble
05.2026 - 05.2026Read More
Intern
HWPO
03.2025 - 03.2025Read More
Founder
The Nitro Forge
02.2025 - CurrentRead More
Founder
The One Egg LLC
05.2020 - 10.2023Read More
Steward School
High School Diploma
Read More
Stanford University
University Credit Courses
Read More
Languages
Spanish
Limited Working
English
Native or Bilingual
Interests
Endurance athletics — currently training for an Ironman triathlon
after more than ten years of training in CrossFit
Web development and design
Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Sales and marketing