economy
41-year-old high school teacher's side hustle brings in $3.8 million a year—he shares 'every high and every low' with students
Kevin Corey, a high school business teacher in New York, shares real-life lessons with students — including from Stall Mates, his own flushable wipes brand.
TL;DR
- Kevin Corey, a high school business teacher, co-founded Stall Mates, a flushable wipes brand that earned over $3.8 million in 2025 revenue.
- Corey uses his business's real-world experiences, including challenges like tariff situations and product launch failures, as teaching moments for his students.
- Stall Mates, launched in 2013 with a $14,000 seed investment, now sells approximately 250,000 units annually, mainly via Amazon and other online retailers.
- The business has been profitable since 2015, with co-founders taking $100,000 annual salaries.
- Corey spends about 20 hours per week on Stall Mates and 40 hours teaching, sharing most business details with students except for line-item costs.
- A key lesson Corey emphasizes is that failure is a step forward and a learning opportunity applicable to all aspects of life.