The first batch came together in a home kitchen, where the aroma of simmering strawberries swung through the air. Jars cooled on the counter as a 10-year-old Joshua Friedlander watched closely, pondering what flavor to make next.
Years later, that same kitchen is still at the heart of Friedlander’s work, but the scale has changed.
“Ever since I was young, before I could even reach the countertop without a stepstool, I’ve been fascinated with cooking,” Friedlander, a 16-year-old sophomore at Solon High School, told the Cleveland Jewish News.
Friedlander is the founder of Jam by Josh, a business he started at age 10 that now sells products in about 75 grocery stores across Ohio and beyond. A young entrepreneur, he shared that, for those who know him, taking a large business venture at his age was not a surprise.
Jam by Josh
“One thing about me is that, whenever I do anything, I always have to do it in a huge way,” Friedlander said.
But his business didn’t start out as what it is today. His interest in cooking began at an early age, as did his love for entrepreneurship. That passion expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic when Friedlander yearned for ways to connect with others.
“When COVID started, I was trying to think of ways that I could bring people together through food,” he said. “I saw that as a perfect opportunity to finally start my cooking classes.”
He launched virtual sessions called Cooking Classes for Kids by Kids on Zoom, drawing hundreds of participants from across the United States as well as Canada and Europe over a two-year span.
Around the same time, Friedlander took up gardening, building a large backyard plot with his grandfather. The harvest quickly outpaced what his family could use.
“With the help of my grandpa, we built this huge garden that takes up almost my entire backyard,” Friedlander said. “I was growing more produce than we could eat ourselves, so I tried to sell some of it and gave some of it away. With the rest, as opposed to just freezing it, I thought it would be cool to try to combine my two hobbies of cooking and gardening and to teach myself how to can the vegetables that I grew.”
After mastering canning, Friedlander decided to take on a new challenge – learning how to make jams. He began experimenting with the process, trying different flavors and sharing with his friends and family.
It wasn’t until his grandmother recommended that he sell the jams that he decided to turn his covid hobby into a full-fledged business because, as Friedlander put it, “when your grandma approves the jam, you know it’s good.”
“I started selling at farmers markets when I was in sixth grade,” he said. “That first market, I made around $500. Being 11, I thought I was rich, but it also made me realize that I have a product that people actually want, so I kept doing those markets.”
By the time he reached eighth grade, Friedlander got certified by the health department, started working out of a small kitchen and filed for his LLC. Following the launch of his website, jambyjoshcle.com, Friedlander said his growth took off rapidly.
“Now, I ship to every state in the continental U.S.,” he said. “And in January of 2025, I got into my first grocery store. Since then, I’m now in about 75 stores.”
An upcoming expansion into Heinen’s Grocery Store this summer is expected to bring that number close to 100, he said.
Friedlander’s jams come in five flavors – blueberry, strawberry, peach, mango and berry medley – and retail for $8.99 per jar. He said the recipes use four all-natural ingredients and about half the sugar of traditional jams.
“They actually taste like fresh fruit as opposed to sugar,” he said.
The business has grown with support from family and local organizations, including the Young Entrepreneurs Institute, which provides resources and funding for student ventures. Friedlander said his parents and grandparents have also played key roles, from transportation to help in the kitchen.
Beyond business, Friedlander has begun sharing his story publicly. In February, he spoke to about 5,000 attendees at the BBYO International Convention in Philadelphia. During the talk, he addressed both entrepreneurship and a personal challenge – one that he was not ashamed to hide.
“I have a stutter, so one of the things I spoke about was, despite the difference with my stutter, one thing that I’ve never let it do is stop me from following my dreams,” he said.
Friedlander, a congregant of Park Synagogue in Pepper Pike who celebrated his bar mitzvah in August 2023, said that by sharing his successes, as well as his struggles, he is hoping to inspire other teens to do the same.
“The biggest change for me was when I decided that I was going to stop letting my insecurities make my decisions for me,” he said.
To purchase jam, locate a nearby store or learn more about Friedlander’s business, visit jambyjoshcle.com.
Dining and Cooking