Teen CEO Builds Stock Market Trading Company

ORLAND PARK, IL — Mike D'Antonio is still a few months away from college himself but already owns a university. The 17-year-old Mount Carmel High School senior says it has been more than two years of success at StockedUp, described on its website as "a rapidly growing stock market education and algorithmic trading company."

D'Antonio is the founder and CEO of StockedUp, a company he created at age 15 after taking a deep dive into the stock market first as an eighth grader at Century Junior High School in Orland Park.

"I didn't go to parties," D'Antonio said. "Researching the stock market. That's what I've done every day for four years."

D'Antonio said he's always been "obsessed with entrepreneurship and ways to make money," and became "hungry for the opportunity" to start making money for himself at a young age.

That's when he began looking into the stock market.

"I noticed that people with a lot of money are usually connected with the stock market," he said. "Many of the people you see making a lot of money on YouTube., they are traders or they own stocks."

"So every day I would research stocks. Find out what makes them go up, what makes them go down and what factors would make them a good buy."

The first stock D'Antonio bought was Apple while he was still in eighth grade. He quickly found success in the stock market and began offering tips to others on social media.

"I created a Facebook group where I'd give stock tips, and all of a sudden people started following my advice," he said. "Then I started making YouTube videos of my strategies."

"The stock game is not easy and not for everyone, but it can be learned. You don't have to be a mathematical genius our have a ton of money to start. Some of my friends who are juniors in high school are making money off what I've been doing."

To have the time to create a company that would teach people not as well-versed in the stock market how to trade and offer coded trading algorithms, D'Antonio had to give up the activity that originally brought him to Mount Carmel all the way from Orland Park: football.

He played for the Caravan his freshman year and attended camp before his sophomore season, but didn't play that year. He ended his football career in order to focus of incorporating StockedUp as an official company.

"My dad played football, and I went to Carmel to play football so to stop playing was a big deal," D'Antonio said. "But once I made that decision, that's the one moment where I knew I was all-in."

"I had to capitalize on this and be different."

At StockedUp, D'Anotnio manages six part-time employees and one full-time manager and looks to grow the business even more as he continues his education in artificial intelligence in college.

StockedUp offers two aspects: algorithms/trading and education.

"I write formulas and find the best places to buy and sell any stocks," D'Antonio said. "And the second aspect is education. People can take a course, fully online and one that teaches everything you need to know about the stock market in 2 hours."

He said it's a "go-at-your-own pace" course offered for $250. There's also an options course available for $350, but that's generally more for people who already have at least a basic background in the stock market.

"Generally people will start with stocks and then shift into options," D'Antonio said.

The nature of the business could grow still as D'Antonio continues to develop in the stock world. He'll further his career by enrolling in college, and is strongly considering attending the University of Texas because of their artificial intelligence program.

"All my algorithms are limited to my ability to program them," he said. "Everything here is my programming, my formulas.... But artificial intelligence is when you teach a computer to think for itself. If I have a computer that can teach itself it will take the business to another level."

Meaning his job title won't change even as this still yet-to-be high school grad completes college. He "1 million percent" wants to keep expanding StockedUp.

"I want to enhance the company through education," he said.

He's already done quite a bit of business enhancement even as he remains an AP student whose involved with several clubs at Mount Carmel and drives a full hour to school and another hour back home every day.

"It's extremely hard... but the big thing is efficiency," he said. "Every minute counts. If we have an extra 15 minutes in school, I'll be on the phone with clients from work to maximize the time."

"Taking advantage of every minute you have is essential."