Finn Riordan

Finn Riordan
Meet Finn Riordan ’29, a Nichols School freshman who isn’t waiting for graduation to start his career. From composing original music to co-founding his own hot sauce company, Scorch, Finn’s journey is a testament to the power of student ambition and a supportive school community.

Meet Finn Riordan, Who’s Already Onto the Next Thing

It started in first grade with a tiny, cheap keyboard at his old house. Finn Riordan ‘29 would sit there, messing around with the pre-loaded songs, eventually realizing he didn’t just want to play music, he wanted to write his own. Now, he’s composing full sonatas and teaching himself guitar between classes.

That same "let’s see if I can do this" energy led to something unexpected: a hot sauce project that started in a middle schooler’s kitchen. Along with his friend and business partner, Joe Goodley, Finn turned a shared love for spice into a professional operation with five flavors.

Most fourteen-year-olds with a business idea might get a "that’s nice" from their teachers. At Nichols, Finn got a sit-down with administration.

"I remember my first meeting about getting our sauce into the cafeteria," Finn laughs. "It was in the lunchroom with Mr. Wickman, Mr. Burner, and Mr. Dolan. I told them the idea, and they didn't just say 'cool,” they asked how they could help us get the right certifications so we wouldn't poison anyone.”

Just last week, the duo's ambition became a reality as Scorch debuted three flavors of their sauce in the SAGE dining halls on Nichols’ campus: the flagship Classic Heat, the flames of Graveyard Ghost, and the sweet-with-heat Blue Screamer. They’ve been a huge hit with fellow students, faculty, and staff throughout the dining periods.

What stands out to Finn is how rarely the answer is simply “no.” Whether it’s Ms. Morrow giving him feedback on a new musical composition or his math teachers explaining markup and tax units that he actually applies to his company's bottom line, his ideas aren’t separate from his Nichols experience, they’re part of it.

Despite the early success of Scorch, Finn isn’t planning on being the "hot sauce guy" forever. He’s already looking at the "big figures" like Mark Cuban and Elon Musk, entrepreneurs who built careers by moving from one idea to the next.

"I don't necessarily want to do Scorch for years and years,” he says. “My ultimate goal is to own a hotel franchise: the Riordan Hospitality Group." He’s even thought through how it might work: buy old motels, renovate them into boutique properties, build equity, and eventually play in the big leagues with names like Marriott.

When you ask Finn why he chose Nichols over a local public school, he doesn't talk about rankings. He talks about having the freedom to choose his own adventure.

"Nichols prepares you for life, not just what they want you to be," he says. "They give you the space to be independent, but they won't let you slide under the table if you’re struggling. It’s a community that actually wants to see your weirdest, most ambitious ideas work."

So, next time you’re in the cafeteria and reach for a bottle of Scorch, just remember: there’s a good chance it was made by someone who just came from orchestra, and is already thinking about what to build next.