For the first time in history, the Youth Business Academy hosted a Children’s Business Fair at Pierce College
For the Youth Business Academy, a spark of creativity marks the beginning of every great venture.
The Academy seeks to foster the business savvy traits that begin to appear at an early age by nurturing the innovative ideas of children between the ages of 6-16.
These ideas were showcased at the Children’s Business Fair, which took place at Pierce College on Saturday.
With 20 booths of young entrepreneurs selling things from pins to slime, the fair highlighted their fledgling ambitions. CEO of Youth Business Academy Marina Goncearenco said the Academy encourages business skills in children because, “It is an important skill to nurture.”
The goal, according to Goncearenco, is to expand the youth business program and help foster real world skills in children that they can begin to develop at a young age.
“We are trying to encourage the young generation to take charge at a young age and do something with their skills to earn money, to try to present their ideas and not be afraid to be creative,” Goncearenco said.
For some, their businesses are simply a hobby, encouraged by siblings and parents to help them grow their skills. For others, it is a means of reaching long term goals.
For sisters Alexa, 11, and Paula Gomez, 15, owners of Jewels, Jewels, Jewels, participating in the Children’s Business Fair is a stepping stone for their newest adventure.
“My sister and I are making necklaces because my dad and I want to start a restaurant and most of the money we make here, we are going to invest it into the restaurant,” Alexa Gomez said. “I just really like making jewelry. It’s fun for me and it entertains me.”
The sisters hope to further their business venture in jewelry with the possibility of establishing their business online.
For Aliyanna Geminiano, 9, Jewelband started after observing the supply and demand of Rainbow Loom jewelry. Rainbow Loom’s popularity began in the early to mid 2000s and is still used to craft jewelry today.
“When I was little I started seeing these everywhere, and I kept wondering why they were so popular,” Geminiano said. “So one day when I was about six, I began selling and I started liking it. I sell three times a year.”
Geminiano has taken the well known craft at the age of six and made it her own. With the combination of gems and ornaments added to make a unique bracelet for each individual.
For Mathew Garcia, 8, the internet has been a stepping stone for him to learn the ins and outs of his keychain business, Brothers, Keychains & More.
“I’m selling these keychains because I want to help my school, and so that I can get more knowledge in business,” Garcia said. “I started when I got the idea from YouTube and my favorite part is creating the designs.”
Garcia hopes to expand his business as he gets older and learn new creative skills along the way.
According to the Children’s Business Fair website, the event gave kids the “opportunity to make something with their own hands, sell it to a stranger safely and experience the freedom and responsibility of having a little extra spending money as a reward.”
Sponsored by Acton Academy, Moonabee Media Group and the Acton School of Business, the event was the first of its kind in Woodland Hills.