TORONTO — For Mira Chivinda, making pins is kind of her thing. She thinks it’s a fun way to show your own personality and taste in fashion. She tells us how she made her business pinned.
Other kids like Zariah De Villa tagged teamed with their siblings, much like a family-run business.
“My mom found out about Batapreneur, and she knows that me and my brother are very crafty so we decided to start making all this stuff,” said De Villa.
It’s not just arts and crafts at the fair at the B2B Children’s Business Fair called Batapreneur.
Some kids developed a mental health kit, some sold food and gave out samples to entice new customers, while some used recycled materials for their products.
Supported by the Philippine Consulate General of Toronto and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Trade, “Batapreneur” gave kids the opportunity to be entrepreneurs for a day in a marketplace setting. The cost is $25 to participate.
It was open to children in the Filipino community from ages 6 to 18.
Organizers say that they want to foster that entrepreneurial spirit and start them while they’re young.
Five awards were given out to the Most Creative, the Crowd Favourite; Most Profitable, Most Promising and Business of the Year.
But it’s not really just about the awards. Kids were also taught how to be environmentally friendly and socially responsible.
Founders of Batapreneur say that their mission isn’t just about the bottom line. Some kids say they will be donating a portion of the money they earned to a charity close to their heart.