Student-organized Children’s Business Fair offers learning and business opportunities

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On Oct. 12, the student-founded nonprofit KidzRule held the second-annual Santa Clara Children’s Business Fair. The event, held in Santa Clara’s Live Oak Park, was co-founded last year by Harker sixth grader Mikhil Kiran. The organizers worked closely with the city of Santa Clara to put on the fair, and Kiran had several key responsibilities, including raising funds, getting plans approved by the city council and marketing the event.

Several businesses started by Harker students were present at the fair, including third grader Ayza Tahirzad and fifth grader Bazigh Tahirzad’s Pet Rocks; seventh grader Avayna Glass’ Kissify Soaps; fifth graders Risa Chokhawala and Trisha Shivakumar’s Books and Bottlecaps; and C3 Custom Card Cases, founded by sixth graders Ruhan Arora and Alejandro Cheline, and fifth grader Ian Cheline. In total, 99 young entrepreneurs were showcased at the fair.

Attendees spent their time visiting booths and listening to the businesses pitch their products. Some of the businesses sold all of their available inventory. A custom greeting card business received a large corporate order and another was given an opportunity to market therapeutic pillows through a local physical therapy business.

Several prizes were awarded to the business at the fair, and C3 Custom Card Cases took first place in Best Salesmanship in the ages 10-12 category. Businesses were judged by a panel that included Harker DECA members Alivia Li, grade 10; Lisa Barooah, Bryan Zhang, Elaine Zhai, all grade 11; and seniors Mahi Kolla and Christine Tang, led by business and entrepreneurship teacher Juston Glass.

Santa Clara city councilmember Kathy Watanabe was a guest speaker at the event, and expressed her appreciation for the organizers’ hard work and the important learning opportunities the fair offered. “I was so impressed by the product creativity, marketing but most importantly how some entrepreneurs used this as a way to give back to communities in need,” she said.

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