Manitoba high school students showcase their innovative business ideas at trade fair

After months of preparation, high school students from across the province were at St. Vital Centre to showcase and present their innovative business ideas.

“It brought to light was business was all about because I thought business was all frowns and stuff, and it made me realize that business is also fun,” explained Fifi Okunowo, with Team Inkspire of the JA Company Program. “It prepares us for if we actually want to start a business for when we grow up.”

The students were divided into 11 teams and tasked with building fully functional businesses, and for the past 20 weeks have worked with teachers and industry mentors to gain hands-on experience through numerous workshops.

“Everything that you would do with an actual business these students are doing as part of the program,” said Jeanette Bergmann, a company program manager with JA Manitoba.

From creating the product, to selling shares to source it, to setting up Shopify and social media pages to promote; these young entrepreneurs have gained “real-world” experience of what goes into running a business.

“Anybody can go out and make some money. All you need is an idea and the work and the commitment to do it and you can start a business,” said Dylan Zurba, with Team Frost & Poplar Fragrances of the JA Company Program.

Sewa Akin-Aina, with Team Gleam Cups of the JA Company Program adds, “You literally get to go through the decision-making process, you get to go through the market validation, you get to do the research, you get to know, you get to interact with people so yes this is everything.”

For a group of young entrepreneurs from J.H. Bruns Collegiate, their idea of “Maniquest” came from brainstorming fun ways to learn about Manitoba’s history, as many of them just moved to the province within the last couple of years.

“It’s to help students with history, science and social studies and also help people who are new to Manitoba learn more about Manitoba,” said Okunowo.

There was a wide variety of products at the trade fair, including a team from Windsor Park Collegiate’s “Gleam Cups” and Springfield Collegiate Institutes “Frost and Poplar Fragrances.”

“You get to handle losses or celebrate the wins, the excitement the adrenaline and everything,” said Akin-Aina.

Zurba adds, “It’s not like I’m breaking the bank but for a 17-year-old to be out making his own money, I really appreciate that opportunity.”

Junior Achievement of Manitoba has business education programs that reach over 16,000 students annually with 221 participating in this specific program. A second trade fair will be held on March 29^th at Kildonan Place.