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Summer 2026 Recap

Young Boss Market Day 2026: How 11 Kid Entrepreneurs Took Over Woodbridge Mall

Published August 3, 2026 · Young Founder Co.

On a Friday afternoon at Woodbridge Mall, in front of Care Optical, eleven kids set up shop. Not a lemonade stand for fun — a real market stall, with a product they'd made themselves, a price they'd set themselves, and real customers deciding whether to hand over real money.

That was Young Boss Market Day, the closing event of Young Founder Co.'s four-week summer programme, and it's the moment every camper had been building toward since the first worksheet on day one.

From Idea to Inventory

Every kid at Young Founder Co. spent the summer doing the unglamorous, essential parts of running a business: choosing a product, figuring out what it would cost to make, deciding what to charge, and producing enough inventory to actually sell. No shortcuts — the worksheet always came before any outside input, so kids were making their own calls before anyone else weighed in.

By Market Day, every camper had a stand, a stack of product, and a price tag they'd defended out loud. Together, the group sold hundreds worth of goods to real customers — money that belongs entirely to the kids who earned it.

Giving Back, On Purpose

Part of Market Day was never just about profit. This year's camp partnered with 360°kids, a York Region youth charity, and the group came together to contribute $300 in cash plus a $200 Care Optical gift card — a small but real lesson in what a business can do beyond its own bottom line.

Thank You to the Businesses Who Showed Up

None of this happens without a community willing to back a bunch of nine-year-olds trying something hard. A heartfelt thank you to:

• TD, whose support helped make the whole event possible
• Code Ninjas Woodbridge, for believing in what these kids were building
• Playtropolis, for showing up for the next generation of entrepreneurs
• Fortinos, for their generosity
• Akita Sushi, for fuelling the day
• Care Optical, for hosting Market Day right at their doorstep

And to the five junior counsellors who spent the summer mentoring campers one stand at a time — this event doesn't run without you either.

In the Spotlight

Young Boss Market Day also caught the attention of local media. YorkRegion.com covered the story of a market fully operated by kid entrepreneurs — you can read the full article here. A video feature from YMedia is also on the way — stay tuned.

What's Next

Summer 2026 is in the books, but Young Founder Co. is already building toward 2027 — a bigger stage, the same real-world stakes, and the same simple idea: kids don't need to wait until they're adults to learn how business actually works. They just need someone to hand them the tools and get out of the way.