Sammamish Chamber equips youth with tools to become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs
A group of Sammamish teens spent their spring learning how to pitch business ideas, balance budgets, and sell products. Now, some of them are putting those lessons to work at the local farmer’s market.
The Emerging Entrepreneurship Program is part of a growing youth business education effort led by the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce. This year, the group partnered with the King County Library System to offer a series of business workshops for students. The program focus was on the practical side of launching a small business, from marketing to money management. The program wrapped up in May.
Priyanka Raha, founder of the technology education company PopSmartKids said, “This idea started as a stray conversation on how to teach the youth about entrepreneurship outside of the programs that we offer.”
Throughout the series, students heard from local entrepreneurs. Guest speakers included Claire Raphael, a small business strategist as well as Raha.
“We found a ton of kids were really nervous that they didn’t have any idea what they wanted to do. The purpose behind the workshops was to encourage kids with the spark of an idea,” said Raha.
The workshops were classroom-based and held at the Sammamish Library. Several of the students will now shift from planning to practice. Through the Chamber’s Youth Vendors Program, participants under 18 can sell handmade goods or homegrown produce at the Sammamish Farmers Market (SFM). They can reserve space at the SFM three times per season.
The Chamber launched the Sammamish Children’s Business Fair last year after a student pitched the idea. The teen services librarian with the King County Library System, Alana O’Neill Gaulin, said, “The event gave 10 local teens a chance to showcase their products at the Farmers Market, and the opportunity to meet and talk with a Certified Professional Coach for small business entrepreneurs.”
When reflecting on the success of the program from last year to this year, Gaulin said, “I do know several of the participants last year hosted Youth Vendor booths in the Market, and siblings of last year’s participants have joined this year.”
The Chamber hopes to expand opportunities for youth to develop their skills and confidence through entrepreneurship in the future. They plan to bring these events back next year as well.
“My favorite thing about this experience was getting to know the customers and just talking to people,” said Rishi Patnaik, 11, a vendor at the Children’s Business Fair.
