Young entrepreneur’s unique and colourful avian character designs make writing fun. 

Drinkwater Elementary student Riley recently had the opportunity to take his business skills to the next level. Through the PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs program, he developed a product and business plan to present at SFU’s 10th annual Opportunity Fest. His unique Zany Bird pencils won an award at the event, which was hosted by the Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship. 

At the exciting online festival showcasing the work of local entrepreneurs, the fledgling entrepreneur presented his video business pitch and answered questions from a live panel of judges. Riley’s whimsical product, marketing strategy and professional sales delivery won him an award as a Junior Innovator and a cash prize.

“I was a bit nervous when I started to talk about my product but after I was done, I felt more confident,” he shared. “It felt really good to win because there were a lot of good products at OppFest.”

Riley’s mother, Kirsty, said the experience was empowering for her son. “It gave him the opportunity to do something I never thought he would have been exposed to in a school environment. It was really cool that he was able to learn the ins and outs of starting a business from beginning to end. I was super impressed.”

Riley’s teacher was just as impressed. “The PowerPlay volunteers gave the students real world feedback about their prototypes, which helped the teacher to take a small step back,” said Jennifer Ward of Drinkwater Elementary in Duncan. “I am extremely pleased with this program, the support our entire class received and the curriculum links.” Check out Riley’s pitch to Oppfest to learn more about his award-winning submission. 

PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs offers an experiential learning project that has been very popular in Vancouver Island schools since 2006, thanks to the support of Coastal Community Credit Union. To find out more about the program, go to powerplay4success.com or call 1-888-880-0816.

Drinkwater Elementary student, Riley.