Summer Company Program Successfully Mentored 12 Students this Year

RICHMOND HILL – Yesterday, the family of former Mayor William Bell joined Mayor David West and Members of Council to present Owen Knowles with the 2024 William F. Bell Young Entrepreneur Award. 

The award recognizes a successful young entrepreneur who takes part in Summer Company, an annual three-month program helping students ages 15-29 learn how to run their own business. 

Over last year’s summer months, 19-year-old Owen operated a mobile interior car detailing service under his business, Owen Knowles Interior Car Detailing. His focus – helping busy Richmond Hill and surrounding area residents save time and effort by providing mobile interior car detailing and cleaning directly at their homes or workplaces. Through the Summer Company program, Owen enhanced his marketing and sales knowledge and gained valuable mentorship that helped him to build trust with his clients and stand out in a competitive market. His perseverance and ability to deliver exceptional service resulted in over 60 clients and more than 100 vehicles serviced, generating more than $8,000 in revenue in just four months. 

Owen was one of 12 Richmond Hill students to take part in the 2024 program, demonstrating resilience, creativity and a passion for entrepreneurship. The year’s participants also included:

• Saif Bayouq (18) - Terraform Landscaping provides landscaping services, including lawn mowing, interlocking, and fence installation
• Rehan Surani (16) - Razer Hockey operates a summer hockey school for children aged 14 and under
• Hasan-Ali Abidi (19) - SOHO Photography Solutions specializes in photography and social media content creation and management
• Hamzah Ali Isam Al-sammarraie (21) - ClearVue Cleaning Services offers professional pressure washing and window cleaning services
• Shaan Brown (16) - RH Aquatic Coaching delivers one-on-one and group swimming lessons in backyard pools
• Catherine Li (16) - Piano Pathways Academy offers piano tutoring with a focus on practice and skill development
• Aiden Ma (17) - StealthTech produces customized goods using advanced technologies such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and engraving
• Amber Malhotra (17) - Amber Small Biz Web Designs creates professional, low-budget websites tailored for small businesses
• Bhavya Malik (15) - BAS Jewels designs and sells custom jewelry, including bead and crystal pieces, through online platforms and community events
• Sanaz Amirnezhad (17) - Prodigy Prep provides consulting services to support students in excelling academically and preparing for post-secondary education
• Margaret Ping (16) - Anon develops grease-proof, moisture-proof paper book covers tailored for pre-teens and adolescents, providing a discreet solution for anonymous reading

By the end of the three months, the group collectively generated over $40,000 in revenue. Congratulations to our 2024 Summer Company program graduates! 

Are you a student with a business idea you are super excited to bring to life? Apply for this year’s Summer Company program! Applications are due by May 15. Learn more at RichmondHill.ca/SummerCompany. 

Quotes

“I am always so impressed to see Richmond Hill young entrepreneurs in action. The array of businesses being offered in 2024 was very inspiring, none more so than Owen Knowles with his determination and dedication to bringing his business to reality. Congratulations Owen for receiving this year’s William F. Bell Young Entrepreneur Award! I look forward to seeing where the future takes you as well as all the participants from this year’s Summer Company program. Your path to future successes shines bright!”

- David West, Mayor 

“Summer Company has been an incredible experience for a young entrepreneur like me, especially as someone who grew up watching my family members run their own businesses. Having completed two years of my four-year BBA program at Trent University before applying to Summer Company really helped me further develop and reinforce what I’ve learned in school. What the future holds is unknown, but I know for sure that I’m in the right field, surrounded by the right people. I’m excited to see what tomorrow brings! Thank you, Summer Company, for opening my eyes to all the opportunities ahead of me.” 

- Owen Knowles, Richmond Hill’s 2024 Young Entrepreneur award recipient 

Quick Facts

• The William F. Bell Young Entrepreneur Award is named in honour of Mayor Bell who served Richmond Hill for 26 years, including six terms as Mayor
• In 2006, the City introduced the William F. Bell Young Entrepreneur Award to recognize successful young entrepreneurs taking part in the Ontario Summer Company program
• Funded through the Ontario government’s Summer Company program, students receive up to $3,000 each in start-up funding along with comprehensive online business training and mentoring coordinated through Richmond Hill’s Small Business Enterprise Centre
• Since launching in 2004, Richmond Hill’s Summer Company program has provided 180 local young entrepreneurs with foundational support to start and grow a business 

 Additional Links

• RichmondHill.ca/SBEC