Summer Company Student Generates $40,000 in Revenue 

RICHMOND HILL – Richmond Hill’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Joshua Gao, created an exciting fashion brand this summer that caught the attention of customers and investors alike. With the support of the City’s Summer Company program, Gao earned more than $40,000 in revenue and received $24,000 in private funding for his company Orange Juice The Brand.

Each year Richmond Hill presents the William F. Bell Young Entrepreneur Award to a Summer Company participant who exemplifies hard work and achieves business success. Mayor Dave Barrow and the Bell family presented Gao with the award today on behalf of Council.

Inspired by the changing world of fashion, Gao and his partner started their clothing brand to help young people express themselves through clothing and be more confident in their social persona. They anticipated their brand might achieve slow and steady growth, but mentorship and resources provided by Richmond Hill’s Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) through the Summer Company program led to an explosion of sales and private capital for Orange Juice the Brand.

The Summer Company program provides foundational support to start and grow a business. It helped Gao set up operations, improve product quality and reinvent his manufacturing and delivery model over the course of the summer. While continuing his university education, Josh plans to build his brand’s community of customers and expand its marketing efforts internationally.

Richmond Hill’s Summer Company program has supported more than 150 local young entrepreneurs since it began in 2004.

Quotes

“I’m proud the City continues to support young entrepreneurs in our community and I’m inspired by the students and their ideas, work ethic and incredible drive to succeed. This year’s recipient, Joshua Gao, is a great example of what hard work can achieve with a little support from the Summer Company program.”    - Mayor Dave Barrow

“Each year the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award demonstrates the promise of the students in our community and the value that our Small Business Enterprise Centre provides to those who want to start a business.”    - Ward 6 Councillor Godwin Chan, Chair, Recover Richmond Hill Task Force and Chair, Richmond Hill Economic Development Committee

“Richmond Hill’s Small Business Enterprise Centre and specifically the Summer Company program provided me with a strong foundation in opening and running a business. I hope to continue to build on what I’ve learned and work toward full-time entrepreneurship.”    - Joshua Gao, Richmond Hill’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2020

Quick Facts

• The Summer Company program helps students ages 15-29 learn how to run their own business.
• In 2020, Richmond Hill supported seven students with a virtual program during the global pandemic.
• Funded through the Ontario government’s Summer Company program, the students received 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.
• By the end of the three-month long program, the 2020 group collectively generated close to $80,000 in revenue.
• Six of the seven student entrepreneurs plan to continue their businesses beyond summer through the school year.

Additional Links

Richmond Hill Students’ Summer Businesses Take Off

RichmondHill.ca/SBEC

RichmondHill.ca/HelpforBusinesses

Media Contact

Libbi Hood, Communications Advisor
Strategic Communications
libbi.hood@richmondhill.ca