Nine Students Took Part in this Year’s Summer Company Program

RICHMOND HILL – Earlier today, Richmond Hill Council and the family of former Mayor William Bell presented this year’s William F. Bell Young Entrepreneur Award to 22-year-old Richmond Hill resident Zach Sheng. The award recognizes successful young entrepreneurs taking part in Summer Company, a program helping students ages 15-29 learn how to run their own business. 

Sheng’s passion for animals and entrepreneurial spirit drove him to start Charmy Box, an online subscription-based pet store company focused on pet food and nutrition. What makes Charmy Box unique is that it provides pet owners with natural and nutritional pet food carefully selected for their pet breed. With support of Summer Company under the direction of Richmond Hill’s Small Business Enterprise Centre, Sheng gained skills to take his company to the next level, earning more than $50,000 in revenue this past summer!

Sheng was one of nine young entrepreneurs who grew their business by participating in this year’s program: 

• Michael August (17) – Your Home Court Advantage is a driveway sealing company that also specializes in creating personalized basketball courts on home driveways.
• Alexandria Lin(20) – Frostack Games isa female-led video game company whose goal is to create games that are accessible and affordable to customers.
• Rachel Lin(18) – Pen by Rach! is an online retail company selling creative products, such as stickers, posters and other custom art.
• Anaum Osman(18) – Pretty Little Picnics offers individuals living in the Greater Toronto Area a chance to indulge in an on-demand, luxury picnic.
• Rachel Rusonik(19) – Sugarcrash Apparel is a sustainable apparel business focused on selling environmentally friendly, embroidered apparel items to female teenagers and young adults.
• William Zhai(17) – Spotless Pressure Washing is a pressure washing business that provides driveway cleaning and re-sanding services to residents of Richmond Hill.
• Rachel Zhu(17) – Rugzee is a personalized rug tufting business selling custom tufted rugs as well as rug kits so everyone can experience making their own rugs.
• Roger Luo(20) – Apex Affinity is a property management service company that provides an online application where tenants and landlords can pay rent, create a variety of tickets and hold private or open discussions.

By the end of the three-month long program, this year’s group collectively generated close to $94,000 in revenue and seven of the nine student entrepreneurs plan to continue their businesses throughout the school year.

Quotes

“I am very impressed by these young entrepreneurs and proud of the City’s efforts to support their success. Congratulations to Zach Sheng on receiving the William F. Bell Young Entrepreneur Award! Zach’s creativity and work ethic are not only putting him on a path to future success, but also setting a positive example for students and aspiring entrepreneurs throughout Richmond Hill.”    

- Acting Mayor Joe DiPaola 

“It’s inspiring to see how far these young entrepreneurs have come with developing their businesses in just a few months! With the support of Summer Company and our Small Business Enterprise Centre, we are helping the next generation of business owners bring their dream of running their own business to reality.”  

- Ward 6 Councillor Godwin Chan, Chair, Recover Richmond Hill Task Force and Chair, Richmond Hill Economic Development Committee

“I found my time in the Summer Company program to be incredibly beneficial and highly practical. I plan to continue scaling Charmy Box with a goal to help millions of pets around the world.”
- Zach Sheng, Richmond Hill’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2021

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.
• Summer Company helps students ages 15-29 learn how to run their own business.
• 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 more than 160 local young entrepreneurs with foundational support to start and grow a business. 

Additional Links

RichmondHill.ca/SBEC

RichmondHill.ca/HelpforBusinesses

Media Contact

Patti Enright, Communications Advisor
patti.enright@RichmondHill.ca