The Summer Company Program is wrapping up for the year, and what a journey it has been! On August 14th, the Business Advisory Centre Durham (BACD) proudly hosted a Wrap-Up Event to honor the students who participated in the 2024 Summer Company Program. These 20 ambitious young entrepreneurs embarked on a life-changing journey this June, and today, we celebrate their accomplishments. They successfully launched their ventures, experiencing numerous “wins” along the way. Even more inspiring is that many of these young talents have chosen to continue pursuing entrepreneurship as a long-term career!
Summer Company Businesses:
Adarsh Sharma – Circle Sites:
A web design and development business offering custom solutions to small businesses seeking an online presence.
Anesha Tella – KitKi Designs:
A jewelry design business that creates bespoke, handcrafted pieces, each telling a unique story.
Anushkka Sureshkumar – LASHRNAJAX: A beauty business specializing in lash extensions and related services in Ajax.
Athishia Chandrakumar – Smart Path Tutors:
A tutoring service offering personalized academic support for students of all ages.
Aubrey Boone – MAD Lawncare:
A lawn care service that focuses on sustainable practices to keep lawns looking their best.
Caleb Van Kampen – Greenway Lawncare:
Another green-thumbed entrepreneur, offering eco-friendly lawn maintenance services.
Casey Rowland – KayKee Jewelry:
A brand that creates meaningful, handmade jewelry pieces, perfect for personal gifts.
Colin Houston – MowMates Lawncare:
A collaborative lawn care service that aims to build community connections while maintaining lawns.
Hajara Rana – Stellar Seams:
A sewing business offering altering, repairing services as well as sewing custom clothing for customers in want of products and services that offer quality and creativity.
Isabelle Paul – Lessons with Belle:
A music teaching service offering piano lessons to students, focusing on skill-building and creative expression.
Laeba Haider – Décor Dream Event Decor:
Specializes in creating stunning event decor for weddings, parties, and corporate events.
Lucas Braband – Bow to Stern Marine Services:
Offers boat detailing service in Durham Region, specializing in restoring and maintaining the beauty of all types of watercraft.
Merushen Ravinthirakuaran – FadedbyMR:
is a mobile barber that provides top-quality barbering services directly to your doorstep, offering convenience, comfort, and exceptional style tailored to your needs
Mohammad Bilal Yousaf – Billydetailz:
A car detailing business offering meticulous care to keep vehicles looking brand new.
Nathan Beaman – Green Grass Guardians:
Green Grass Guardians is a trusted lawn care service in Durham Region, dedicated to nurturing and maintaining beautiful, healthy lawns.
Nathan Dimech – Green Squad Lawn Care:
Offers commercial lawn care across the Durham region.
Paula Cortes – Beyond Graphixs:
A graphic design service that helps businesses and individuals create compelling visual content.
Remmell Farrell – Farrell’s Garden Services:
Offers expert gardening services, helping clients create and maintain beautiful outdoor spaces.
Prisha Tikyani – Frozen Delights:
Frozen Delights Whitby is a portable business that sells frozen desserts throughout the town of Whitby. Some common locations include children’s parks and tourist spots
Zarya Maqbool – The Mindful Mentor:
focuses on providing tutoring to students, specifically to neurodivergent learners. By customizing learning plans for the student, we focus on teaching students optimally for their learning needs.
Mentorship and Support:
We want to sincerely recognize and thank our five incredible Summer Company mentors who dedicated their time, energy, and expertise over the past 12 weeks. Their guidance was crucial in shaping the journey for these young entrepreneurs:
Andrea Rowland of B-Zinga Marketing
Maggie Perotin of Stairway to Leadership
Chantel (Munro) Escoffery of CE Marketing Solutions Inc.
Marlon Shaw, Business Advisor
Patrice Esper, BACD Business Advisor
The mentorship provided was highlighted by many participants as one of the most valuable aspects of the program. The mentors offered real-world insights, shared their own entrepreneurial journeys, and provided ongoing support that empowered the students to push beyond their limits.
We also want to thank those who joined us in celebrating at the Wrap-Up Celebration:
Mohamed Rizwan Bachani, BACD Board Chair and Founder of Unique Accounting Services – who started as a young business with BACD in 2014 and who has been a constant source of support for our programs and services
Scott Barnes, Improv Instructor at BACD Client Arts on Fire Ajax – who taught us how to step out of our comfort zones and embrace the challenges of entrepreneurship with a touch of humor and creativity.
Eric Hutchins, representing MPP Lorne Coe – who brought greetings and acknowledged the importance of programs like Summer Company in fostering the next generation of business leaders.
A special thank you to Victoria Leask, Summer Company Alumni of 2015 and founder of House of Albi. Victoria shared her entrepreneurial journey, offering invaluable insights into both the highs and lows of running a business. Her story inspired this year’s participants and showed them that perseverance and adaptability are key ingredients to long-term success.
The BACD is passionate about nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in our community, and the Summer Company Program is a cornerstone of this mission. Throughout the program, we provided training in key areas such as business planning, marketing, financial management, and customer service. Our goal was to equip these young entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the challenges of starting and running a business.
The young entrepreneurs participated in workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions and received a grant of $3,000 each. They learned how to refine their business ideas, develop effective strategies, and execute their plans. The program also emphasized the importance of networking, encouraging students to build connections that could support their businesses in the future.
Congratulations to all the remarkable students we had the pleasure of working with this year. We are eager to see what the future holds for each of you and want to remind you that BACD is here to support you every step of the way on your entrepreneurial journey!
The Summer Company Program is funded by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. We are grateful for their continued support in fostering a strong, innovative economy that provides jobs and prosperity for all Ontarians, with a particular focus on small business development. Here’s to the future of entrepreneurship in Durham Region! Thank you to the Regional Municipality of Durham Region for your continued funding and support.
