Richmond Hill student launches nonprofit offering free entrepreneurship workshops to younger students

Murad Nalbandian, a Grade 11 student in Richmond Hill, launched North Star Youth Entrepreneurial Foundation (NYSEF), a nonprofit offering free entrepreneurship workshops to students in Grades 5-8 across the region. The program is designed and taught by teenagers, making lessons relatable and tailored to younger students' interests and experiences.

Nalbandian started his first workshop in May and received positive feedback, with students reporting confidence to develop their own business ideas. He began his entrepreneurial journey with a lemonade stand in Grade 4, later running a cologne business. "In Grade 4, I would do something like a lemonade stand. As I got older, I had a cologne business. But eventually, I was never really able to scale it; I never had the education to advance in this or mentorship," he said.

The program aims to build confidence, creativity and real-world problem-solving skills in participants. It teaches entrepreneurship, leadership and financial literacy—including presenting to large groups, speaking confidently, and understanding spending, investing and saving. NYSEF is in the process of incorporating as a registered Ontario nonprofit and has launched a micro-grant program that gives $300 to $700 to student-owned businesses.

Nalbandian hopes the grants support startup costs, marketing and advertising. "What I've heard from my friends is the main reason they don't want to start the business is that buying the materials can be expensive, even for simple jobs like car detailing or window cleaning," he shared. Since launching, the program has reached over 30 students and is expanding to include mentorship opportunities and community projects.

Looking ahead, Nalbandian plans to expand across York Region. "[I hope to] build out a full program that takes kids from their first taste of entrepreneurship in Grade 3, all the way through to actually running a funded business in high school," he explained. "Even though I'm young, I've been aware that you have to believe in yourself before your company can succeed."