Edmond Children’s Business Fair

Penny Heiniger holding product from her business, “Flowers by Penny”

Dutch Anderson, Hannah Pham, Jack Heiniger, Calvin Heiniger, Van Marisseau, Penny Heiniger, and Sarah Basore Hannah Pham with an item from, “Hannah’s Fun Box“

By Maggie Murdock Nichols

The first annual Edmond Children’s Business Fair will be held on June 4th from 10 am to 1 pm at the Edmond Railyard. The Chisholm Creek Academy, an Acton Academy Affiliate, will host the fair. All Edmond children between the ages of six to fourteen, regardless of where they attend school, are invited to enter. The young entrepreneurs who participate will develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and sell their product to customers at the one-day fair.

Hannah Pham, the eight-year-old founder of Hannah’s Fun Box, will sell her miniature clay art. She creates very intricate figurines and charms, which are inspired by some of her favorite things, like sushi. When asked who inspires her, Hannah says, “My mom and dad own their own business, Kid’s Fun Town.” Her mom Thuy says, “We saw this creative spirit very early in Hannah.” Hannah says some of her more intricate pieces can take up to three hours to finish. Hannah is going to save the money she makes at the fair in hopes of one day buying a car.

Penny Heiniger, age six, will sell flowers she has grown from seeds. She describes the process: “I planted the seeds and I water them every day. For the fair, I’ll cut the flowers and wrap them up and tie them with ribbon.” Her brother Calvin, age 12, will source goat milk from his family’s farm for his business C&G Co. “We have thirty-six goats, I’ll use their milk to make cheese and ice cream. People love ice cream!” Calvin will use honey as the sweetener and make flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and mint. He says, “Right now it’s our birthing season so I plan to bring a couple of baby goats along with me to the fair.”

Van Marisseau created Fortuna Jewelry. She hand makes jewelry of all varieties. Van says, “I never make a duplicate piece. I believe everyone is their own unique person and they deserve a piece of jewelry that’s as special as they are.” Each piece will come with a sticker and a handwritten fortune. Dutch Anderson wants everyone to know: “This was my mom’s idea.” Dutch has created DA Water and will sell ice-cold water to those who are thirsty. He says, “It’s going to be a hot day and people will need to stay hydrated.”

Sarah and Dave Heiniger are the founders of Chisholm Creek Academy and brought the Children’s Business Fair to Edmond. Sarah says, “We call our kids learners, not students. We want to encourage a spirit of lifelong learning.” The Children’s Business Fair puts children in a real-life situation, fostering creativity and independence. She says, “They’re in charge of the whole process. We offer Saturday coaching sessions to all participants.” Each child makes a pitch, creates a business plan, and gets a loan to cover product costs and the $5 entry fee. The children are excited to sell their products to attendees. The Children’s Business Fair is free and open to the public. For more information visit childrensbusinessfair.org/edmond-oklahoma.