Officials with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent are celebrating five local student entrepreneurs who successfully completed the Summer Company program.
The Summer Company program assists young business owners between the ages of 15 and 29 to start and run their own summer program. Funded by the provincial government and run by the Chatham-Kent Small Business Centre (SBC), the program provides up to $3,000 in funding as well as mentorship and training.
This year’s recipients included Carlos Matos, who ran BrickBots, a LEGO robotics summer camp for youth ages 12 to 16.
“STEM is something that I am passionate about. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of programs in Chatham-Kent that introduce STEM to students and get them interested,” said Matos in a report being presented to council Monday night.
“As a member of the robotics team, I started BrickBots to raise money for the program and introduce STEM as a fun way to students in Chatham.”
Recipient Hailey Kempe created SONA, which sells jewelry and crafts made from locally sourced materials.
“I’ve always loved making jewelry, and when I heard about the small business program, I was so excited to finally start a business that reflects me so well,” said Kempe.
“Owning and operating a business taught me that it’s a lot more than just making products and selling them.”
Isaac Cook started Gloryshine Mobile Auto Detailing, while Rileigh Klassen also went the auto detailing route with RK Auto Glow.
“Growing up I went to car shows and got to see all types. I’ve always wanted a way to turn that passion into some type of career,” said Klassen.
“When Anne-Marie came to speak to my class, she sparked an idea about turning my hobby into a business and I immediately went to planning.”
Not to be outdone, Rhyan Corbett ran Bloom Marketing, helping local businesses with advertising needs and social media.
“My favourite part was connecting with other entrepreneurs. I learned a lot of not only business advice but also life advice from them and it gave me guidance on what I want to do in the future as a 2025 high school graduate pursuing marketing,” said Corbett.
Applications for those interested in applying for 2026 will open in the spring.
