From Academic Research to Market Day Excitement

By Jennifer Ivanov

When Cindy Koira was just 16, she launched her first business selling gourmet samosas at Kidovate, a youth entrepreneur fair in Victoria. Now a fourth-year physics student at UVic, she sells her samosas at markets across Greater Victoria—using the proceeds to support another of her passions: amateur golf.

“Kidovate gave me the initial impetus,” she says. “It helped me develop foundational entrepreneurship skills that have evolved over time through experience and networking. I’m passionate about entrepreneurship because it’s become the vehicle that helps me achieve my goals.”

Koira’s journey reflects the kind of early entrepreneurial experience that Gustavson School of Business professors Brock and Claudia Smith study—and exactly what the Kidovate program is designed to spark.

Every spring, the Smiths’ research is put into practice at Victoria’s Bay Centre, where hundreds of young entrepreneurs test their business ideas. Through the Kidovate Entrepreneurship Experience, students aged 12 to 17 design products, develop marketing strategies and sell their creations (repurposed, upcycled, or new) at a one-day public market. Kidovate guides participants through every stage of building a business—from concept development to pitching, pricing, financing and marketing. Participants also explore the connection between economic and social value by identifying and donating part of their proceeds to a local charity. In addition, prizes are awarded to businesses that demonstrate a strong focus on sustainability and regenerative practices.

“We know from our research that early exposure to entrepreneurship matters,” says Brock, who teaches new venture marketing and entrepreneurship at the business school.

Kidovate reflects Brock and Claudia’s broader research into what drives people to become entrepreneurs—and how those skills can be developed. The program began in 2019 with just 26 participants and has grown into Canada’s largest youth entrepreneurship initiative, according to the Smiths. This year, more than 230 students will take part in the Victoria market on April 11, with more than 100 registered for the first-ever Nanaimo event on April 18.

Before market day, students are supported with an entrepreneurship graphic novel workbook and optional mentorship from Gustavson School of Business students. The results are on full display at the event, where innovation and entrepreneurship take the stage. Young entrepreneurs sell everything from art and handicrafts to dog treats and custom T-shirts.

“We never have to worry about having a market full of earrings because kids bring their personality into what they want to sell, which means there's always a huge variety of products showcased on Kidovate Market Day,” shares Claudia, who teaches entrepreneurship and marketing. “Kids learn by doing. It gives them the opportunity to explore their possible entrepreneur self by developing business skills. Our research has shown that developing this self-awareness is the first step to adopting an ‘I am an entrepreneur’ identity.”

The progress is clear in the students who return year after year. About two-thirds of participants come back to refine their ideas, build confidence, and connect with like‑minded peers. The Smiths say this process of doing, learning and redoing precisely mimics the approach taken by so many successful entrepreneurs around the world.

“What we see in the Kidovate kids is that they find their community,” explains Claudia. “They realize this is a valid area of interest, so they go on to take marketing or entrepreneurship courses, and see that their interests are valued. They can see business is cool, business is fun, and it plants that seed of possibility.”

The Making of an Entrepreneur

“Entrepreneurs are made, not born—it’s a saying we use in our classrooms all the time,” says Claudia, whose PhD focused on entrepreneur identity. In their many years as faculty at the Gustavson School of Business, she and Brock have continued to explore how this identity is formed. “We noticed that a lot of research suggested there was an entrepreneur identity, but we identified a gap around where that identity comes from. That realization became the impetus for our research.”

Their focus shifted to developing a deeper understanding of how individuals first come to see themselves as entrepreneurs—how the idea of “I could be an entrepreneur” arises and evolves into “I am an entrepreneur.”

“We talked to a lot of entrepreneurs and gathered data, and we began to see clear evidence of this identity formation phase. We looked at how it is fostered and how it integrates with your other identities,” says Claudia. “What’s really interesting is that most entrepreneurs said they had an early entrepreneurial experience, either in school or while in university. This is critical as it sets up an ‘I could be an entrepreneur’ possible-self and can extend into an ‘I am an entrepreneur’ identity.”

Their work has helped shape modern views about entrepreneurs. “Early research pointed to personality traits—you had to be a risk-taker. But over our 30 years of research, that idea never really held up,” explains Brock. “The next stream of research suggested that you were able to launch a new business because you were in the right place at the right time. More recently, however, our understanding has evolved further. It’s no longer about having the right personality or simply being in the right place. It’s about what you know, what you learn, and what you do with that information.”

While Kidovate has become Claudia and Brock’s passion project, the full-time work of hands-on entrepreneurship education happens at Gustavson, where the Bachelor of Commerce entrepreneurship specialization has won international awards for its innovation.

Fourth-year students in Gustavson’s Entrepreneurship specialization create a micro-business in their second week, an exercise where they are put into teams and tasked with creating a concept and building as much value as they can in about 10 days.

“We throw them into the deep end, but it’s really amazing to see what they can come up with,” says Brock. “The value of the project is that entrepreneurship becomes real for students, and the entrepreneurship faculty end up with about 20 to 25 businesses we can refer to throughout the term. Top teams often earn over $6,000 in 10 days. That gets the students’ attention because they see real money being earned, and they really start to realize they can become successful entrepreneurs by learning the expert script.”

“We are setting up a series of building blocks that help students learn how to build a successful business, so it’s not about personality but learning the process and gaining the knowledge needed to develop that entrepreneurial mindset,” adds Claudia.

The Economic Benefits of Entrepreneurship 

For Claudia and Brock, Kidovate is much more than a one-day market. It’s about planting the early seeds of entrepreneurial thinking—skills that can shape how young people approach opportunity throughout their lives.

“Recent research suggests Canada has seen a decline in the number of entrepreneurs, a trend that could have long-term implications for the country’s economy,” explains Brock. “With small and medium-sized businesses forming the backbone of Canadian industry, strategically, we need to be thinking about creating more entrepreneurs.”

A 2023 federal government report highlights the importance of creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs. Key Small Business Statistics from the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada show small and medium-sized businesses make up 98 per cent of all businesses in Canada, contributing to over 50 per cent of the GDP.

Statistics like these illustrate the need for initiatives like Kidovate and Gustavson’s entrepreneurship specialization, where the focus is on building expertise, confidence and honing problem‑solving skills that are key to fostering successful entrepreneur identities and startups.

“The folks that are going to thrive are the ones that can deal with our rapidly changing economy,” explains Claudia. “The only way you can do that is to see opportunity, use that entrepreneurial skillset you developed, solve problems and deliver new value to customers and communities.”