Preparing Kids for Fast Changing Futures
Imagine a World....
… where children wake up each day able to validate their own self worth internally;
To no longer need external validation from others like their peers, parents, teachers, coaches, or media.
This skill is attainable for all of us, but if we can instill it in individuals as children, we can prevent long term mental health challenges currently plaguing youth while also setting them up to lead happy, successful and thriving futures that contribute to the economy, their communities and families.
What We Do, & How We Do It
What We Have Done & Where We Are Going
15X Impact in
15 Months
Accomplished in 2024
We were able to increase the number of children and youth we reached per year by 15x in just 15 months.
We knew that we needed to think differently. The “Old Way” we were doing things was not working, was not scalable, and was costing too much in time, money and resources.
We realized that in order to reach our 2030 Mission of reaching 1 million kids, we would need to think bigger and we were going to need help.
That is how we came to develop our fast growing Community Partner Network and our infamous BizKids HQ Platform that connects us all together.
Through the reinvention of our Charity Model, we are:
- Reaching more children and youth each year than ever before
- Massively increased accessibility to students:
- Free Access – Over 98% of BizKids programs offered at no cost
- Accessible Venues – Located in remote, rural and urban communities
- Experienced Facilitators – Equipped with training to support students with learning abilities and reside in the communities they serve
- Reduced the cost and resources required previously by BizKids to run each program by over 75%
10X Our Growth by 2026
ACTIVE – Can You Help?
By the end of 2026, we will increase the number of communities that BizKids is active in and supports from 45 (as of Jan 2025), to a total of 500.
That is 455 MORE Communities that we will be partnering with and an estimated 29,500 more children and youth who will get to directly participate in our renowned BizKids Future-Ready Programming.
Imagine, over 30,000 kids each year getting to flex their soft and technical skill development through real-world experiences, cultivating their growth mindsets, and ultimately, helping to prevent future mental health challenges in their futures.
We think it’s worth it. We also think it’s just the start.
But we need your help.
BizKids has spend the last 2 years creating a solid foundation, developing systems, and ultimately preparing for this kind of rapid growth.
The dominos are set up, and we are ready.
But, we need 1 last thing:
Support from individuals and organizations, like you, who can see and feel the excitement of this vision for kids, and our future, to help raise funds to tip the domino forward.
BizKids seeks to raise $450k in 2025 and $450k in 2026.
That’s it. That’s all we need to make it happen. The rest is ready to go.
If you, or someone you know, would like to help us reach our goal, you can Donate Directly Here. Or, if you would like to explore being a larger part of this vision, please reach out to our CEO, Leah Coss at Leah@BuildaBizKids.com to set up a time to determine if this is a good fit.
The Bigger Mission
To Reach 1 Million Students With Future-Ready Educational Experiences By 2030
What is the Problem Exactly...?
Mental illness affects some 1.2 million of our children and youth. By age 25, that number rises to 7.5 million (about one in five Canadians). What’s even more troubling, less than 20 per cent receive appropriate treatment.
*Mental Health Commission of Canada
* The Conference Board of Canada
It is time to focus on prevention, over intervention, when it comes to youth mental health.
It has been shown that grade 9, or around 13/14 years of age, is an indicator year in children. If their grades drop and negative attitudes and behaviours begin, that these can be signs that they are at a higher risk of developing mental health challenges.
These can take on many forms, such as:
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- Depression, anxiety & suicide
- Drug use and overdose
- Eating disorders
- Gang violence and recruitment
- Bullying (emotional, physical, cyber)
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Studies show as high as 1 in 3 people are coping with mental health challenges in Canada and there are simply not enough support and resources available for those seeking help, let alone for the many who suffer in silence.
Prevention must take a higher priority and it must:
- Start early in life. Well before the indicator years
- Equip the individual to THRIVE and focus on positive aspect of their life; not just become educated in mental health potential dangers
- Be accessible to all children and youth. The only way to significantly impact the negative impacts of mental health is to reach every child no matter where they live, no matter who they are.
This is why Build a Biz Kids exists. To us, this approach is no longer optional or only for the affluent.
Families, communities, industries, employers and the individual need a long term, sustainable solution.
We invite you to join us. As a donor, advocate, participant, or partner. If our mission resonates with you, please consider making a donation and reach out to explore possibilities to info@buildabizkids.com
Lessons From Our BizKids
Meet Owen - Talking About How People Lie
Meet Brynne - Talking About Lumps On Your Path
BizKids Origin Story - The Co-Founders
Leah Coss – Co-Founder & CEO
I was a very angry teenager growing up. I changed schools ten times between k-gr 12, moved many times due to my parents angry divorce filled with hurt and blame. Eventually I was living in a home with an abusive stepfather and my step siblings. By high school, my anger and mistrust had taken over. I was bullied relentlessly at one school that I later became a bully at another school, trying to regain some sense of power. I fell in with the wrong crowd, started using and selling drugs, stealing, and even moved out of my mom’s house at 15 to live with my boyfriend. By the end of grade 11, I was so far behind, it didn’t look like I would graduate. I was angry, lost, and struggling to feel in control of my life.
Everything shifted when I overheard a conversation between my boyfriend and his mom. She said, “You two aren’t good for each other.” For some reason, those words hit me. They made me realize how far I’d drifted from the person I wanted to be, from a core memory and anchor that was embedded in me from a young age.
I remembered a time when I was around 11 and my stepbrother and I rented tables at flea markets to sell things. Even though we were young, we would take the bus alone, run our tables at the markets, interact with strangers who were buying our random items, handling our own money. I felt so free and in control. That memory became my anchor—proof to myself that I was capable of creating the life I wanted, and that the world was so big, and so full of opportunity.
That’s why I co-founded the charity, Build a Biz Kids. I know firsthand how early experiences can shape a child’s identity and how critical it is to develop internal strength and resilience. External circumstances can hurt or help us, but true happiness and personal growth must come from within. By giving kids real-world experiences that build confidence and self-worth, we’re helping them develop the tools to navigate life’s challenges, no matter what comes their way.
Braden Ricketts – Co-Founder
When it came to career paths, I had followed in my mom’s footsteps, working M-F roles in the nonprofit sector where I loved mentoring and uplifting others. While entrepreneurship was a part of my upbringing—my dad and sister were always launching businesses and side hustles—it wasn’t something I had experience with myself.
When I became a parent, everything shifted. Suddenly, I was looking at the world through my son’s eyes and asking myself some heavy questions. Am I doing enough to prepare him for his future? Will he grow up happy, confident, and ready to navigate a fast-changing world? Like most parents, I wanted to give him every opportunity to thrive.
One day, when Ethan was around eight, he came home upset. Another class at his school was getting to start their own businesses, but his wasn’t. I saw his disappointment and felt the weight of it. I wanted him to have that experience—to learn, grow, be creative and gain confidence—but I didn’t know where to start. It made me realize how many parents and teachers must feel the same way: wanting to provide opportunities to their children and students, but unsure how to make it happen, or even where to start.
Teaming up with Leah, whose entrepreneurial expertise perfectly complemented my background, we created the charity, Build a Biz Kids.
It’s not just about teaching kids entrepreneurship and other future-ready skills we all wish we learned as a child; it’s about empowering parents, teachers, and kids to explore what’s possible and build skills for life. Every child deserves the chance to experience real-world learning that helps them thrive—and I’ve loved being able to help make that happen.
