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ABOUT BIZKIDS
Because Who Kids Become, Matters
Helping Kids Thrive Today
Requires More from All Of Us
Children are growing up in a world...
…that is faster, more complex, and more connected than ever before. Expectations are higher, change is constant, and the messages shaping how kids see themselves start early and come from everywhere.
Schools play a vital role, and families do too. But helping kids truly thrive now also means supporting how they build confidence, identity, adaptability, and self-trust — qualities that are shaped through experience, not instruction alone. When those foundations are built early, kids are better equipped to navigate whatever comes next.
Where Future-Ready Learning Meets Real-World Experience
Kids don’t build confidence by memorizing answers. They build it by making decisions, testing ideas, adapting when things don’t go as planned, and seeing the results of their own thinking. That’s how learning becomes personal — and lasting.
This is where Build a BizKids comes in.
With support from strategic community partners, we create real-world learning experiences that help children practice the skills that matter most today — communication, problem-solving, financial literacy, leadership, and self-trust — in environments that feel meaningful, engaging, and safe to try.x
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Provinces Delivering Programs
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Programs Delivered at No Cost to Families
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Reduction in Costs to Run Programs
What We're Building Toward
Stopping Here Isn’t an Option
The impact achieved so far proves what’s possible when the right model meets the right moment.
Continued philanthropic support determines how many kids get access — and how soon.
10X Growth
Expanding reach into all 10 Provinces and 3 Territories
Our Waitlist Is Growing
Communities of kids are seeking access to these experiences; more than current funding allows us to reach.
The Bigger Mission
To Reach 1 Million Students With Future-Ready Educational Experiences By 2030
You Matter
How Your Contribution
Changes a Whole Community
Support doesn’t disappear into operations or overhead.
It shows up as real experiences —
in classrooms, community spaces, and events where kids practice confidence, decision-making, and self-trust.
The result is the change children carry with them long after the experience ends.
$2,500 Funds a Community of Children for a Year
A $2,500 contribution supports one community for an entire year — unlocking unlimited access to BizKids programs and experiences.
On average, that means 64 children gaining opportunities to build confidence, practice decision-making, and develop real-world skills in environments they already trust.
This is how impact becomes local, lasting, and personal.
Every Contribution Moves The Next Community Closer To Access
Your contribution — of any size — brings the next community of kids closer to participating.
You can choose to do this on your own, or you can turn it into something bigger by inviting coworkers, friends, family, or your workplace to come together around a shared belief in kids and their future.
When you rally others toward a $2,500 community launch, you’re not just giving — you’re leading. You’re creating momentum, building something lasting, and opening the door for an entire group of children who are waiting for access.
This is how your decision becomes a movement — and creates real change.
Meet the Founders of BizKids
Cofounder/CEO
Leah Coss
I was a very angry teenager. Between kindergarten and Grade 12, I changed schools ten times and my parents' divorce was filled with anger. I grew up between two households of parents who couldn't be in the same room together and two step-parents who made it clear I wasn't wanted.
By high school, my anger and mistrust had taken over. I was bullied relentlessly at one school and became the bully at another, trying to regain some sense of power and control. I started using and selling drugs, stealing, getting tattoos, and at 15 moved in with my boyfriend.
By the end of Grade 11, it didn't look like I was going to graduate.
One day I overheard a conversation between my boyfriend and his mom. She said, "You two aren't good for each other."
Those words hit me hard. I wasn't even close to the person I knew I could be.
I got my life back on track, graduated on time, and started building a very different future for myself.
It wasn't until decades later that I understood why.
When I was around 11 years old, my stepbrother and I rented tables at flea markets to sell things. We were given freedom. We were trusted. We learned how to talk to strangers, handle money, solve problems, make decisions, and navigate the world on our own. At the time, I didn't think much of it.
Looking back, it is easy to see how these experiences were critical in building my confidence, independence, and the belief that I could figure things out.
Today, I am the Co-Founder and CEO of Build a Biz Kids.
I know firsthand how powerful it is when a child is trusted to try, fail, solve problems, make decisions, and discover what they're capable of.
That's why Build a Biz Kids exists.
By giving children real-world experiences that build confidence, self-worth, resilience, and future-ready skills, we're helping them develop the tools they need to navigate life's challenges long after the program ends.
Cofounder/CEO
Braden Ricketts
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.