NorthStar helps young Canadians ages 12–18 learn entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and the real-world steps to build meaningful, sustainable ventures — with the mentorship and support system to actually get there.
Pick what you're good at and a problem you notice. We'll spark a real starter idea — the same thinking we teach in our workshops.
Your Starter Idea
0% North Star Ready
Your first step:
🏆 Builds Confidence
🧭 Teaches You to Think
🚀 Turns Ideas Into Reality
Why NorthStar
Youth have the ideas. The system isn't built for them.
Most young people aren't unsure about ambition — they're unsure how to begin, how to plan, or how to structure a business properly. That's the gap we close.
🏦
No Access to Capital
Under 18, you can't get a loan or line of credit — and you have no financial history to lean on.
🧑⚖️
No Professional Network
Most youth have zero connections to entrepreneurs or industry professionals who could guide them.
🗺️
No Clear Path
Passion and creativity aren't the problem — knowing the real-world order of steps is.
NorthStar is run by young Canadians who felt this gap firsthand — and it's growing with the help of real entrepreneurs and industry mentors who volunteer their time.
Want to know who's actually behind the workshops, the funding decisions, and the mentorship program?
Why NorthStar exists, in the founder's own words — and where we're headed next.
"When young Canadians are given guidance and opportunity, they rise to the challenge. They learn quickly. They build confidently. They become leaders who strengthen their communities and our country."
NorthStar comes from my own experience growing up in the GTA. I was always starting small businesses — one idea after another — but none of them ever really went anywhere. Then in grades 7 and 8, I started a cologne-sample business that actually took off. That taught me two things: youth have incredible potential, and the system is not built for young entrepreneurs.
When I needed advice, there was no mentor. When I looked for resources, none existed for my age group. And like every youth in Canada, I couldn't access funding — no credit, no financial history. I had ideas, but no path forward.
As I got older I realized my experience wasn't unique. Countless young Canadians face the same barriers — passion and ambition, in a world built for adults. NorthStar was created to give young people what I never had: mentorship, education, support, and a real path to opportunity.
Grade 7Started my first real business
Dec 2025NorthStar founded
20+Students reached so far
Why NorthStar Exists
Youth have the ideas. The system isn't built for them.
Most young people aren't unsure about ambition — they're unsure how to begin, how to plan, or how to structure a business properly.
🏦
No Access to Capital
Under 18, you can't get a loan or line of credit — and you have no financial history to lean on.
🧑⚖️
No Professional Network
Most youth have zero connections to entrepreneurs or industry professionals who could guide them.
🗺️
No Clear Path
Passion and creativity aren't the problem — knowing the real-world order of steps is.
Momentum & Collaborations
Proof We're Actually Building This
NorthStar isn't just an idea on a page — here's the real work behind it so far, and what we're building toward next.
Secured🏫
School Partnerships for 2026–27
School commitments are locked in for a structured, 8-month monthly program covering entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and financial literacy — launching September 2026.
Delivered📊
Inaugural Workshop — May 2026
Ran our first in-school workshop with real results: 100% of students said they'd return, and a majority reported feeling more confident generating their own ideas afterward.
Built🦈
Shark Tank Season 2 Workshop
Co-facilitated a full Shark Tank-style workshop for Grade 6 students — team pitches, judge scoring, six award categories, and a complete scoring system.
Built🏙️
Healthy Communities Challenge
Designed a 10-part presentation for Grade 6 students centered on a $1,000,000 community budget activity — turning civic decision-making into a hands-on exercise.
In Progress📝
Ontario Nonprofit Incorporation
Currently incorporating NorthStar as a formal Ontario nonprofit, with a completed NUANS name search and adult directors supporting the process.
What We're Building Toward
NorthStar is still early — and growing on purpose. Here's where we're headed next.
🏫
More School Partnerships
Expanding the 8-month program beyond our first partner schools.
💼
Corporate Sponsorships
Building relationships with local businesses to fund student ideas directly.
📣
Media & Press Exposure
Sharing our story more widely as the program grows and proves out.
🌐
A Bigger Mentor Network
Bringing more entrepreneurs and industry professionals into the fold.
What We Stand For
Our Values
The principles behind every workshop, mentorship match, and funding decision.
🏆
Confidence First
Every student leaves a session believing their idea is worth building.
🧭
Real-World Order
We teach entrepreneurship in the same sequence actual founders learn it.
🤝
Mentorship Over Lectures
Guidance from people who've actually built something, not just talked about it.
💛
Youth-Run, Youth-First
Built by someone who needed this — decisions get made with students in mind first.
Our Timeline
Where We've Been
Grade 7
The First Business
A cologne-sample business that actually took off — the spark that showed youth entrepreneurship could be real, not just a school project.
December 2025
NorthStar Founded
NorthStar Youth Entrepreneurial Foundation officially launched to give other young Canadians the mentorship and path that didn't exist before.
May 2026
First In-School Workshop
Our inaugural workshop ran with unanimous willingness from students to return, and a majority reporting increased confidence in idea generation.
September 2026
Structured 8-Month Program Launches
A full school-year program rolls out with confirmed school partnerships — entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and financial literacy, month by month.
What We Provide
We teach it in the order real entrepreneurs learn it
Structured so youth avoid common mistakes and build entrepreneurial skills that last well beyond one idea.
The Four Pillars
Tap a pillar to see what's inside
Every workshop and mentorship session ladders up to one of these four building blocks.
Before students build anything, they learn how a business actually functions — who the customer is, what a value proposition means, and how money moves through a simple venture.
What a business model actually is, in plain language
Identifying a real customer and a real problem
How to test an idea before spending a dollar on it
Leadership isn't a personality trait — it's a set of skills. Students practice the ones that show up constantly in real teams and real ventures.
Pitching an idea clearly, under pressure
Making a call with incomplete information
Giving and receiving feedback without it stinging
Most students reach adulthood without ever pricing a product or building a budget. We fix that early, with real numbers instead of textbook theory.
Pricing a product or service so it actually turns a profit
Building a simple budget for a real idea
Understanding saving, spending, and reinvesting
The final pillar is where it all comes together — students take their idea from a sketch to something they can actually launch, with NorthStar mentorship alongside them.
Turning a validated idea into a launch plan
Applying for NorthStar funding support (see below)
Getting matched with a mentor for ongoing guidance
Mentorship is at the core of what we're building. Our goal is to connect youth directly with entrepreneurs and industry professionals who can answer real questions and give honest advice.
Students in our workshops already connect with like-minded peers — building friendships and networks that motivate and inspire them long after the workshop ends.
💼 Entrepreneurs
🏭 Industry Professionals
Where We're Headed
🧑🏫
WorkshopsGuided, step-by-step group learning
Underway
💻
Google Meet SessionsDirect access to professionals, no office required
Coming Soon
🤝
One-on-One SupportPersonal guidance on your specific idea
Coming Soon
🌐
Peer NetworkLike-minded youth building alongside you
Underway
Workshop Spotlight
What a NorthStar Workshop Actually Looks Like
💡 Workshops are practical, focused mini-classes — in person or on Google Meet, each built around one skill. They are not boring lectures, and they're not full-day events.
Here's one real example from our first in-school workshop: every student got a $100 "North Star Note" — with one rule. It can't just be spent, it has to be used to build something real.
$100 North Star Note
Not spent. Built with. Think. Plan. Create.
STEP 01
Team Up
Small groups, mixed on purpose — new faces, new perspectives, every voice counted.
STEP 02
Find One Idea
What's broken around us? What do people our age wish existed? One idea, made real.
STEP 03
Pitch It
Name it, explain who it helps, and map out exactly how the $100 brings it to life.
Ready to Join?
Sign your child up for a workshop
Takes under a minute. We'll follow up with the date, time, and location.
Through donations and sponsorships, NorthStar can help fund youth ideas directly — real support from our own funds, not just pointing you toward outside grants you're too young to qualify for.
01
Pitch Your Idea
Tell us what you're building, who it helps, and why it matters.
02
We Review It
We look at the plan, the budget, and the real-world impact.
03
Get Funded
Approved ideas receive direct support from NorthStar funds.
04
Build & Share
Bring it to life, then share your progress with the community.
Youth-led, mentor-backed, and growing. Here's who's building NorthStar from the ground up.
Leadership
Founder & CEO
Murad
Founder & CEO
Ever since he was a kid, Murad was founding businesses — one idea after another, well before anyone expected it of him. By grades 7–8 that instinct turned into a real, working business, and it exposed a gap he couldn't ignore: young people had the drive, but none of the access, mentorship, or capital to go with it. NorthStar is what he built to close that gap — for himself, and for every young Canadian coming up behind him.
Adult Directors
Supporting the Foundation
Ontario nonprofit rules require adult directors while our founder is under 18 — here's who helps steer the ship.
Talin Nalbandian
Adult Director
A licensed mortgage agent, Talin spends her days helping families navigate one of the biggest financial decisions they'll make. She brings that same patience and clarity to NorthStar — helping make sure the foundation's finances and decisions are grounded and sound.
Shant Nalbandian
Adult Director
Also a licensed mortgage agent, Shant has spent years structuring deals and reading the fine print so his clients don't have to. On NorthStar's board, he applies that same eye for detail to keeping the foundation on solid footing as it grows.
Krikor Nalbandian
Adult Director
Krikor is a founder himself — he runs Ironpack Inc. and Kmasters Inc., supplying Ontario manufacturers with packaging machinery and production solutions. Having built two companies from scratch, he brings first-hand entrepreneurial experience to NorthStar's board.
Join The Team
Want To Be Part Of NorthStar?
Whether you'd mentor a student, run a workshop, join the board, or something else entirely — tell us a bit about yourself below. We read every submission and follow up personally.
Partner With Us
Put Your Business Behind The Next Generation
NorthStar sponsors get real visibility with families, schools, and the Richmond Hill community — while directly funding youth ideas and workshops.
Why Sponsor NorthStar
Your Support Goes Directly to Students
NorthStar doesn't take a cut for overhead — sponsorship dollars fund workshops, mentorship, and direct grants to student ideas.
🎯
Real Community Visibility
Your business name in front of local families, schools, and the students who'll be your future customers and employees.
🤝
Direct, Local Impact
No middleman — your sponsorship funds a specific workshop or a specific student's idea, right here in Richmond Hill.
🚀
Early on a Growing Program
NorthStar is scaling fast — school partnerships, a structured 8-month program, and a growing mentor network. Get in as a founding supporter.
Sponsorship Tiers
Ways to Get Involved
Every tier funds real programming. Don't see a fit? Tell us what works for your business — we'll build something around it.
Community Supporter
$250+
A great starting point for local businesses who want to back youth entrepreneurship.
Logo on our website's sponsor list
Shoutout on Instagram
Thank-you mention at workshops
Program Partner
$750+
Directly fund a single NorthStar workshop, start to finish.
Everything in Community Supporter
Your business named as the workshop sponsor
Logo featured in workshop materials
A short feature on our site and socials
Founding Partner
Custom
For businesses who want an ongoing relationship with NorthStar as we grow.
Everything in Program Partner
Recurring recognition across the school year
First look at mentorship opportunities
Direct input on which student ideas get funded
Get In Touch
Let's Talk Sponsorship
Tell us a bit about your business and how you'd like to support NorthStar — we'll follow up personally.
This is where it starts. No business experience needed — just curiosity. Here's a first look at the 4 things every NorthStar student learns, in plain language.
The Basics
4 Things You'll Learn
We teach it in the same order real entrepreneurs learn it — so nothing feels overwhelming, and everything builds on what came before.
01
Understand How a Business Works
Every business — big or small — does three things: solves a problem, creates something people actually want, and finds a way to reach them. Once you understand that, you can build almost anything.
What a "product" or "service" really means
Who your customer is — and why that matters
Why every business needs a clear purpose
02
Becoming a Leader
You don't need a title to lead. Leadership is deciding to go first, speaking up with an idea, and helping the people around you stay motivated when things get hard.
How to communicate your ideas clearly
Making decisions when you don't have all the answers
Working with a team — and handling setbacks
03
Financial Literacy
Money makes ideas real — but only if you understand it. Financial literacy means knowing how to budget, price what you sell, and track what's coming in and going out.
Budgeting basics — spend less than you make
How to price something fairly (for you and your customer)
What "profit" actually means
04
How to Start Your Own Business
This is where everything comes together — turning an idea into something real that people can use, buy, or join.
Writing a simple, one-page plan
Getting your first customer or sale
Using feedback to grow from there
Did You Know?
Instagram started in a bedroom. Nike started with a waffle iron. Every big idea started small — the idea in your head right now already counts.
Ready to go deeper?
Try the Idea Spark tool to find your first idea, or reach out about joining a workshop.
Our programming is built for students ages 12–18, though our in-school workshops have run with Grades 5–8 groups too — we adapt the material to the room.
No — NorthStar workshops are free for students. We're funded through donations and sponsorships.
Pitch your idea, we review the plan and budget, and approved ideas receive direct support from NorthStar funds — see the Programs page for the full process.
Yes — mentorship can be as light as one Google Meet call. Let us know your availability and we'll match you accordingly.
