A supportive environment to test the waters of business.
Hosted by a committee of local Naperville high school students, the fair gives young entrepreneurs the chance to test the waters of business by selling their own products and services in a supportive environment. Kids get real-world experience with planning, budgeting, marketing, and customer interaction. Past fairs have welcomed hundreds of kidpreneurs and thousands of community visitors.
We believe the process is just as important as the outcome. Participants receive feedback from high school judges and local business professionals throughout the day. Awards recognize standout ideas and execution at the end of the fair, giving kids the confidence they need to succeed.
Families, neighbors, and sponsors help make the fair a welcoming celebration of youth creativity and leadership. We're proud to bring together Naperville and the surrounding suburbs to foster the next generation of creators and leaders.
These milestones show what young entrepreneurs and the Naperville community have built together.
We're a team of high school students passionate about business.
As seen on FOX NEWS, NCTV17, and Patch, the fair is run by local high school students and gives children ages 5-14 the opportunity to test the waters of entrepreneurship by starting their own businesses and selling products and services in a one-day, farmers market style event. Our past four fairs have welcomed over 500 kidpreneurs and 350 businesses, positively impacting an estimated 5000+ community members.
We're Aiden, Lakhi, Sophia, Sanj, Anish, Anushka, Nathan, Myles, Hadley, Kevin, and Luisa! We're local high schoolers from Naperville Central and Naperville North. We're so excited to be hosting this year's fair!
Learn a little more about each one of our committee members.
Aiden is a rising senior at Naperville North and a fourth year board member of the Naperville Children's Business Fair. He helped incubate over 400+ youth-run businesses selling to 5000+ visitors, and holds certifications from top institutions like the Wharton Global Youth Program (University of Pennsylvania).
I'm a rising senior at Naperville North High School. I've been on CBF for two years, and I'm so excited to serve as Co-President this year! I'm very interested in business and medicine, and my favorite part of CBF is seeing all the different business ideas everyone comes up with!
This year, I am serving as the VP of Marketing for CBF. I am in DECA, NRWIB, and am a big Cubs fan. I am so excited for another great year!
Hi everyone! My name is Sanjana Gurram and I am the VP of Content/Organization. A little bit about me is that I love business, hiking, and lacrosse. I've been a part of CBF for two years now and love seeing the creative ideas the kidpreneurs come up with.
Hey! I'm Anish and I am the VP of Events for CBF this year! I actually started my own DJ business through CBF, so I am excited to be back helping the next generation of kidpreneurs! I am in DECA, and enjoy travelling, baking, and music! I am a junior at Naperville Central, where I have competed internationally for our robotics team and for DECA! Reach out to me (djatek1@gmail.com) for DJ bookings!
Hi everyone! My name is Anushka Anand and I am an incoming junior at Naperville Central High School. I am so excited to help our kidpreneurs grow and expand their own businesses and knowledge regarding entrepreneurship! Using experience from my tennis job along with previous knowledge gained from my accounting class, I will bring a customer-service orientated mindset along with insightful advice regarding finance!
Hi, I'm Nathan Kalladanthyil, and I serve as VP of Applications & Customer Relations for the Naperville Children's Business Fair! I'm passionate about connecting with our kidpreneurs and their families, and I can't wait to help bring another year of young entrepreneurship to life in Naperville.
My name is Myles Kelly and I am the VP of Applications. I am a 9th grader at NCHS and love traveling, cooking, and of course, business.
Hi everyone! My name is Hadley Benson, and I am so excited to be serving on the CBF Board as the VP of Marketing! I was a proud kid-preneur when I was younger and participated in the Children's Business Fair twice with my custom resin keychain and earring business, HadCo Homemade. Through that experience, I learned so much about creativity, confidence, and entrepreneurship, and I'm excited to now help support the next generation of young business owners. I can't wait to work with all of you and help everyone feel confident and prepared for fair day!
Hi, I'm Kevin Chen, and I love helping the kids of our community! I'm currently the business manager of Airobic, a student-led Business Incubator Company where I've handled financials and won $4000 in competition money. I've also competed internationally for DECA, a business organization, where I kindled my passion for business. I'm a junior at Naperville North High School, and compete in swimming, track, and cross country. I'm determined to help those around me however I can!
Hi! My name is Luisa and I'm a freshman at Naperville North. This summer, I'll be serving as the VP of Marketing for the Naperville Children's Business Fair. In my free time, I like drawing, baking, and making designs for CBF's socials! I'm excited to meet all of our kidpreneurs at our workshops and fair this summer!
Committee Advisors
Hello! My name is Paul van der Vorst, I served on the Naperville CBF committee as Director for the 2024 fair and as an Advisor to the committee in 2025. I started out with CBF my sophomore year where Athena Chen invited me to help out and I served as the Financial Manager. Getting to see the program grow as well as many of the kidpreneurs grow alongside, I continue to be impressed by the next group of entrepreneurs entering our community! Currently I am studying Finance and International Business at the University of South Carolina and am excited to continue keeping up with the fair!
In December 2020, I founded the Naperville Children’s Business Fair and ran 4 years of events until 2024. I was inspired to start this event having run my own Etsy small business in middle school. I’m now away at UC-Berkeley, so I’m so excited to be serving in my new position as an advisor to the high school committee!
I loved serving as co-president of the CBF board: the best part was watching all of the students' faces light up in workshops and on fair day as they explored entrepreneurship outside of the classroom. The experience I had on board shaped my mindset and goals as I pursue business in college and beyond. I couldn't be more grateful to have had a part in CBF, and am excited to see where it goes next!
Hey! I'm Hiba, one of the past co-presidents of the Naperville Children's Business Fair! I have worked with NCBF for the past three summers and have loved helping prepare our next generation for their future entrepreneurial pursuits. Three years ago, I would have never imagined the growth our organization would see or the number of kidpreneurs, parents, local businesses, and community members who would take part in making our fair better each and every year. I cannot wait to see our amazing kidpreneurs flourish at NCBF 2026!