Seventeen-year-old Santa Clara resident Mikhil Kiran is dedicated to enabling other young people to experience the thrill of business success that he first tasted as an 11-year-old selling handmade soap at a children’s business fair in Burlingame.
“I want to create opportunities for kids to discover a passion for business and entrepreneurship,” said Kiran, a senior at Harker School in San Jose. “It’s inspiring to see the passion kids have for their products.”
With the help of his mom and dad—Nisha Ramachandran and Kiran Ganesh—Kiran organized the 7th Santa Clara Children’s Business Fair (SCCBF) Oct.18 at Live Oak Park at Rivermark Village.
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At the 2025 SCCBF, which followed the guidelines of the nonprofit Acton Children’s Business Fair, young entrepreneurs at 60 canopied booths eye-catchingly displayed and promoted their products and services. They had been selected from more than 400 applicants.
Seventh-grader Vivaan Aggarwal and his sixth-grade friend Advik Palki, both from Santa Clara, founded Infinite Designs, a 3D production business. They and their friend Yajur demonstrated the process of making custom 3D toys and items such as small vases out of coils of plastic filament on the new 3D printer Aggarwal’s grandparents gave him.
“Let me show you how they’re made,” said Aggarwal, drawing in a potential customer. He is learning about 3D software design and printing at his school, BASIS Independent Silicon Valley in San Jose. Read a blog about the founding of Infinite Designs on Reddit.
Anushka Jain, an eighth-grader at Don Callejon School in Santa Clara, is the author of two self-published books: “Movie 101 You’re Next …”—published this October—and “The Burlington House”—published when she was a sixth grader.
Inspired by reading the “A to Z Mysteries” book series when she was younger, Jain writes mystery and adventure books.
“I just love writing, and I wanted to make other books for people who love mystery and adventure,” she said. “Do you want to buy a copy?”
“Use your own imagination. If you put all your effort into writing, it will be worth it,” Jain advised others who would be authors.
At Layla’s Jewelry table, the seventh grader from Fremont displayed seasonal jewelry she had handmade from polymer clay, resin and beads. Her mom wore a pair of orange pumpkin earrings. Although it was Layla’s first time at the Santa Clara Children’s Business Fair, she has participated in fairs in two other cities.
Unlike at the 2024 SCCBF, there were no winners singled out for prizes this year. Instead, the focus was on everyone being a winner as they learned from the business experience and from one another.
“It’s really important at a young age to explore what you’re interested in,” said Mikhil Kiran, who plans to study business and computer science in college. “When you’re younger, you have more opportunities and fewer things that can go wrong.”
“Just get out there and explore your interests,” Kiran advised. “It’s easier when you’re young, but regardless of how old you are, it’s important to have something you do for fun.”
For kids—or adults—looking for inspiration, Kirin’s book, “Where Dreams Take Flight: Perspectives from Kid Entrepreneurs,” is available online.
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