Burlington sixth grader Naïma Carvalho Sandoval has been drawing since she was a toddler. When she was 8, her parents, who sell jewelry at farmers markets, made some of her art into prints to sell at their table. “Every time someone bought something, I always felt super happy that they wanted to bring my art home,” she said.
Naïma and her friend Riley Savage will share their own table at Next GENerator: VT’s Youth Maker Market on Saturday, March 28, at Generator Makerspace in Burlington. It’s a chance for students in grades 3 through 12 to earn money for goods and services they’ve created.
This is the second year of the annual market, which began in 2025 as the Young Entrepreneurs’ Fair. Organizers from Generator, Seven Days and Davis Studio gave it a new name to emphasize the commercial aspect of the event.
This year’s market — sponsored by Northfield Savings Bank, Vermont Community Foundation and Community College of Vermont — will have 25 vendors, selected from a pool of more than 40 applicants. Participants were chosen in January based on their products, their presentation and the mix of other vendors.
Naïma and Riley’s business, Toadstool Cupboard, will offer stickers and note cards imprinted with their designs, as well as mushroom ornaments made from orange peels and cinnamon sticks. Said Naïma: “All of our artwork is inspired by nature, especially mushrooms.”
Riley will also be drawing custom caricatures. “I love making people happy with my artwork,” she said.
Several of last year’s vendors applied again and were accepted, though multiple newcomers will participate as well — including, full disclosure, my daughter, Ivy. I recused myself from voting on her application.
Many vendors, like Naïma, were inspired by their entrepreneurial parents. Others cited role models such as YouTuber Ryan Trahan; fashion designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh; Reshma Saujani, creator of Girls Who Code; and Amika George, founder of Free Periods, a nonprofit that advocated to stock menstrual products in United Kingdom schools.
We hope reading about these entrepreneurial young people and their thoughtfully crafted goods inspires you to drop by the market. Bring cash! Most vendors will also accept Venmo.
NextGENerator: VT’s Youth Maker Market
Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Generator Makerspace, Burlington, Free.
Sun and Moon Designs
Amelia Dabritz and Ruby Phillips, grade 6, Burlington
Earrings, key chains, necklaces, wax seal stickers, bookmarks and cards
Why they applied to Next GEN: “We learned about the Youth Maker Market from our technology education teacher. We thought having a business would be fun and a great learning experience.”
Wicks & Wax / Whittle Me This
Buck Cleary, grade 7, South Burlington
Nice-smelling candles, also wooden swords and butter knives
Why he started a business: “I first learned to carve at ReTribe in Underhill, and I like to share the things I make.”
What inspired his business name: “I use the name Whittle Me This as a challenge to myself to push the boundaries of what I can carve. Wicks & Wax is a short and sweet explanation of what I do with candles!”
Wild Daisies
Daisy Wild, grade 5, Burlington
Earrings, barrettes with origami and fun words on them, slime
Why she applied to Next GEN: “I sold some homemade barrettes and bracelets at a yard sale last year. It was really fun, so when my friend told me about this I thought it would be a good opportunity to promote my business ideas.”
Della’s Designs
Della Scheller, grade 3, Colchester
Jewelry featuring one-of-a-kind polymer clay creations
How she makes her jewelry: Della’s passion for art and fashion started her journey with polymer clay. Her designs and color combinations just develop as she’s working.
Yarn Barf
Felicity Barras, grade 9, South Burlington
Crocheted animals
What inspired the name of her business: “Yarn barf” is a term used by people who crochet. It refers to the clump of yarn that comes out of the center of a new ball or skein of yarn. “It’s also a quite eye-catching name.”
LoveArtsyStudio
Ivy Resmer, grade 12, Winooski
Cutting boards and earrings
Why she works with wood: Ivy learned her craft as a student at the Center for Technology in Essex and now works in a woodshop in her garage, using tools she sourced on social media and Front Porch Forum. “I love the tangibility of my products and find it incredibly rewarding to be able to see my progress laid out. Additionally, I love creating functional art and enjoy seeing my boards be used.”
Izzy’s Bead Bar
Izzy Singer, grade 4, Essex
Pens and mechanical pencils decorated with charms and beads, both premade and custom
What motivated her to sell her products: “I want to sell them because it will bring people joy [instead of] looking at an ordinary pen or pencil. And if it is a custom one, they will be able to show some of who they are to other people.”
Goblin’s Forge
Jax Washburn, grade 7, Jericho
Bracelets, earrings, beaded animals,
key chains
What inspired his fiery business name? The Tea Dragon Society series of books, as well as Dungeons & Dragons.
Who’s his entrepreneurial role model? His mom, Izzy, who runs Riot Craft Studio in Jericho. “She does a lot of markets, and she taught me how to make jewelry and start a successful business.”
Mountain Calm
Lila and Lucia Alexander, grade 3, Burlington
Home spa products including a Himalayan pink salt scrub, plus bath fizzies and decorative soaps.
What inspired their product line: “Our mom had a really good experience using Himalayan pink salt as a scrub at a spa. We wanted to make her something just as good that she could use at home.”
Laid Back Cat
Naomi Ozeki-Blumberg, grade 5, Burlington
Stickers, greeting cards, screen-printed T-shirts
What inspired her product line: “I love cats and their laid-back personalities, which is why I love drawing them,” Naomi said. “I have taken classes at Davis Studio, Generator and BCA and have learned a lot from each.”
Her entrepreneurial role model: “My mom, Mieko Ozeki. She owns her own business, organizing events for Vermont Womenpreneurs. It’s inspiring to get to see someone who has put lots of effort into their work. I aspire to be like that.”
Toadstool Cupboard
Naïma Carvalho Sandoval and Riley Savage, grade 6, Burlington
Stickers, mushroom ornaments, note cards, custom caricatures
What motivated Riley to join Naïma in her second year at this market: “I love making people happy with my artwork, and I think this is an awesome opportunity to do that!”
Ollie’s Prints
Olyla Quiles, grade 10, Cambridge
Hand-carved prints on paper (framed and unframed) and on T-shirts and hoodies, pins, note cards, and notebooks
Why she likes printmaking: “In my very first high school art class, we did a printmaking unit, and I really enjoyed it. When I got home, I recalled that I had done something like that before, carving stamps, and that’s where the obsession started. I made so many stamps that fall. I got more into printing on upcycled clothing when learning about clothing waste.”
What motivated her to start selling her designs: “I never really thought about selling anything until people started asking how to get them! I’ve never won any art contests or anything like that before, and the response of the community was really exciting!”
Oren’s Oddities
Oren Quiles, grade 7, Cambridge
Perler bead magnets, small crocheted creatures
What motivated him to start selling his creations? “I’ve made stuff with Perler beads for a while, and our fridge is getting full! I started felting in a summer camp a few years ago and really liked it, and then my mom taught me how to crochet and I taught a bunch of kids at school, so I had stuff to sell.”
What inspired his product line: “Video games, monster versions of ordinary things and whatever comes to mind. “
RAR Designs
Rebecca Rogers, grade 6, South Burlington
Hand- and machine-sewn items including key chains, scrunchies, box bags and fabric bags
What inspired her business name and product line: “RAR is my initials! Big-brand feels! I’m selling key chains, scrunchies and headbands because they’re fun to make and use as accessories.”
Dragon Jewels
Rothko and Aalto Smith, grades 4 and 1, Burlington
Stickers; custom stamped-metal necklaces, rings and bracelets
What inspired the brothers’ business name and product line: “Our business is named after Aalto’s dragon stuffies and the jewelry we sell. Customers tell us what they want, and then we make the word or number or heart they want on the jewelry using metal stamping.”
Barnyard Crafts
Sage Minerd, grade 6, Sharon
Stickers, bookmarks, glass beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings
What inspired her business name: “Living on a farm and making all sorts of jewelry and crafts.”
Her entrepreneurial role model: “Other small businesses on social media and also my mom.” Sage’s mother, Hillary Minerd, runs Winding Brook Farm.
Lucky Penny Charms
Una Hughes, grade 6, Burlington
Custom charm necklaces
What inspired her business name: “When I came up with the idea of starting a business, I knew from the start that it had to be named after my dog, Penny, because she is such an important part of my family.” The name is a play on the phrases “lucky charms” and “lucky penny.”
Her entrepreneurial role model: “I have to say my mom, Molly Hughes. She started Moloco because she wanted a business that she could structure around her personal work style and her family.”
Outside the Lines
Alister Griffin, grade 7, Vergennes
T-shirts, posters and hoodies, all with original hand-drawn designs
Why he started a business: “I figured I could use my talent for drawing things to turn it into a way to make some money.”
Additional Market Vendors
Pick Your Print
Piper Haggis-Haak, grade 4, Burlington
3D-printed designs
ST4R’S CRAFTY WORLD
Aurelia Grady-Brown, grade 6, South Royalton
Crochet scrunchies, cat toys, and other items. Art prints, stickers and 3D printed fidget toys and tools.
Julia’s Arts & Crafts
Julia Hertzberg, grade 3, Shelburne
Pillows, sewn bags, perler bead creations, cat toys, microwavable rice packs
Norah’s Colorful Crafts
Norah Hertzberg, grade 6, Shelburne
Beaded bracelets, perler bead creations, wooden tapestry shapes
London’s Sparkle Studio
London DeCristo, grade 4, Burlington
Face painting: rainbows, butterfly, hearts, stars, flowers, animal faces, etc.
January Crafts
Sasha Stucker, grade 6, Burlington
Linocut hand-printed cards with envelopes, earrings
Lake Champlain Sea Glass
Theodore and Freddie McRaith, grade 6, Burlington
Lake Champlain Sea Glass
This article appears in Kids VT Money Issue • 2026.
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