Mississauga residents can shop from 13 student-run businesses next month when the IDEA Connect Summer Market sets up inside Square One Shopping Centre.
The free event runs Aug. 12 at IDEA Square One, located on the second floor of the mall at 100 City Centre Drive, beside The Rec Room. Visitors can browse goods and services ranging from custom nails and baked goods to creative media, and meet the young owners behind the ventures, according to the announcement on carolynparrish.ca.
A capstone for summer entrepreneurs
The young business owners are participants in Summer Company, a program funded by the Government of Ontario that lets people between the ages of 15 and 29 start and run their own businesses over the summer.
The program comes with real time commitments. High school students commit to at least 280 hours, while post-secondary students commit to at least 420 hours between May and Labour Day. Along the way, they receive training, guidance from IDEA and hands-on experience building a real business.
The summer market marks the end of the 2026 IDEA Mississauga Summer Company program, giving students a chance to meet customers face to face and log sales experience before they head back to school in September.
Passport raffle and free admission
Attendees can pick up a passport on arrival and collect a stamp at each business they visit. Completed passports can be entered into a raffle for a chance to win an IDEA gift bag.
Admission is free, though visitors are asked to register online to attend.
The City's entrepreneurship hub
The market also puts the spotlight on IDEA Mississauga itself, which serves as the City's hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. The organization connects local and global founders and helps businesses grow.
Its home base, the IDEA Square One Entrepreneurship Hub, is a 4,300-square-foot innovation space inside Square One Shopping Centre that brings together start-ups, scale-ups, corporate partners and investors.
"The IDEA Connect Summer Market showcases the creativity, dedication and entrepreneurial spirit of students who have spent the summer turning their ideas into businesses. These young entrepreneurs represent the next generation of innovators, and their success highlights the strength of Mississauga's entrepreneurial community. I encourage residents to visit the market, connect with these talented young business owners and support their growing ventures." — Christina Kakaflikas, Director, Invest Mississauga, in the announcement on carolynparrish.ca
Beyond the shopping, the event is a chance for the community to celebrate the next generation of local entrepreneurs and see what the summer program has helped them build.
