Students and faculty passed by the walkway outside of the Hu court on Wednesday, Dec. 3, to enjoy a variety of businesses’ stands and products. Some of these items included jewelry, chocolates, flowers, clothes, and much more.
These vendors were either parents of students or owners who had been invited by other parents to present and sell their products.
Maria Gaia, owner of Gaia Candle Shop, explained how she started making candles as a hobby during quarantine, which later became her livelihood. Gaia substitutes the regular additives and preservatives in everyday candles, including paraffin wax derived from crude oil, for soy wax, making them more eco-friendly while still maintaining the long lasting scent of a regular candle.
“Starting my own business really gave me something to work towards and kept me busy during my free time in the pandemic,” Gaia said.
In addition to purchasing material items, shoppers were also given the option to buy food, such as chocolates. Rami Romero, owner of Rami Chocolates, didn’t always plan to go into the chocolate business. Still, when he took an internship at a chocolate factory, he quickly discovered a passion for it.
“The best part about today was getting to see the kids try something new with our chocolates and show them how your passions can lead to great things,” Romero said.
Customers also got to see the work of younger vendors with various middle schoolers selling items they had presented in their BizLab classes. Some of these products included phone cases, protein cookies, and energy drinks.
“We got to pitch our ideas to a group of judges who then voted on the best ones, and from there we got to actually produce our product designs and sell them for a reasonable price,” middle schooler Nathaniel Gonzalez Busquets said.
The Marketplace was a great way for young Raiders to learn how to sell their own goods while also learning from the more experienced business owners.
“I really liked the brownies that they [middle schoolers] were selling,” sophomore Hudson Eisenbud said. “They convinced me that they were a fair price, which made me end up buying one.”
