The Jafar sisters were so excited about selling their creations they could barely sleep. The next day, they’d be among the young businesspeople featured at the recent Youth Entrepreneur Fair at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills.
So they stayed up late, making sure their crocheted animals and food concoctions were just right.
“I tested out a bunch of recipes, tweaked them, found the perfect ones and wrote them in a recipe book,” said Salma Jafar, who is 15 and attends Universal School in Bridgeview. “These are the most sellable.”
Her goodies included cookies, brownies, cake poppers and cinnamon rolls, as well as flavored coffees. She was joined in offering goodies by Jana Jafar, 8, who was selling various intricate candied concoctions
The siblings were among dozens of children and teens selling their wares at the event, now in its third year. Other offerings included paintings, candles, soaps, puzzles, jewelry, scarves and blankets. There was also a contest overseen by judges who work at Bridgeview courthouse.
Like many of the sellers, the Jafars learned their trades from their mom.
“I’ve been in the kitchen my whole life,” Salma Jafar said. “I found my passion and decided to share it.”
Her siblings Lamar and Leen Jafar, 14 and 11 respectively, who were selling crocheted animals, were inspired after seeing similar items for sale at malls.
“It all started with my two daughters…they fell in love with crochet,” said their mom, Noor Issa.
Issa said her daughters originally wanted to sell on Etsy, “I felt like that wasn’t good for their age,” she said, and then heard about the Moraine Valley event.
Jana Jafar, 8, sells homemade candy at the recent Youth Entrepreneur Fair at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. (Janice Neumann/Daily Southtown)
“They loved the idea,” she said. “Salma is such a good baker, Jana loves candies. “It’s such a great opportunity, spending their time on good things instead of online.”
The main goal was to teach the budding entrepreneurs how to attract customers, communicate well and sell their items.
“When folks are coming by, smile, introduce your products and sell hard,” Rush Darwish told them before opening the doors to potential customers.
Darwish, president of the Arab American Business and Professional Association, co-sponsored the event with Sundus Madi-McCarthy, an academic adviser and teacher at Moraine Valley.
“It teaches them an important financial responsibility,” said Darwish. “We have the resources to put these children in a position to start their businesses, generate revenue and support their families.”
He said the youngsters are at an ideal age to learn how to succeed in business.
“They take our advice at a much higher level than adults,” Darwish said.
Madi-McCarthy came up with the idea for the fair with help from her twin daughters who sell pet products at the event each year. Heyam and Joori Madi-McCarthy own Pet City, which offers pet check-ins, pet sitting, dog walking, overnight stays and pet toys and treats. Her son also sells rocks and gems at the event.
“My kids wanted to host their own business fair,” Madi-McCarthy said. “It provides the kids the opportunity to learn, grow, create, come out of their shells and find the bravery to make this happen.”
Armando Salas greets customers as he sells jewelry he had made during the recent Youth Entrepreneur Fair at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. (Janice Neumann/Daily Southtown)
Vlad Volshyn, who attends Oak Ridge School in Palos Hills and whose family is from Ukraine, was there with his mother, Natalia, selling resin trinkets, jewelry, coasters with cat pictures and notebooks with jeweled covers. He got his inspiration from the art pieces his mom made and used to decorate their home.
He made some of his own to add to those decorations, an effort that requires him to be “really patient and focused.”
“They looked so cool,” Vlad Volshyn said. “I started selling and I just loved it.”
Armando Salas, who attends Hilda Walker Intermediate School in Tinley Park, happily greeted every passer-by he could. He was selling bracelets and keychains for the second year at the fair.
“My mom used to make them for herself when she was a kid,” he explained.
Adam and Samhan Noor, both 11, were selling marshmallow treats, which they made together and marketed by offering free samples.
Valintina Banisalman, was selling crocheted scarfs, which she learned to make in a class.
“I found out it was really fun,” she said.
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/youth-entrepreneur-fair-mvcc/
