Meet JD Ribali, a Southwest Florida entrepreneur and the driving force behind Biz Kidz and Young Entrepreneurs and Rising Stars (YEARS)—two dynamic youth entrepreneurship programs. From overcoming challenges like dyslexia to launching dozens of businesses, JD’s personal story inspired him to create hands-on, local opportunities for kids to explore business ownership. Through interactive events and mentoring, he’s helping kids across SWFL turn bold ideas into thriving ventures.
What is your education and professional background?
I’m a lifelong entrepreneur at heart. Over the years, I’ve launched and grown dozens of businesses across different industries, each one adding a new chapter to my playbook on what works, what fails fast, and what truly makes an impact.
I hold a bachelor’s degree in Business Communication, which sharpened my ability to tell compelling stories and connect with people. I also earned an MBA, which gave me a formal framework to back up my street smarts.
But my biggest education has come from the trenches: building businesses from scratch, navigating the ups and downs, and turning lessons learned into opportunities to mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs through the Young Entrepreneurs and Rising Stars and The Biz Kidz Hub.
How and why did you create the Biz Kidz brand?
I created Biz Kidz because I was once that kid — the one who struggled in school, labeled by my dyslexia, told I probably wouldn’t even graduate from high school. What I didn’t have back then was a mentor who could show me that business was a place where thinking differently could actually be a superpower.
Fast forward a few decades, and I realized there needed to be a fun, hands-on way for kids to learn about entrepreneurship long before adulthood. That’s how Biz Kidz was born.
The “why” is simple: to give young people the tools, confidence, and real-world experiences to start a business and to build a community where kids cheer each other on and learn from local business owners.
Biz Kidz is about turning little dreamers into big doers. And it’s the most rewarding business I’ve ever started
What is the mission of BK?
The mission of Young Entrepreneurs and Rising Stars (YEARS) and Biz Kidz Hub is all about giving kids and teens the tools, experiences, and confidence to turn their ideas into reality.
At its heart, YEARS and Biz Kidz are about helping kids discover that entrepreneurship is not just for adults in suits. It’s for creative, curious young minds who want to solve problems and shape their own futures — starting right now.
Tell us about the Biz Kidz.
Our very first Biz Kidz Expo back in 2021 was small, scrappy, and filled with young entrepreneurs who were thrilled to step out from behind their lemonade stands and into a real business spotlight.
What started as a single Expo has blossomed into a dynamic program that now includes monthly markets where kids run their own booths right alongside professional vendors, field trips so kids can see business in action, and our online training center for kids.
Today, we typically hold three to four events each month, from markets to workshops to field trips. We’ve run well over a hundred events .
Why is mentoring youth entrepreneurs important to you?
Because I was that kid who needed it most.
Growing up with dyslexia, I was told I probably wouldn’t graduate from high school, let alone start dozens of businesses or earn an MBA. I didn’t have mentors to show me that thinking differently could actually be my biggest strength. I had to figure it out myself the hard way.
That’s why mentoring young entrepreneurs is so deeply personal for me. It’s about giving kids the kind of support, encouragement, and real-world know-how I wish I’d had. It’s about helping them skip some of the painful detours and instead build confidence, resilience, and practical business skills early on.
More than anything, it’s about sparking that moment when a kid realizes: “Hey, I can do this. I can take an idea, build it into something real, and shape my own future.”
How many kids have participated to date?
Over the past five years, we’ve had more than 1,200 kids run their own businesses at a market or expo, selling everything from homemade soaps and jewelry to teens offering tech services and creative products.
Beyond that, we’ve mentored or presented to another 1,500 kids through schools, non profit partners, and homeschool co-ops, planting seeds of entrepreneurship all across our community.
Are there any Biz Kidz alum who have become adult entrepreneurs?
One of my favorite examples is Kaci from Kaci Cakes and Bakes. She was one of the very first kids to come through our Biz Kidz program. What started as a humble table of homemade treats at our market has grown into a full-fledged catering business.
Today, she’s not only a student at the FGCU School of Entrepreneurship, but she also runs a thriving company baking custom cakes and desserts for corporate events, and she supplies fresh pastries to a local coffee shop every morning.
Kaci is now headed to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to study fine dining and catering. Stories like Kaci’s are exactly why we do what we do. It proves that when you give young entrepreneurs a place to start, you’re helping them build a future with no limits.
What’s next for Biz Kidz?
We’re expanding our Biz Kidz Markets, Field Trips, and Pitch Contests to reach even more kids across Southwest Florida (and beyond). We’re also growing our Biz Kidz Hub online training center.
Long-term, we want to see thousands more kids start businesses before they even graduate from high school. We want to create partnerships with universities, local chambers, and global brands so these young entrepreneurs get a launchpad most adults only dream of.
Do you know our August 2025 cover kids, the Baker Boys?
The Baker Boys are true Biz Kidz rock stars. They have become staples at just about every market we host locally. They show up early, set up shop like pros, and greet customers with the kind of enthusiasm most adults would pay good money to bottle up.
Honestly, the Baker Boys are a perfect example of why we started this program — to help kids turn simple ideas into real businesses, and have a ton of fun along the way.
See the Baker Boys on the cover of our August 2025 issue here.