If you’ve ever tuned into the CBC show Dragons’ Den, you’ve likely seen young entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a panel of intimidating investors who are ready to breathe fire in their direction.

Undaunted by the intimidating panellists, the kids who make the final cut of the TV show often talk the dragons into giving them good advice, mentorships, donations, and in some cases, even partnerships.

Their pitches are probably not hurt by the fact there are few things cuter than a little brainiac.

From Halifax, Nova Scotia, a group of kids pitched their business called Hope Blooms to the dragons about a year ago and left the set of the show with $40,000 in cash to help with their business.

Hope Blooms makes healthy salad dressing using organic ingredients grown in a community garden in the heart of Halifax.

It’s run by a mix of volunteers and inner-city youth.

Proceeds from their sales go toward a scholarship fund, healthy eating programs for the community and into growing more fresh herbs.

Among their dressings are an orange rosemary Dijon, maple sage balsamic, and peppered cranberry chive.

The Dragons’ Den cash for Hope Blooms went into a greenhouse to help the group produce its dressing ingredients year-round.

All the way over here on the left coast, there are plenty more handy kidpreneurs.

One such ambitious teen is 15-year-old Ann Makosinski from Victoria, who invented the Hollow Flashlight.

The flashlight is powered by the heat of the human hand.

The idea behind her thermoelectric flashlight is that it is powered by energy that’s always around us, but that we never really use.

She was inspired to make the flashlight after chatting with a friend in the Philippines who told her about struggling to complete her homework when the power at her house went out.

The flashlights only need a temperature difference of about five degrees C between the hand holding them and the outside air.

Better yet, the technology can be applied in other areas as well: Makosinski imagines being able to charge a cellphone by holding it or power on classroom lights by simply having students sit in their seats.

The Hollow Flashlight grabbed headlines when it won Makosinski top honours in her age category at the Google Science Fair: a global online competition for young innovators.

Though the Hollow Flashlight isn’t on the market yet, the idea that kids can innovate certainly is.

And it’s an idea that one five-year-old Huxley Briggs in the Yukon identified with.

Huxley pitched his wooden blocks to a local toy store owner (who’s also a Grade 1 teacher) and scored an order for 10 sets of the blocks.

They’re made from scrap wood in his dad’s workshop and come packaged in a bag labelled Huxley’s Block Company in Huxley’s own handwriting.

The proceeds from the sale of Huxley’s blocks went to the his choice charity: the Yukon chapter of Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

It only took one day for all 10 sets of the blocks to sell out, and Huxley is reportedly in negotiations with his dad and grandfather to increase production.

Back here in Merritt, it takes one look at the list of local students who participate in the annual science fair to see that there is no shortage of creativity and ability among youth here in the Nicola Valley.