Omaha Children’s Business Fair
Where entrepreneurship becomes ownership.
in real life.
- DATE AND TIME
- Sunday, April 26, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
- LOCATION
- Millwork Commons, 1229 Millwork Ave. | Omaha, NE 68102
Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for real customers at our one-day marketplace.
We will host up to 100 youth start-up businesses on Sunday, April 26 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm, located at Millwork Commons, 1229 Millwork Ave., Omaha, NE 68102
Event Activities:
12:00- Participant Check-In & Set-Up
2:00- Public Marketplace & Judging
4:15- Awards Ceremony
A Launch Event will be held on Sunday, March 15 from 2:00-4:00 pm at Buildertrend Headquarters to inspire and equip both parents and participants.
Young entrepreneurs will hear from experienced business leaders, gain practical guidance, and step into the mindset of ownership from day one.
Registration for the Launch Event is included in the Fair application. Follow these steps to prepare for your application today!
Young people are capable of far more than we imagine. When trusted with real responsibility, guided by real mentors, and challenged in the real world, they discover who they are – and the courage to create their lives.
This event is hosted by Acton Academy Omaha and is sponsored by the generous support of our donors and volunteers, many listed below. We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.
Whether an entrepreneur is famous like Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey or they are one of the thousands of unsung business owners across this country, these are the people who make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs and serve their communities.
Thank You to Our Incredible Sponsors
Here Are A Few FAQs We Get A Lot:
The Omaha Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. As part of the Acton Children’s Business Fairs, the largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own business.
We will accept up to 100 businesses.
Unsure where to start? Our advice is to keep it simple.
- First, think about what you can make with your own hands that others might enjoy.
- Next, picture how you might sell it.
- Finally, image the feeling (and responsibility) of having a little extra spending money as a result.
For inspiration for participants and parents alike, plan to attend our Launch Event! This fun event will include business advice from local entrepreneurs, stories from prior participants, an opportunity for youth to share their pitch and prototype product, and details about day-of logistics! Register to attend when you apply to the fair.
Learn more about the 3 Magic Seeds for starting a business and what the mindset of a hero looks like in this story, A Message to Garcia.
For more inspiration, check out pictures and stories from our past fairs on our Facebook page.
For more helpful tools, check out the following resource, Steps to Building Your Business.
Yes. Each business may have up to 2 participants. The parent/legal guardian of the “lead participant” will fill out the application at the link above, paying the $20 application fee (one fee per business), and then will receive a special link to share with the additional participant for their parent/legal guardian to fill out.
Yes. There is a $20 non-refundable application fee per business to help cover the expenses of the event.
Participant Waivers:
The parent / legal guardian of each participant must be the one to submit the application and agree to the included waivers. See our Policies & Procedures document here.
Youth Application Questions:
The application asks kids to think through some simple, but important elements of their business:
- What product or service do you plan to sell?
- What price will you charge for each product/service? How much will each product/service cost you?
- How will you pay for your startup costs? If someone is helping you with your startup costs, how will you pay that person back?
- How will you advertise/market your business before the fair?
- At the end of the fair, how will you determine if your business was a success?
- Where did you get the idea for your business?
- What will be the biggest challenge for you in this experience?
- What are you most excited about for this experience?
Parent / Guardian Application Questions:
The parents also have a few questions to answer!
- How did you hear about the Omaha Children’s Business Fair?
- What are you most excited about for your child in this experience?
- With this event’s emphasis on empowering the child, what about this experience will be most challenging for you as a parent?
- At the end of the event, how will you determine if your child’s experience has been a success?
- Do you have any other questions for us or ways we can support you in this experience?
Application Review:
Applications will be reviewed weekly. Keep an eye on your email, as we will respond to your application within one week of receiving it.
Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out.
The Children’s Business Fair will be both indoor and outdoor, with most booths located outside the Dock at Millwork Commons – right in the heart of Omaha’s entrepreneurial and maker hub.
Each business brings their own table (up to 6 ft long) and chairs for their booth as needed. See the Policies & Procedures document for more information. Limited electrical outlets may be available on the day of the fair on a first-come, first-served basis. We are not able to accommodate businesses needing guaranteed access to electricity.
Limited electrical outlets may be available on the day of the fair on a first-come, first-served basis. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate businesses needing guaranteed access to electricity.
This event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. If a parent is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.
Parents of younger children may sit in the booth, but the children should be responsible for set up, customer interaction, and sales.
Parents may help their child fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves.
Jeff and Laura Sandefer and a few other families wanted to spark a sense of wonder and entrepreneurship in their children so they created the first Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin, Texas, in 2007. That year, there were seven entrepreneurs and around 25 attendees. Now, there are over 115 entrepreneurs and 1,500 attendees at the Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin.
The Omaha Children’s Business Fair began in 2018 as a bold expression of our mission at Acton Academy Omaha. We believe young people are geniuses. When trusted with real responsibility in the real world, they grow in confidence, courage, and capability.
This is the learning that matters most.
This is Acton. School in real life.