Omaha Children’s Business Fair
Ignite entrepreneurship in your child
- DATE AND TIME
- Sunday, May 15, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
- LOCATION
- Omaha Palazzo - 5110 N. 132nd Street, Omaha, NE 68164, USA
Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at our one-day marketplace.
We will host up to 70 youth start-up businesses on Sunday, May 15 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at the Omaha Palazzo, located near 132nd and Fort.
Event Activities:
12:00- Participant Check-In & Set-Up
2:00- Public Marketplace & Judging
4:00- Awards Ceremony
A fun Launch Workshop will also be held on Thursday, April 21 from 5:00-6:30 pm to offer inspiration and support to participants and parents alike! Location TBA.
Our youth are capable of far more than we can imagine. When we can inspire them through stories of entrepreneurs who have gone before, emphasize the journey of growth over the result itself, and give them opportunity to learn through real-world, hands-on experiences, these young heroes will be inspired to discover their most precious gifts and a calling that will change the world.
This event is hosted by Acton Academy Omaha and Prairie STEM 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
Children's Business Fair
Acton Academy
Next Great Adventure
Here Are A Few FAQs We Get A Lot:
The Omaha Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. 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 70 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 Workshop happening on Thursday, April 21 from 5:00 – 6:30 pm (Location TBA). 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. There is a $20 non-refundable application fee per business to help cover the expenses of the event.
Yes. There is a $20 non-refundable application fee per business to help cover the expenses of the event.
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?
Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out, though we will let later entries know if another applicant has a similar idea so the later entrant can decide what to do.
The fair will be an indoor event on the main level of the Omaha Palazzo. Each business will be given one 6-ft. table and 1-2 chairs. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the booths.
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 Omaha Children’s Business Fair in Austin.