On July 23, the UND Center for Innovation and the Grand Forks Small Business Development Center welcomed nine young people from the Greater Grand Forks area to this year’s Kidpreneur Day Camp.
The program is a partnership between the two centers and the Grand Forks Downtown Development Association. The purpose of the two-day workshop is to teach young people subjects such as Marketing, Pricing, Sales and Inventory for the students’ own business ventures.
“We were thrilled to have partnered with the Center for Innovation and the DDA on this event,” said Tiffany Ford, state director of the North Dakota Small Business Development Center. “Being involved as a facilitator was a rewarding experience, and the two days were a great success. The project aligned perfectly with our mission to power the creation, growth, and success of small business.
“This was a fun opportunity for the kids to develop their entrepreneurial skills,” Ford continued. “We hope they are busy preparing for the Street Fair!”
Participating in the Kidpreneur workshop is both a learning experience and a lot of fun. The participants got to create, build, pitch and play some games between learning modules.
And the learning modules had a purpose, which was to get each of these young founders ready for their very own vendor table at the Downtown Grand Forks Street Fair on Aug. 23 and 24.
Emily Rice, founder of Bear’s Bracelets, returned to the Kidpreneur workshop this year to learn more and provide insight for new participants about what it is like to sell their creations at the Downtown Street Fair.
Rice started her business as a hobby during COVID, and she has expanded to selling her creations wholesale around North Dakota and Minnesota.
“The workshop helped me learn how to price my items and how to market my company,” Rice said. “Since the first workshop I attended, I have grown my business and have seven wholesale accounts throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.”
First time attendees this year included OWL, a rock band formed by three brothers: James, Oliver and Bambrick Hood. OWL will be performing and selling merchandise.
“We really had a great time at the Kidpreneur workshop,” the brothers said in an email sent from the group. “We learned a lot of great tips on how to market and price our band merchandise. It was both fun and informative!”
As UND Center for Innovation Director Amy Whitney put it, “The Kidpreneur program is an example of how our local entrepreneurial-serving organizations collaborate and empower founders of any age, encourage a lifelong sense of wonder and build self-confidence for young people interested in starting a business with their creations in the Grand Forks area.”
Visitors to the Downtown Street Fair are invited to check out Bear’s Bracelets, OWL and all the Kidpreneur vendors on Aug. 23 and 24.
By Haylee Bjork