Acton Children's Business Fair Durham, NC event image
📣 Youth Entrepreneurs, ages 5-15, are invited to apply! Applications OPEN August 1st and CLOSE September 20th.

Acton Children's Business Fair Durham, NC

Saturday, October 10, 2020

10:30AM - 3:30PM

311 Oakwood Ave

Durham, NC 27701, USA

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About the fair
Due to Covid-19, the DCBF will be conducted online.

The DCBF will be OPEN virtually on Saturday, October 10th, and will take place in a Private Facebook Group Marketplace. 

There will be 2 simulations (practice launches) on the following Saturdays from 1:00 - 1:45 pm: 9/26, 10/3.

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As a Young Entrepreneur (5-15 years old), here’s what you need to do:

  1. APPLY TO THE FAIR (see above).
    • Up to a max of 3 children per business.
    • You need a business name and an idea of what you are selling.
    • The fee is $15 (See fee waiver details in info-pack)
    • Application Due Date: September 20th, 2020
  2. Participate in the Simulation Saturdays before the CBF date
    • What worked? What did not? What will be different next round? Any surprises?
    • Share this experience twice on social media to get the fee waiver
  3. Open for business on Children’s Business Fair day on October 10th, 2020

For more information, please:
1) Check out our
info-pack, or
2) Send an email with your query and contact details to
info@empoweredmindsacademy.com. We will get back to you.

Stay Safe Everyone!

Empowered Minds Academy DCBF2020 Organizers

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Observe the opportunity for children to launch their very own startup business!

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 50 virtual booths via a Private Facebook Group Marketplace on October 10th, 2020 from 10:30 am – 3:30 pm.

This event is sponsored by Empowered Minds Academy, the Acton School of Business, and the generous support of our donors and volunteers.  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.
Hosted by

Valine Zeigler

🗓️ Started hosting in 2018

Identity verified

🚀 Has hosted 8 fairs

We are a team of passionate entrepreneurs, guides, mentors, and parents, who want our children to learn about entrepreneurship in a practical and fun way.

5 booths participating

Superhero Pictures

Sprinkle Grace Co

And 3 others.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Durham Children’s Business Fair?

The Durham Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. This one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

What about the competition?

There will be a winner in each age group and category.  

The 3 categories are:
  • Most Original Business Idea 
  • Highest Business Potential
  • Best Presentation/Creativity

Age groups include: 5-7, 8-10, 11-15.

How many businesses will you accept?

We will accept up to 50 businesses.

Where should I begin? 

Start with our resources page. Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.

How do I apply? Can I apply as part of a group?

The application must be submitted online. Please submit one application for each business. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child’s information. No more than 3 participants per business.

What is on the application?

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? 

What if someone else has the same business idea?  

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.

How will the fair be set up?

The fair will be a virtual event.  Each business will create their own online presence.  

Will electricity be available?

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the booths.

What are the rules? 

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.

How did the Acton Children’s Business Fair get started?

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.

What is Empowered Minds Academy?

Empowered Minds Academy is an independently-owned and operated school that was founded in Fall 2016 and became part of the Acton Academy Affiliate Network in Fall 2017.  The affiliate network is passionate about revolutionizing education, pursuing best practices, and have agreed to protect a learner-driven environment.  To learn more, visit their website.