Napa Valley College Children's Business Fair Oct 14th

Saturday, October 14, 2023

10:00AM - 1:00PM

Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley

1515 Pueblo Ave, Napa, CA 94558, USA

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About the fair

About the Napa Valley College Youth Entrepreneurship
Children's Business Fair
October 14th 2023
10 am to 1 pm

Are you ready for some serious kid-powered entrepreneurship? Look no further than the upcoming Children's Business Fair right here in the beautiful Napa Valley! Kids of all ages are welcome to apply to showcase their innovative ideas and creative talents in a fun-filled, family-friendly atmosphere. From handcrafted jewelry to pet-sitting services and lemonade stands galore, these young entrepreneurs will be selling their wares and putting their business skills to the test. And who knows – you may just discover the next young millionaire in the making! So grab the whole family and come support our future leaders as they learn to think outside the box and turn their dreams into reality. See you at the fair!

Apply to be a part of it

Accepting applications from kids ages 5-17 who either already have a business or are looking to launch a venture of their very own. To apply, click here.

Hosted by

Claudette Shatto

🗓️ Started hosting in 2023

✅ Identity verified

⭐️ 4.6 (20)

Business besties, Claudette Shatto and Emily Oberman are Napa locals who never turn down the opportunity to get together and talk entrepreneurship!

Claudette Shatto holds an MBA and is a graduate of the rigorous Leadership Napa Valley program. She teaches leadership and entrepreneurship to elementary-aged children while raising her own two adolescent boys always with a growth mindset first. She is also a business professor at Napa Valley College and was named “Best Educator” in 2022. She is currently working on a children’s book series focused on the entrepreneurial mindset. You can read more about her here.

Emily Oberman is the founder of The Content Atelier, a digital marketing studio for content creators and entrepreneurs who are making an impact as thought leaders in their respective industries. A copywriter by trade, her superpower is authentic storytelling, having ghostwritten for dozens of well-known brands. Additionally, she teaches Social Media Marketing at Napa Valley College. She is passionate about mental health and instilling an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, something she practices with her own 8-year-old daughter.

49 booths participating

Vivo sisters

Rustic Love

And 47 others.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Children’s Business Fair?
The Children’s Business Fair is hosted by the Napa Valley College Entrepreneurship Program in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of the Napa Valley and Acton Children's Fair. The fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneurs. The largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

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?
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 indoors in the Boys & Girls Club Gym. You must provide your own table. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.

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.

Parents of younger children may sit in the booth, but the children should be responsible for setting 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.