BizBuzz
Camp
Our seven-session BizBuzz Camp helps young founders ideate, build, and pitch market-ready ventures alongside Shark Tank alumni, civic leaders, and finance experts.
Camp Sessions
Seven intensive weeks of entrepreneurship education, hands-on activities, and mentorship from industry leaders.
Networking & Ideation
In Session 1, kidpreneurs at our 2025 Summer Entrepreneurship Camp broke the ice with new friends and high school instructors through a high-stakes Networking Bingo game. They then learned to identify and brainstorm real-world problems in an interactive "Bug-Me List" and ideation session. The day concluded with a Mini Fish Tank challenge, where students pitched creative product mashups for Jolly Ranchers and $135 in Andy's Ice Cream treat cards.
Lean Canvas & Value Proposition
In Session 2, kidpreneurs kicked things off with our Inventor Fusion game, combining random objects to invent new products and test their teamwork. They then completed a Lean Canvas Model to refine their business ideas from the previous session. Building on these ideas, they competed in our Pokémon Card Investor Report challenge, where students pitched 30-second summaries of their ideas, advanced through group voting rounds, and competed for Chicago Wolves and White Sox game tickets.
Marketing & Branding
In Session 3, students learned how to market their business ideas by designing logos, slogans, product sketches, and fliers that built a cohesive brand. After an icebreaker where they pitched creative uses for random objects, each room worked on Canva to build a group logo and flier, deciding on colors, fonts, and layouts together. Students then created their own marketing portfolios and competed in a full-class flier design bracket, with top teams winning Illinois State University football and basketball game tickets.
FEATURED SPEAKER
Kandice Henning
CEO of the Alive Center
Sharing how strategic marketing grew the ALIVE Center into three Naperville locations and counting, she showed students that powerful branding goes beyond visuals, using storytelling to build genuine connection.
Prototyping & Product Creation
In Session 4, students brought their Fish Tank ideas to life through hands-on creation. After the "Personal Brand Soul Train" icebreaker, they split into three creative tracks—Tinkercad for 3D modeling, Google Sites for website design, and detailed sketching—to build prototypes, online product pages, and prototype blueprints with high school specialists.
FEATURED SPEAKER
Lindsey Fleischhauer
Co-Founder at Totes Babies
Walking students through the journey of refining her car seat carrier for parents on the go, she shared how Totes Babies grew from a rough prototype to a Shark Tank success story, eventually pitching it in Las Vegas and securing a deal on Season 12, Episode 17.
Finance & Budgeting
In Session 5, students got "hired" by Invisibelle, a startup selling invisible products, pitching their wildest talents to instructors in a hilarious Founder's Got Talent challenge. They then learned how to think like entrepreneurs by budgeting a $3,500 dream vacation, making surprise spending choices and pitching their trips to classmates. The top planners walked away with Kane County Cougar and Chicago Fire game tickets, while everyone else scored sweet Jolly Ranchers for a job well done.
FEATURED SPEAKER
Mary Gibson
Naperville Park District President
As the city's Park District President, she connected big data, emotion, and politics, showing students how running a campaign is just like marketing a business—where authentic, consistent storytelling turns voters and customers into true supporters!
Business Planning & Leadership
FEATURED SPEAKER
Scott Wehrli
Mayor of Naperville
Sharing stories from his journey in public service and business, he inspired students to see leadership as service to their community. He encouraged them to stay curious, take initiative, and use entrepreneurship to make a lasting local impact.
In Session 6, students finalized their Fish Tank ideas, outlining full business plans from problem to profit. After hearing advice from Mayor Scott Wehrli and City Finance Director Raymond Munch, they spent the afternoon polishing slides, scripts, and prototypes—and celebrating their progress with prizes like Keller's Farmstead passes, a DuPage Children's Museum family pass, a DuPage Forest Preserve gift card, and a Gourmet Gift Baskets gift card.
GUEST SPEAKER
Raymond Munch
City Director of Finance
He showed students how budgeting, planning, and smart financial strategy power both cities and startups alike. He connected real-world finance to their Fish Tank projects, emphasizing how numbers can tell the story behind every great idea.
Pitch Rehearsal & Preparation
Biz, Buzz, Build! Students spent the day fully immersed in their Fish Tank projects, perfecting business plans, building prototypes, and running mock pitches with instructors. The session focused entirely on preparation, teamwork, and refining every detail to get ready for the big day.
Ready for 2025?
Applications open Spring 2025. Join our mailing list to be the first to know.