August 19, 2023 ~ 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. ~ Rockville Town Square
Application Deadline: June 2
The Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair is back! The fair is designed to teach young people the nature and value of entrepreneurship and encourage them to think creatively and boldly execute their ideas. This will be the third year the Fair has brought together children aged 6-15 and their families for a dynamic out-of-school-time learning experience. Please join us on August 19, 2023 to see Montgomery County’s young entrepreneurs shine!
Children are naturally curious and imaginative. When these native traits are cultivated by nurturing their entrepreneurial skills, they often develop new ideas and find innovative solutions to problems. This mindset of creativity and innovation can equip children to be changemakers, positively impacting society as a whole.
The Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair creators are betting on that. In its third year, this homegrown event for children ages 6 to 15 has exposed hundreds of young people and their families to the wide world of entrepreneurship opportunities.
“Looking at the future, we’re going to need new solutions to some of our society’s most pressing problems,” said Tameka Montgomery, who co-founded the business fair with her husband Jonathan and their three sons. “The reason we created the Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair was to encourage young people to THINK entrepreneurially. What better way to help children and youth build an entrepreneurial mindset than letting them be entrepreneurs for a day?”
The skills young people develop in preparing for and participating in the Business Fair are essential business skills needed to succeed in the workforce. These are skills like:
- Preparation and planning
- Persuasion and selling ideas
- Money management
- Problem-solving
- Creative thinking
- Public speaking and presentation
The event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. Children are expected to do as much as possible by themselves. The fair is a tented outdoor event with booths. Each booth has an 8 ft. table, with 2 businesses at a table. While younger children may have a parent sit in the booth with them, to the extent possible, the children are the ones who must set up, interact with customers, and sell.
A panel of local judges will review the work of up to 40 participants.
Children learn through this process that most businesses are formed as the answer to a perceived problem or need – to fill in something missing in people’s lives or experience. With the current focus on the social economy, more children may be motivated to develop socially conscious businesses that address pressing social issues and contribute to the greater good.
“Entrepreneurship is not just about starting businesses,” said Montgomery. “It’s a mindset characterized by resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to take risks. With the business fair, we hope to help more young people cultivate this mindset, which is valuable regardless of the career path they choose. An entrepreneurial mindset encourages individuals to embrace change, learn from failures, and continuously seek improvement.”
The Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair will take place August 19th rain or shine from 11-2 pm at Rockville Town Center. It is open to the public.
For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact the event organizers.
Tameka Montgomery is a former Small Business Administration executive, Obama appointee, and TED.com speaker. She is now the CEO of Core Strategy Partners, a Montgomery County Black Business Database member company.