Business Startup Lab (North Van) - Summer Camp (20-24 July)

In this camp, students learn how businesses work, how money is managed, and how ideas become real ventures — while building and pitching their own startup.

Understanding money and business is one of the most valuable life skills.

In this exciting week-long program, students become young entrepreneurs. Working in small teams, they will design a startup from scratch — identifying real-world problems, developing creative solutions, building a brand, setting prices, and preparing a business pitch.

Throughout the week, students explore core business fundamentals and financial literacy through hands-on activities. They will learn how businesses generate revenue, estimate costs, set prices, understand profit, and think strategically about customers and competition.

No prior business experience is required — just curiosity, creativity, and teamwork.

Open to: Students in Grade 5 and above

Students in Grades 9 tend to focus on leadership-centric roles and mentor the younger students, while students in Grades 5-8 tend to focus on introductory elements of business and ideation.

Location: Duncan Hall - North Lonsdale United Church (3380 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC V7N 3K2)

Start and End Time

• Start: 9:00am

• End: 5:00pm

Kids need to bring:

• Packed, peanut-free lunch

• 2 peanut-free snacks

• Water bottle

• Outdoor wear (jacket, cap, etc.)

• Comfortable shoes for outdoor walks

What Students Will Learn

• Entrepreneurship and innovation – understanding how startups are created and how ideas become real businesses

• Business fundamentals – learning the key building blocks of a company including products, customers, marketing, and competition

• Money management and financial literacy – understanding how businesses generate revenue, estimate costs, set prices, and think about profit

• Pricing and value – exploring how companies decide what to charge for products and services

• Strategic decision-making – evaluating trade-offs, improving ideas, and responding to feedback

• Creative problem solving – identifying everyday problems and designing practical solutions

• Leadership and teamwork – collaborating in teams to develop and present a startup concept

• Public speaking and communication – confidently presenting ideas and explaining a business pitch

By the end of the week, students will have designed a startup concept, built a demo/concept map, created a brand, and prepared a business pitch.

Startup Demo Day

The week concludes with students presenting their business ideas in a live pitch competition.

Working in teams, students will present:

• The real-world problem they identified

• Their startup solution and prototype

• Their brand and marketing strategy

• How their business would generate revenue and manage costs

Each team delivers a short startup pitch, followed by questions and feedback.

Parents are invited to attend the Demo Day presentations from 3:00–4:00 PM on Friday to see the ideas students built during the week.

Awards may include:

🏆 Most Innovative Idea

🏆 Best Business Model

🏆 Most Creative Branding

🏆 Best Pitch

Students will also receive a Brainiacs Business Startup Lab Certificate recognizing their participation.