
Teen Idea Labs is comprised of mini-seminars designed to help engage students and inspire them to develop innovative ideas of tomorrow. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. at Kauffman Labs and includes attendance at 1 Million Cups – Kansas City.
Robison, a longtime small business owner, created the event after his children began asking questions about owning their own business, writes Megan Bannister for Silicon Prairie News.
“As a business owner for as long as they can remember, [my kids] have only witnessed this side of the world,” he told SPN. “As they mature, I challenge them to explore opportunities of their own.”
Not much entrepreneurial happens in Kansas City without the support of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and Teen Idea Labs is no exception. Nate Olson, a specialist in entrepreneurship at the Foundation, lent his support to the idea, which Robison then brought to fruition.
As a serial entrepreneur and a longtime champion of youth initiatives like STEM education and others, I applaud this idea and hope that it’s the first of many like it. After all, why shouldn’t we encourage our kids to follow their dreams and make them a reality? You certainly don’t have to be an adult to find ways to affect change and bring new ideas to the table—in fact, kids are less likely to be hindered by the challenges, biases and limitations that so often stall an adult’s momentum.
What’s even more exciting? This day-long event is free—and it’s open to students from any community. Not a bad way to spend a summer day, right? If you’re interested, hop over to EventBrite and register now. And if your teen attends, I’d love for you to stop back by and tell us all about it.