Launched in 2016, iCREATE is a 7-day overnight camp for kids ages 14-17 where students come together from all over the country to create and start a real business venture in one week. Participants arrive on Sunday afternoon, meet each other, and are given a broad theme. Through the course of the week, they learn from entrepreneurs as they create products for sale the following Saturday at an actual retail store, pocketing their portion of net earnings. Coordinated by the School of Human Sciences and the Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach, college students at MSU serve as coordinators and counselors for the week and guide campers along the way.

What Do Participants Do?

• Brainstorm product ideas around a given theme
• Conduct 30-50 face-to-face consumer interviews to iterate product ideas
• Design, source, and build product ideas
• Navigate financials and make decisions on loans vs. equity investments
• Plan, layout, and promote a retail storefront
• Manage and sell products for a 4-hour pop-up shop
• Review performance, and if successful, pocket their percentage of net earnings