Craft Lake City is thrilled to announce the expansion of its Youth Entrepreneur Program Powered By VentureLab for Fall 2025! With additional funding and support, thanks to VentureLab and the Utah Afterschool Network, this free after school program is now available in Ogden for the first time. This free, five-week program is designed for young artisans ages 12-18 and will culminate with a special showcase at the FIRST EVER Holiday Market Kid Row.
Established in 2022, the program has nurtured creativity and helped young artisans develop entrepreneurial skills through crafting sessions and business workshops. In 2025, the program expanded to welcome the public, giving more young artisans the opportunity to build confidence, explore creativity and grow their entrepreneurial endeavors. And now the program is bringing its entrepreneurial expertise to Weber County.
The Youth Entrepreneur Program is Craft Lake City’s way of giving back to the local arts community. By bringing the program to Ogden, Craft Lake is opening the doors for even more kids to learn and connect with the local craft community.
Applications for the Fall Cohort are open through September 17 and classes begin September 30. Don’t miss the culmination of these participants’ hard work at Holiday Market’s first ever Kid Row!
“Creating a space for young artists to grow not only their skills, but also their confidence is what the Youth Entrepreneur Program is all about. We are so grateful to VentureLab for giving us this opportunity to expand and widen our reach. It’s all about ensuring that as many kids as possible can see a future with their crafts.” says Tiana Young, Craft Lake City’s Artisan and Programs Manager. “We are super excited to see all the wonderful talent that will come out of Weber County!”
VentureLab’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship is what drove this expansion to Weber County. By bringing this program’s high quality entrepreneurial resources and curriculum up North even more kids are given the opportunity to explore their creative ventures.
Craft Lake City is also ecstatic that the Youth Entrepreneur Program is now a year-round endeavor and is open to the community of Ogden. Applications close September 17. The program will provide a Mock Market to give participants hands-on experience selling and presenting their work before the grand presentations of their incredible new businesses at the Seventh Annual Holiday Market’s Kid Row in Ogden.
About VentureLab:
VentureLab envisions a world where every child, regardless of gender, race, or economic status, is empowered to fully participate in creating the future through entrepreneurial and STEM education. In its mission to create the next generation of diverse innovators and changemakers by making entrepreneurial education accessible to all youth, VentureLab has reached over 747,000 students, educators, and caregivers in 155+ countries and all 50 United States. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, support for VentureLab helps provide scholarships to students, schools, and organizations who want entrepreneurship and innovation education. It will provide training and coaching for teachers, business models/budgeting tools, and mentoring and materials for students without access.
About Utah Afterschool Network:
Utah Afterschool Network is a statewide agency that ensures Utah’s children have access to high-quality afterschool programs that keep them engaged, learning, and safe. UAN assists after school teams in building quality programs by mentoring program staff, facilitating professional learning opportunities, and collaboratively creating a model of best practices for programs statewide. UAN also supports national and statewide advocacy initiatives that promote after school programs.
About Craft Lake City:
Founded in 2009 by Angela H. Brown, Executive Editor of SLUG (Salt Lake UnderGround) Magazine, Craft Lake City® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the mission to educate, promote and inspire local artisans while elevating the creative culture of the Utah arts community through science, technology and art. Craft Lake City strives to further define the term “Craft,” by modernizing the definition for handmade creativity.
craftlakecity.com @craftlakecity
Craft Lake City’s year-round programming is supported in part by the residents of Salt Lake County through the Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) Program, Utah Division of Arts & Museums the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the Salt Lake Arts Council, the Sorenson Legacy Foundation and SLUG Magazine.
