Auntie Karen 21st Young Entrepreneurs Conference

21st Annual Auntie Karen Young Entrepreneurs Conference

You Are The Brand

Before the logo. Before the website. Before the first sale.

You are the brand.

The Auntie Karen Foundation invites young entrepreneurs, future business owners, creators, and innovators ages 7 to 22 to the 21st Annual Auntie Karen Young Entrepreneurs Conference, taking place Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.

For more than two decades, the Young Entrepreneurs Conference has helped young people recognize their gifts, develop their ideas, and discover what it takes to turn creativity into opportunity.

This year's theme, You Are The Brand, challenges young people to think beyond products and logos. Your ideas matter. Your story matters. Your reputation matters. The way you communicate, create, lead, and solve problems all become part of the brand you are building.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina
Audience: Youth and young adults ages 7 to 22
Workshop Registration: $25 per participant
Groups of 10 or More: $17 per participant

Space for the conference workshops is limited, so early registration is strongly encouraged.

What to Expect

Hands-On Entrepreneurship Workshops

This is not a sit-down-and-listen-all-day conference. Participants will engage in interactive workshops designed to strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset and give them practical tools they can use now.

Young people will explore entrepreneurship, personal branding, creativity, leadership, business development, technology, AI, and the skills needed to stand out in a changing world.

Learn to Build More Than a Business

A great idea is only the beginning.

Participants will learn that building a successful business also means understanding who they are, what they represent, how they communicate their value, and how they want people to remember them.

Because before someone remembers your business, they often remember you.

Successville Marketplace

From 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, the conference opens its doors to the public for Successville, our signature youth entrepreneurship marketplace.

Meet young entrepreneurs, shop their businesses, discover their products and services, and see firsthand what happens when young people are given an opportunity to turn their ideas into action.

Successville is free and open to the public.

Business Pitch Competition

Young entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to put their ideas to the test during our Business Pitch Competition.

Participants will practice communicating their ideas, demonstrating the value of their businesses, and presenting with confidence.

Scholarships will be awarded through the Deborah Woodard Memorial Scholarship:

1st Place: $300
2nd Place: $100
3rd Place: $100

21 Years of Building Young Entrepreneurs

The Auntie Karen Young Entrepreneurs Conference has been helping young people discover the possibilities of entrepreneurship for more than two decades.

Conference alumni include nationally recognized creative entrepreneur and fashion designer Sergio Hudson, film producer Stephen Love, and young entrepreneur Gabby Goodwin.

Their journeys remind us of something we want every young person attending this conference to understand:

Your age does not determine the value of your ideas.

You do not have to wait until you are older to start building.

You can start now.

Your Idea. Your Story. Your Reputation. Your Brand.

Whether you already have a business, have an idea you want to develop, or are simply curious about entrepreneurship, there is a place for you at the 2026 Auntie Karen Young Entrepreneurs Conference.

Come ready to learn.

Come ready to create.

Come ready to discover what makes you different.

Because this year, we're not just asking, "What's your business?"

We're asking a bigger question:

What do you want your name to stand for?

You Are The Brand.