Sometimes an idea needs more than just time. It needs to be challenged, talked about, tested, rebuilt and put in front of people who are willing to give you real feedback. In May 2026, I had the opportunity to compete in Startup Wednesday Buffalo, and it became an important part of the journey I’ve been on with Spill Your Creativity.

At the time, I was building Boomy the Boombox, the early version of what has now grown into Boom Bear™. I already knew people were connecting with the character because I had been testing products inside my store, talking to customers and watching kids and adults interact with it. But there’s a big difference between having something people like and figuring out how to turn that idea into a real business that can grow beyond your own space. Startup Wednesday helped me start looking at it through that lens.

Four Wednesdays to Build Something Stronger

Startup Wednesday brought entrepreneurs, creatives, developers, mentors and builders together to work on ideas, build teams and figure out how to make those ideas stronger. It wasn’t just about getting on stage and pitching. We had to actually work through the process, listen to feedback, show what we were building, make adjustments and eventually explain why the idea mattered.

That experience made me look at Boom Bear differently. I stopped thinking about it as just another collectible I created and started thinking harder about the bigger opportunity. Who is the customer? Why would someone want to collect it? How does it grow outside of my store? Can another retailer sell it? Can the characters become books, activities, experiences, animation, education or something even bigger?

That was when the vision started becoming clearer.

The Bigger Idea Behind Boom Bear™

One thing I keep coming back to is how much kids are constantly given things to consume. Videos, games, content, screens, toys, everything is competing for their attention. I want to build something that gives them another reason to create.

That is becoming the heart of Boom Bear™.

Boom Bear isn’t just supposed to be a character or a figure sitting on a shelf. I’m building a creative universe that connects art, music, storytelling, imagination and hands-on experiences. That can include collectible figures, mystery packs, keychains, coloring and activity products, DIY experiences, stories, workshops, educational partnerships and retail collaborations.

The collectible might be what introduces someone to the brand, but creativity is the bigger mission.

CREATE. IMAGINE. BOOM.

Walking Away With a Win

At the end of Startup Wednesday, my project earned second place and $1,000 in funding. Of course winning the money mattered. When you’re building something yourself, every dollar can go toward product development, packaging, testing an idea or simply getting more product into customers’ hands.

But what meant even more to me was the validation. People outside of my store, outside of my normal circle and outside of my own head saw potential in what I was building. As an entrepreneur, those moments matter because sometimes you spend so much time working on something by yourself that you need to know whether the idea actually connects with anyone else.

Winning didn’t mean I had everything figured out. If anything, it gave me another reason to keep testing, learning and pushing the idea further.

What Startup Wednesday Changed for Me

One of the biggest things I took from the experience is that building a business isn’t about being attached to your first version of an idea. You have to be willing to let the idea grow.

I’ve started asking myself harder questions about Boom Bear. Who is actually buying it? Why would they choose it? What makes somebody want another one? Can it work outside of SYC? Can another store put it on a shelf and actually sell it? Can the characters become stories, books, workshops or intellectual property that lives far beyond the original product?

Those questions have helped me move from thinking about Boom Bear as a product to thinking about it as a real character brand with a much bigger future.

From Local Experiment to Scalable Character Brand

Today, the vision is a lot clearer.

Our vision is to build the next generation’s most creative character brand and inspire millions of kids to create instead of consume.

We’re building a product world around Boom Bear that can include keychains, mystery packs, collectible figures, creative activities, stories and interactive DIY experiences. My next big test is proving that Boom Bear can sell beyond my own store.

That means building relationships with retailers, improving the product and packaging, continuing to talk with customers and putting the brand in front of people who have never walked through the doors of SYC.

My next milestone is securing three retail pilot partners and $5,000 in launch support to help prove that opportunity. I don’t just want to make something cool. I want to build something that lasts, something kids remember and something that can grow into a real creative brand.

This Is What Building Looks Like

Startup Wednesday reminded me that entrepreneurship isn’t always one big breakthrough moment. A lot of the time, it’s showing up over and over again. It’s talking to people, listening, testing, changing something, trying again and getting more comfortable with the fact that the idea is supposed to evolve.

I’m grateful for the mentors, organizers, entrepreneurs, teammates and everyone who was part of the Startup Wednesday experience. The $1,000 prize was a milestone, but the confidence, relationships and clarity I walked away with have been even more valuable.

And this story is still just getting started.

Boom Bear™ is going places.

CREATE. IMAGINE. BOOM.

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Follow the journey as we continue building Boom Bear™, growing THIS IS SYC and creating a character brand built to help kids create, imagine and build something of their own.