Creator Camp secured a $350,000 investment from Barbara Corcoran on “Shark Tank” in exchange for 18% equity—transforming a summer program started by four 20-somethings into one of the few educational services to receive backing on the hit show. The tech-focused camp teaching children to create rather than consume digital content has grown to over 30 locations with plans to reach 200 by 2030.

“Our mission is essentially redirecting children’s screen time from consuming things to creating things,” says Cazden Morrison, the 25-year-old co-founder of Creator Camp. “Kids ages 6 to 12 spend an average of eight hours a day on screens. We’re converting some of those hours into productive time instead of just passive consumption.”

When Corcoran later discovered their episode might not air—only 40% of filmed pitches make it to television—she personally championed their cause. “Barbara fought for us. She was like, ‘Look, I’m gonna fight for you,'” Cazden recounts, highlighting how the investor’s belief in their business extended beyond the financial investment.

The path to the Tank started unexpectedly. In January 2023, co-founder Kaisei Forman quietly applied without telling his partners. “‘Shark Tank’ brings on very fancy products. It’s always products, and we’re more of a service,” Cazden explains. Months later, on the first day of summer camp, a producer called with interest in their growing educational concept.

After receiving the producer’s call, Cazden and his team underwent a rigorous nine-round selection process before their “Shark Tank” appearance. “I’ve never practiced for anything more in my life,” Cazden says. The founders held mock pitches with Kaisei’s father playing the part of a Shark, and even used ChatGPT to generate potential investor questions.

Despite extensive preparation, the actual experience proved more authentic than anticipated. “I honestly thought it would be more fake, but it was so real. You go up there and pitch in front of them for like an hour, and then they edit it down. But there are no redos.”

As the Sharks evaluated Creator Camp’s pitch, they dropped out one by one—except for Corcoran. With only one interested investor, the team had to engage in careful negotiations. Corcoran initially requested 25% equity, seeking to establish herself as an equal partner to the founders.

“Luckily, Kaisei is a very good penny pincher and he’ll just say it like it is,” Cazden explains. “His little back and forth with her was so terrifying to witness.” Kaisei pushed for 15% while Corcoran held firm at 20%. When she eventually offered 19% “for your egos,” Cazden notes most entrepreneurs would have accepted immediately.

But Kaisei took one more calculated risk. “He has the guts to lower it even further and say ‘18%, how’s that?'” Cazden recalls. Far from being offended, Corcoran responded with a smile. “She liked that, though. She smiled at that, gave a smirk, and then got up and was like, ‘Deal, you got a deal.'”

The founders believe this demonstration of negotiation skill and confidence helped cement Corcoran’s interest. “I think she liked the guts that we showed up there,” Cazden says, adding that the capital will help fuel their expansion while leaving the young founders with majority control.

The Edtech Gap

What made Creator Camp attractive enough to secure one of the few “Shark Tank” deals for an educational service? The company addresses the gap between children’s heavy use of technology and schools’ slow adaptation to digital creation.

“I feel like just modern public education hasn’t caught up to where we are technologically yet,” Cazden explains. “Some schools that have funding, sure. But we felt like that wasn’t being offered where we were.”

Creator Camp’s founders met in high school, where they ran a filmmaking club. After graduation, they pursued different creative specialties. Their creative background enables Creator Camp to offer specialized programs that teach children how to create movies, animations, video games, and other digital content. They operate primarily using iPads—technology most children already have at home—making the skills applicable beyond camp.

The impact becomes evident when parents send videos of projects their children continue creating independently after camp ends. “That’s what we’re doing here—we’re just showing them, ‘Hey, this is actually much more powerful than you think it is,'” Cazden says.

He believes this approach prepares children for a technology-driven future while changing passive screen time into active skill development. “If you just took the technology away from your kids, you’re also stunting their development because their peers are going to know technology,” Cazden notes. “You need to know how to use technology in every job today.”

Changes After the Deal

Securing Corcoran’s investment has sped up Creator Camp’s growth, with credibility being the most immediate benefit. “We’re a very young team running a very big education program now,” Cazden explains. “For parents to trust us to bring their kids to camp and let us supervise them in our program—that’s a big thing.”

Cazden points out that the “Shark Tank” seal of approval provides validation that helps parents overcome hesitation about entrusting their children to a team of twentysomethings. Beyond this credibility boost, Corcoran’s team has provided ongoing business support, recently flying the founders to New York City for a “business boot camp” alongside other “Shark Tank” companies.

“They brought in several speakers to talk to us about marketing and public relations,” Cazden says. “I’ve been to a lot of networking events, and I feel like I never really get much out of them. But for this, it was so good—the people she’s able to bring in.”

Corcoran has appeared in Creator Camp commercials, providing a personal endorsement, and is assisting with their expansion to her home market of NYC.

“She’s always there if we need her. She’s like a phone call away,” Cazden says, noting that despite her involvement, the businesswoman encourages their independence. “At every step of the way with us, she’s always asking us, ‘What do you want to do? What do you prefer here? What would be the best for you?'”

Inside Creator Camp

Creator Camp’s 12 program offerings include animation, YouTube content creation, filmmaking, and game design—all taught through project-based learning. This summer, they’re adding an entrepreneurship camp inspired by their “Shark Tank” experience, where children will create products and pitch them to teachers.

A typical day starts around 8:30 a.m., with children often arriving in costumes. Students are divided into specialized classes, taught by instructors who combine technical knowledge with teaching skills. “We put them in an environment where the instructors help them make whatever they want to make,” Cazden explains.

The curriculum focuses on teaching specific skills and then immediately applying them through creative projects. One student created a five-minute video reviewing different types of Goldfish crackers, complete with captions and music. “We always very much endorse whatever creative idea they have. We never shut them down,” Cazden says.

Every camp session culminates with the “Creator Camp Oscars,” where students walk a red carpet and present their projects to the entire camp. “After three days of camp, kids are like, ‘I’m ready to show off what I made,'” Cazden explains.

Each location has a camp manager (typically a teacher during the school year), lead instructors who specialize in their respective topics while engaging with children, and assistant instructors who are often college students nearing graduation and studying relevant creative fields. During summer, their staff grows to approximately 100 people managing programs for around 6,000 children.

Youth as Advantage

Creator Camp’s expansion—from a single location in 2021 to over 30 locations in 2025—stems partly from the founding team’s willingness to move quickly and adapt. “We are a very young and scrappy team. And we’re just like, ‘Yeah, we can do this,'” Cazden explains.

Unlike established summer camps run by organizations that “move at much slower paces,” Creator Camp quickly develops new offerings based on children’s interests. “We’re the first ones doing YouTube Creators Camp or Roblox Game Design Camp. These are things the kids actually want to do, so we make those curricula quickly,” Cazden says.

This summer, Creator Camp operates in multiple Texas cities, Washington D.C., and two franchise locations in Canada. As Cazden shares, they’ll launch a program in Ghana this fall—initiated by partners who discovered them through “Shark Tank.”

What’s Next?

With Corcoran’s investment supporting their growth, Creator Camp aims to become a household name in children’s education. “We want to become a brand name for summer camps,” Cazden says. “We want there to be a Creator Camp anywhere where anyone can get to it.”

Their five-year goal is to have 200 locations by 2030. The 2025 summer session marks a key step in this direction, with the introduction of their entrepreneurship camp bringing their “Shark Tank” experience full circle.

“It’s pretty much like our ‘Shark Tank’ experience, but into a camp form where kids make products and then they get to come up with their own pitch and pitch it to our teachers,” Cazden explains.

Beyond expansion, Creator Camp remains focused on changing children’s relationship with technology, providing a middle ground between unrestricted consumption and technology avoidance.

“I definitely think there needs to be a balance, and I don’t think kids should be on devices all day,” Cazden reflects. “I think outdoor summer camps are just as valuable and important as us, and kids should be going to those too.”

For the four childhood friends who created this educational business, securing Corcoran’s investment validated a mission they deeply believe in.

“Our solution is clever and we know it works,” Cazden concludes. “Changing the relationship with technology and showing them how to be more productive with it versus just consuming.”