Houston-based children's summer camp business looks for an investment on 'Shark Tank'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston business is entering the "Shark Tank" and looking for an investment!

Creator Camp is a Houston edutech company that hosts summer camps for kids -- with fun subjects like "Hollywood Filmmakers," "LEGO and Clay Animators," "Minecraft Modders and Coders," and more! They are on a mission to reorient children's relationships with technology from one of consumption to one of creation by teaching kids media arts with their summer programs.

Creator Camp was founded in Katy, Texas, in 2021 and has been growing ever since. They now offer summer camps in cities across the greater Houston area, plus Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, and Denver.

Co-creators Robbie Davidson and Jacky Chao joined ABC13's Jeff Ehling on our 24/7 stream to talk about their Shark Tank experience.

You can watch the full interview in the video player above.

"At first, we applied and it was kind of a joke. We didn't think we would even get in because we're a service business... because Shark Tank primarily takes product businesses and they're just more investable in that sense," Chao said. "But every step of the way, we kept on getting moved forward. Being in the Shark Tank is super surreal. Everything you see on the show is real. The sharks are grilling you, so it's really tense in there."

If you're a Houston business owner hoping to make it to Shark Tank, Chao and Davidson recommend putting yourself out there and using the resources Shark Tank provides.

To see if Creator Camp strikes a deal, watch Shark Tank on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. on ABC13!

READ MORE: Houston-based filmmaking summer camp aims to change kids' relationships with technology and iPads

Does your child have their sights set on Hollywood? They can participate in their very own Oscars ceremony at the end of this camp! Here's everything you need to know.

ABC13 first met Davison and Chao in early 2024 to talk about their Hollywood Filmmakers Camp.

"We started in 2021 and we started in Katy, because we're all from Katy," Chao said in that interview. "At first, it was just us teaching the classes ourselves, just to test it out. That summer was really successful, so we slowly grew to different cities."

"We have a background in filmmaking. We met in high school in the filmmaking club," Davidson said. "We noticed a growing issue right now with a bunch of iPad kids -- kids glued to their screens. So we thought, 'What if we can change kids' relationships with technology from consumption to creation?'"

Creator Camp's Hollywood Filmmakers Camp runs throughout the summer at locations across the Houston area -- including Katy, The Woodlands, Cypress, Memorial, and Montrose.

During the three-day camp, kids ages 7 to 13 participate in hands-on workshops and learn the basics of filmmaking. Then, they set out to make their own short film on an iPad!

"Students on day one will learn all the basics of filmmaking from editing to green screen to conception through storyboarding," Davidson said. "Then on day two, they jump right into it. They make their own stories. They make their own movies. And we're there to guide them through the whole process."

Day three might be the most exciting. All of the students get to present their film projects at "The Creator Camp Oscars."

"Each of them gets a small little Oscar, just like the ones you see on TV in the Oscars ceremony," Davidson said. "We have a whole red carpet lined out. They get to walk it, come up on stage. It's a great experience."

To put your child on the waitlist for camps next summer, visit creatorcamp.org.