Kids try out the Los Alamos Atomic Play climbing wall. Photo by Mandy Marksteiner
Nik Seet, founder of the Los Alamos Venture Accelerator, plays blocks with kids. Photo by Mandy Marksteiner
By Mandy Marksteiner
Next time your kids are bouncing off the walls, take them to the new indoor play area coming to town.
Barbara Kaldi, entrepreneur, mother of two, and part time student, wanted to start a business where kids could enjoy unstructured high-energy playtime.
Parents in Los Alamos were clearly interested in her business idea: she asked for input from online forums like Keep it Local Los Alamos on Facebook, and received a wealth of positive feedback and suggestions. Everything looked like it would work out … except for one huge problem: she wasn’t sure if she would be able to afford to rent commercial space or open an existing franchise. Both options seemed too expensive!
“I looked into franchising a brand-name play place, but that would cost at least a quarter of a million dollars to get started,” Kaldi said. “Plus, rumors of super high rent almost deterred me from the idea.”
Luckily for parents, she didn’t give up. Before putting her idea on hold for good, she met with Nik Seet, founder of the Los Alamos Venture Accelerator (LAVA). His suggestions made it possible to open her business in lees time than she thought possible.
“He suggested that I ‘prove the concept’ by making it work on a smaller scale and recommended that I partner with an existing business and use their space,” Kaldi said.
David Vosburg, owner of High Flyers Gymnastics, agreed to let her pay to use his space at 1631 Central Ave. She also looked into other spaces in town.
With the space issue solved, she moved on to the fun part: buying a bounce house and toys. She started out with a bounce house that fits in the High Flyers space. It has a ball pit and can hold kids up to 10 years old. She also ordered colorful bouncy balls, a slide that can fit over the gymnastics bars, HiLi scoops, and other fun toys.
“I’m trying to find stuff that will be fun for kids of all ages,” she said.
Parents are invited to bring their kids 10 and under to a free, end of summer party hosted by Kaldi at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30 at the High Flyers Gymnastics Studio, next to Metzgers and Home Run Pizza.
There will be some light refreshments and an opportunity to try some of the new equipment.
Find Kaldi on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/laatomicplay.
Local entrepreneurs who need support from a mentor, fresh ideas, or funding are invited to join the Los Alamos Venture Accelerator. Sign up at https:////lava.guru.
