Industry: Children’s museum
Led by: Oliver Zornow, President
Headquarters: Appleton
Number of Employees: 28
buildingforkids.org
The Building for Kids Children’s Museum was founded in 1992 by Paula Meyer and Rochelle Lamm, who sought a way to revitalize downtown Appleton and provide children and their families with a place to learn and explore through play, says President Oliver Zornow.
“Every exhibit, event, program and opportunity we offer reflects our mission: to inspire discovery and build resilience through intergenerational play‑based learning and exploration of the arts, sciences and humanities,” Zornow says.
The museum was an instant draw, bringing in more than 50,000 visitors within the first 10 weeks of opening.
In 2019, the board of directors developed a new business model that allowed the museum “to scale sustainably and invest in long‑term growth,” Zornow says.
The efforts have led to a 12% increase in visitation during the last few years. In 2025, the museum had visitors from 48 states and 93% of Wisconsin counties.
