Thoughtful experiences,
designed to bring people together.
Joyful events & programming without all the waste.
From milestones and community programs to activations and everyday reasons to gather, Little Oak creates thoughtful experiences across Chicago that spark joy, build connection and give people something meaningful to be part of — with sustainability considered from the very beginning.
Built for Connection
Connection happens when people feel invited to take part. Thoughtful events and programming create space for shared experiences, genuine participation and meaningful connection — with a particular love for making community life more welcoming to families.
Rooted in Nature
Creating joy today shouldn’t come at the expense of tomorrow. Sustainability shapes each experience from the start — choosing reuse over disposable, quality over quantity and thoughtful creativity over unnecessary excess.
Designed for Joy
Joy creates space for possibility. Even serious subjects can be approached with curiosity, hope and a belief that progress is possible. Little Oak creates experiences that invite people to learn, contribute and move forward together.
Little Oak in Action
From one-off gatherings to ongoing programming, Little Oak creates experiences that invite people to participate, connect and enjoy being part of something together.
Click each section below to learn more.
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Original programs designed to bring families, communities and local organizations together through curiosity, participation and shared experience.
Junior Rangers, for example, connects Chicago families with nature, local experts and organizations protecting our environment through an ongoing series of hands-on adventures.
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Thoughtful experiences created with organizations, businesses and community partners — from seasonal gatherings to mission-led activations. Especially well suited for teams looking to increase family engagement, make existing events more welcoming to families, or create experiences that children and grown-ups can genuinely enjoy together.
Past work includes Seeds of Action with Climate Action Museum, a spring gathering where families planted seedlings, explored composting, joined a sustainable egg hunt and shared ideas for positive climate action.
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Thoughtful, creative celebrations designed to feel personal — whether it’s a child’s birthday, a baby shower, a family milestone or simply a reason to gather.
Past celebrations have ranged from custom animal expeditions and park adventure missions to immersive story worlds built around a child’s favorite theme — each designed to feel engaging, joyful and distinctly their own.
Chicago is full of organizations doing thoughtful, important work — protecting our environment, creating opportunities to learn, and helping people feel more connected to our city.
Little Oak is grateful to have created, learned and connected alongside some of them, and proud to help introduce more families to the work they’re doing.
Discover a few organizations worth knowing »
Good things grow through Community
More Room for Families
Having children shouldn’t mean sitting out the experiences that connect us to our communities.
Little Oak has a particular love for helping organizations welcome families in, whether that means creating dedicated family programming or finding thoughtful ways for children and grown-ups to participate in an existing event together.
Because family-friendly should mean more than adding something “for the kids.” It means creating experiences where everyone has a meaningful way to take part.
Meet the Founder
Hi, I’m Nicole.
For more than a decade, I built marketing teams and brought ambitious ideas to life — from international roadshows to intimate VIP dinners. I loved figuring out what makes people show up, take part and feel connected. Becoming a parent made me start looking at those experiences through a different lens.
I noticed how many events I was sitting out simply because bringing my children wasn’t really an option. It made me wonder what gathering could look like if more families felt genuinely welcome — not as an afterthought, but as part of the experience.
Parenthood also made the waste surrounding celebrations much harder to ignore. After nearly 20 years in Europe, I was already drawn to a distinctly German sensibility: thoughtful, natural and practical, with far less emphasis on excess. Little Oak grew from bringing those ideas together… joyful experiences that welcome people in, bring them closer and care for the world our children will inherit.
Let’s Plant the Seed!
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!