★ Entrepreneurship & Innovation · Grades 8–12 · No Coding Needed
Startup Launch Lab
Turn an idea into a launch-ready, founder-style startup pitch.
A live online entrepreneurship & innovation lab for creative, business-minded students — no coding or tech background needed. Students use AI as a tool, plus market research, product design, and business strategy, to build a startup concept, prototype, simple financial model, and founder-style pitch deck.
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Upcoming cohorts
More than a business class
Most students learn business in theory. Here, they build a founder-style startup portfolio.
Students identify a real-world problem, research a target market, design an AI-powered product, analyze competitors, build a prototype, create a business model, and present a founder-style pitch — finishing with a complete portfolio they can describe in applications and interviews.
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Problem-first thinking
Great startups begin with real customer problems — not random ideas. Students learn to identify, research, and refine a problem worth solving.
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AI-powered product
Students use AI tools for research, planning, and prototyping — and design a genuine AI-powered product workflow.
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Founder-style pitch
Market research, a business model, a simple financial model, and a polished pitch deck — presented like a founder.
Who it's for
Built for future founders & creative thinkers — grades 8–12
Perfect for business-minded, creative, and entrepreneurial students — whether or not they're "into tech." Great for those interested in business, leadership, marketing, product design, or innovation. No prior business experience and no coding required — students use AI simply, as a founder's tool.
- Curious about startups, business, or how products get built
- Interested in AI and how to use it as a creative tool
- Wants a portfolio-style project for college apps & interviews
- Enjoys solving real problems and presenting ideas
- Considering business, marketing, product, CS, or innovation pathways
- May later pursue research in business, economics, or AI applications
What students will build
Six weeks, from a problem to a defended pitch
Every week is project-driven — teaching, examples, guided work, and real progress toward a complete startup portfolio.
Week 1
Founder Mindset & Problem Discovery
LearnProblem-first thinkingWhat makes a startup, and how AI changes what students can build.
DoMap opportunitiesBrainstorm real problems with AI tools and score them.
OutputOne-sentence startup conceptA shortlist + a clear idea to build on.
Week 2
Customer, Market & Competitor Research
LearnValidate the ideaPersonas, early adopters, TAM/SAM/SOM, differentiation.
DoResearch the marketBuild a persona and a 5+ competitor comparison.
OutputMarket research briefPersona, competitor table, differentiation statement.
Week 3
AI Product Design & MVP Planning
LearnWhat is an MVP?Feature prioritization, user journeys, AI workflow design, AI risks.
DoDesign the productDefine the MVP and map the AI input → output workflow.
OutputMVP feature planUser journey map + AI workflow diagram.
Week 4
Prototype, Brand & Go-to-Market
LearnMake it realBrand, landing pages, messaging, and how startups find first users.
DoBuild a mockupA clickable prototype or landing page + go-to-market plan.
OutputPrototype + GTM planName, tagline, mockup, and first-100-users plan.
Week 5
Business Model, Pricing & Financials
LearnHow startups make moneyRevenue models, pricing, unit economics (CAC/LTV) explained simply.
DoModel the businessChoose a model, set pricing, build a 12-month forecast.
OutputBusiness & financial modelBusiness model canvas, pricing, simple forecast.
Week 6
Pitch Deck, Demo & Presentation
LearnPitch like a founderDeck structure, storytelling, explaining AI without overhyping, Q&A.
DoBuild & rehearseCreate the deck, practice the pitch, revise on mentor feedback.
OutputFinal founder-style pitchRecorded or live, plus the full portfolio.
The signature outcome
Your Startup Pitch Portfolio
Every student finishes with a complete, founder-style portfolio package — a portfolio-style project students can describe in applications, interviews, and future learning.
What you build
- Startup concept & problem statement
- Target customer persona
- Competitor analysis & market research brief
- AI-powered product concept & MVP plan
- Prototype, mockup, or demo
- Business model & pricing strategy
- Simple 12-month financial model
- Founder-style pitch deck + final pitch
Your final pitch deck
- Problem & target customer
- Current alternatives
- Solution & AI-powered product workflow
- Prototype or mockup
- Market opportunity
- Business model & pricing
- Go-to-market plan & financial snapshot
- Founder reflection & the ask
Example student startups
📚 AI study planner for AP students🎓 AI college-planning assistant🧠 AI tutoring assistant🏀 AI sports-training feedback⚡ AI productivity assistant for teens🤝 AI volunteer-matching platform💸 AI personal-finance learning app♻️ AI sustainability / recycling app🗺️ AI local-event discovery
How we teach
Not a business lecture — a build.
The promise isn't "students learn about entrepreneurship." It's "students build a complete AI startup pitch portfolio." Every session includes teaching, real examples, guided work, and project progress.
Project-driven, every weekEach session moves your startup forward — you finish with a portfolio, not just notes.
AI as a founder's toolUse ChatGPT, Claude, Canva & no-code tools the way real founders do — to research, design, and pitch.
Honest, responsible claimsMentors steer students toward real, ethical ideas — and away from overpromising or unsafe ones.
Who teaches it
Mentor-led by startup & business experts
Sessions are led by mentors with hands-on experience in startups, product, business, or innovation — for example entrepreneurs, product managers, MBAs, or business and innovation professionals. What matters most is a mentor who can take a student from a rough idea to a structured, confident pitch.
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Startup, product, or business experience
Mentors with backgrounds in entrepreneurship, product, or business — people who've built and shipped real things.
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Built to teach teens
Practical startup concepts in simple language, project-driven every session.
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Weekly feedback
Direct feedback on each deliverable and coaching toward a confident final pitch.
Reserve your seat
Startup Launch Lab
$999 / student tuition
6 weeks × 2 hr/week (~12 live hours) · live online · small group (5–10 per section)
★ Pilot cohort — limited seats
- Six live, mentor-led online sessions
- AI tools for research, product design & pitch
- Weekly mentor feedback on every deliverable
- A complete Startup Pitch Portfolio
- Founder-style pitch deck + final presentation
- Certificate of completion
Where it can lead
Continue into research & deeper work
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High School Research Program
Take a business, economics, or innovation question into mentored original research.
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AI Research Fellowship
For students whose idea centers on AI — turn it into an original research project.
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AI Scholars Program
Go deeper on the AI/ML foundation behind your product — our flagship AI course.
Questions parents ask
Good to know
Does my student need business experience?+
No. The lab is designed for beginners — students learn practical startup concepts in simple language, step by step, while building their own project.
Does my student need to code?+
No — no coding is required at any point. Students who want to build a simple prototype may optionally use beginner-friendly no-code tools (like Canva, Figma, or Glide), but it's not necessary.
Is this just theory, or do they build something?+
They build. Every week produces a real deliverable, and students finish with a complete Startup Pitch Portfolio — concept, research, prototype, business model, financials, and a founder-style pitch.
What AI tools will they use?+
Founder-style tools such as ChatGPT or Claude (research & planning), Perplexity (market research), and Canva or Figma (prototype & deck). All are free or low-cost and we set them up together.
Where does the market research come from?+
Students use publicly available sources and guided research methods to explore competitors, customers, and market opportunity — no proprietary data or paid tools required.
What does my student leave with?+
A founder's portfolio they can describe in applications and interviews — a startup concept, market research, a prototype, a business and simple financial model, and a polished founder-style pitch deck and presentation.
Will students launch a real company?+
Students build a startup concept, prototype or mockup, market research brief, simple financial model, and pitch deck. Some may choose to keep developing the idea afterward, but the lab is an educational entrepreneurship experience — not a guarantee of launching a business.
Ready to build your first startup pitch this summer?
Turn an idea into a founder-style pitch portfolio — with AI tools, guided market research, and mentor feedback every step of the way.
Enroll Now →