Now accepting applications for Fall 2024 programs. Solve a high-impact problem with a business or launch your own startup!

Launch a startup
in high school

Take your business skills to the next level by launching a revenue-generating business to explore entrepreneurship.
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Now accepting applications for Fall 2024. 12 weeks, starts September 16, 2024. Join from anywhere 🌎

Apply

Mentors, instructors, and program managers come from

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Launch your startup with our proven process

By the end of the 12-week Launch a Business program, you will emerge with a business, a launched product or service, users, and even revenue.

MODULE 1  |  WEEKS 1-3
Ideation 💡
  • Learn entrepreneurship fundamentals
  • Learn how to identify real problems to solve
  • Apply techniques from Y Combinator and Wharton
  • Create and test business ideas
MODULE 2  |  WEEKS 4-6
Research & Build đŸ’»
  • Market research and customer interviews
  • Learn tactical skills: no-code, technology tools, writing
  • Build a minimum viable product (MVP)
MODULE 3  |  WEEKS 7-9
Market & Sell 🚀
  • Learn how to market and sell your product/service
  • Strategies and tools for outreach
  • Learn business and finance fundamentals
  • Get real traction: users and revenue ($)
MODULE 4  |  WEEKS 10-12
Grow & Pitch 📈
  • Continue to iterate and improve your product
  • Leadership and teamwork best practices
  • Learn how to build a pitch deck
  • Share your business and traction at demo day!
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Bridging Silicon Valley startup tactics and research from leading business schools

1
Kick off with a unique ideation process (no idea needed!)
2
Interactive bootcamp to go build your startup
3
Show off your traction and business at demo day
  • Start date: September 23rd, 2024
  • 12-week program (~5-10 hours per week)
  • Experience enterpreneurship by launching your own business with traction (users or revenue)
  • Individual work with weekly workshops and virtual co-working sessions
  • Each startup (solo or team) pairs with a startup mentor for 1:1 sessions
  • Live workshops, business/product development talks
  • Group recreational activities and community building
  • Virtual bootcamp means you can join from anywhere
Apply

Make your summer count build a real business

“Venture Camp is the type of program I wish existed when I was in high school”

Sonny Mo

Sonny was co-founder at Bloom and studied at Brown University

“Ben and the instruction team at Venture Camp are real founders supporting high school student entrepreneurs”

Viraj Bindra

Viraj is a product leader at DoorDash and graduated from Stanford University

“Their mentorship helped us build a startup that was accepted into Y Combinator”

Shobha Dasari

Shobha is the co-founder of Flair Health, a Y Combinator-backed startup, and studied at Stanford

Kai Chen
Applied Research at OpenAI, Co-Founder at Dispatch Technologies. Penn M&T ‘17
Shobha Dasari
Co-Founder at Flair Health. Y Combinator and Stanford alumni.
Alex Sands
Co-Founder at Pilot, Wharton/Penn M&T alumni.
Sonny Mo
Co-Founder/CEO Bloom, Thiel Fellow, and Brown 2021.
Ajay Patel
Machine Learning PhD at Penn. Co-Founder at Plasticity.
Taylor Carol
Founder/CEO at EveryCare, Harvard alumni. Former PM at Lyft.
Our Mentors

Mentorship from a world-class network of young founders and industry leaders

During our Venture Camp programs, students work closely with dedicated instructors who will guide them through the process of launching their own business or making an impact on an existing one.

In addition to each student's dedicated guide, they will learn from and connect with a world-class mentor network of experienced founders and industry experts.

Kai Chen
Research at OpenAI, Co-Founder at Dispatch Technologies. Penn M&T ‘17
Shobha Dasari
Co-Founder at Flair Health. Y Combinator and Stanford alumni.
Alex Sands
Co-Founder at Pilot, Wharton/Penn M&T alumni.
Sonny Mo
Co-Founder/CEO Bloom, Thiel Fellow, and Brown 2021.
Ajay Patel
Machine Learning PhD at Penn. Co-Founder at Plasticity.
Jerry Registre
Product at Meta, Harvard alumni. Co-Founder at Peerlift.
WORKING TOGETHER

Mentorship from a world-class founder and industry network

During Venture Camp, teens get instruction, do 1:1 mentorship, have office hours, and hear talks from entrepreneurs and business leaders.

WORKING TOGETHER

An engaging bootcamp experience

During Venture Camp, teens receive instruction, get 1:1 and small-group mentorship, have office hours, and hear talks from entrepreneurs and business leaders. All while creating their own business.

GOING FORWARD

Establish a robust foundation for college and your future career

At the end of every Venture Camp program, you’ll be equipped with real-world business skills that drive success in college and your future career.

Accelerate your career at top companies
Showcase your passion and drive for colleges
YOUR MENTORS

Learn from real entrepreneurs and technologists by building in the real world

Ben Hsu
Ben is an instructor at Venture Camp. He spent the past 4 years as the co-founder/CEO of Songbird, a healthcare technology company for children with autism. He helped grow Songbird to serve hundreds of families across 3 states, raise $10m+ from Kleiner Perkins, and build a 120+ person team.

Ben graduated from the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology between Wharton and UPenn.
Alex Sands
Alex is an instructor at Venture Camp. He is a co-founder at Plasticity, a natural language processing and AI startup that was acquired in 2020.

Alex also co-founded Pilot, a non-profit that hosted nation-wide high school hackathons to teach students how to code. He ran these events in 14 different cities, with several events reaching 200+ students and 30+ mentors.
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Alex was a part of Y Combinator S17 and graduated from the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology between Wharton and UPenn.
STUDENT NETWORK

Join a network of ambitious and passionate student entrepreneurs

Applications to interview for Venture Camp's Fall 2024 programs are due September 15, 2024—apply today.

Apply