Venture Camp is an entrepreneurship education initiative for ambitious high school students interested in business, startups, and tech. During our rigorous summer and school-year programs, high school students learn tech skills to solve a problem for a leading startup, or become co-founder/CEO of a real business with users and even revenue.

Venture Camp is an interactive virtual program that students can join from anywhere. You will join a community of talented and ambitious high school students to team up and launch your business. Founded by exited VC-backed entrepreneurs and Wharton/UPenn graduates, our program bridges Silicon Valley startup practices and coursework from leading MBA programs. 
The program experience blends a best-in-class instruction and workshops with hands-on experience. Each day, there will be live instruction and workshops about topics like ideation, customer discovery, minimum viable product, and sales. Additionally, students will have structured collaboration time to test, problem solve, and build their idea in small groups and with personalized support. 

Venture Camp is unique because students are building real businesses and learning by launching, talking to customers, and getting users. We fundamentally believe that high school students can create real businesses, and that the best way to learn entrepreneurship is by doing it in the market. Students will leave Venture Camp as the founder of their own startup and having launched a product/service with traction!

Also, it’s the only program led by real exited and venture-backed entrepreneurs (who are actively founding/running businesses). You’ll get mentorship from entrepreneurs, industry experts, and business leaders from Wharton, OpenAI, Stanford, DoorDash, McKinsey, and more.

We have a variety of programs this fall. Innovation Connect runs from October 7th to December 16th 2024, and Launch a Startup runs from September 23rd to December 16th.

You can download our detailed brochure by going to our home page and finding the brochure.

For our fall program: student entrepreneurs engage in a mix of curriculum, guest speakers, and labs over the course of the 10-week program to launch their own business. Expected commitment is ~5-7 hours per week with scheduled activities at after-school times (PT and ET) and on the weekends. Scheduling is flexible so students can choose the slots that work best for them.

In addition to the above programming, there will be organized community building events so participants can hang out and get to know each other outside of the projects!

Unlike traditional academic programs, Venture Camp offers a unique, experiential learning environment where students actively build a startup, gaining practical skills in business, technology, and leadership.

Launch a Startup is instructed, run, and mentored by real and current entrepreneurs. You will be learning from entrepreneurs who are actively in the early and later stages of building successful companies.

Innovation Connect teaches critical business/career/tech skills while also connecting students to problem-solve at real companies.

No, you do not need to have a business idea before applying. Venture Camp is designed to inspire and guide students through the process of ideation, validation, and execution, helping them to discover and develop their entrepreneurial vision during the program.

Absolutely. You will leave Venture Camp as the co-founder and CXO of your own business with traction. You can continue your business as an independent student, or submit it to competitions like Conrad and Blue Ocean. 

Participation in Venture Camp demonstrates initiative, leadership, and problem-solving skills—qualities highly valued by colleges, internship programs, and employers. The experience provides a compelling narrative for applications and interviews, showcasing your ability to drive results and make an impact.

During Venture Camp, you will build a network that will propel you ahead for years. You’ll work with and learn from successful entrepreneurs, recent graduates from world-class universities (like Stanford, Wharton/UPenn’s Jerome Fisher Management & Technology Program, Harvard, MIT), and industry professionals from OpenAI/DoorDash/McKinsey.

The program is ideal for high school students who are curious, motivated, and passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. No prior experience in business or technology is required—just an open mind and a commitment to learning and taking initiative.

To apply, visit the Venture Camp website and complete the application form here. The process includes questions to understand your interests and goals, followed by an informal interview to further explore your fit for the program and address any questions you may have.

Venture Camp seeks ambitious and motivated students, focusing on their potential to contribute and grow rather than just academic achievements. In order to maintain a tight-knit community and low ratio of instructor/mentor:student, there are a select number of student entrepreneur spots available.

However, the most important quality we’re looking for is motivation and genuine curiosity. We welcome all types of students—those interested in business/STEM as well as students interested in the arts or those unsure but curious—to apply!

Tuition covers our experienced instruction team, curriculum, classes, remote group activities, mentorship by entrepreneurs in all timezones, access to the platforms necessary to attend the program, special startup resources, and remote recreational activities.

Tuition for the Fall 2024 Innovation Connect program is $1,950.

Tuition for the Fall 2024 Launch a Startup program is $2800.

Yes, Venture Camp provides financial aid on a needs-basis and a limited number of merit-based scholarships to ensure that motivated students can participate regardless of their financial situation. 

Please email scholarship@venturecamp.org for more information on scholarship/aid. You will also receive a link to apply in your acceptance email.

Venture Camp is a passion-driven education initiative started by serial Silicon Valley venture-backed entrepreneurs and Wharton/University of Pennsylvania graduates. We started the program because we believe ambitious young people can build real businesses and launch incredible products with the right support and guidance. 

We saw a need for an experience where aspiring high school entrepreneurs learned from real entrepreneurs and via creating and launching in the market, not behind a desk in a classroom.

Launch Workshops are a series of virtual workshops accessible by all high school students interested in entrepreneurship, business, and tech. Venture Camp is hosting Launch Workshops in summer 2024 and through fall 2024 to maximize accessibility of careers in entrepreneurship and technology.