We help ambitious teenagers turn their summer into an entrepreneurial adventure. Our programs offer a hands-on approach to launching a real startup. You’ll gain the skills a startup founder needs like leadership, creativity, initiative, public speaking, and more.
Leangap’s unique approach doesn't rely on mock companies or simulations; you will experience entrepreneurship in the real world, by developing your ideas from concept to launch, with real customers and users.
The Leangap you already know, on its online version, for you to work safely from home with your future cofounders from all around the world. Build your startup idea by working with like-minded young entrepreneurs that will become your cofounders, friends, and family. Working 5 weeks straight, nonstop, and having actual traction results.
2020 was a challenge, and 2021 is the year to make up for all the time and experiences you may have missed. Don’t miss another second and apply today!
Giving canned lectures to accommodate a large number of students is the go-to option for many programs. We are the only program in the world that takes a 1-on-1 approach for each startup to see them succeed in the real world, not on power-point slides.
Last year, in the middle of a pandemic, 100% remotely, Leangap Entrepreneurs achieved:
Lindsey was announced as a finalist in Conrad Challenge, one of the most prominent entrepreneurship competitions. Currently a Junior at Saigon South International School, she's leading Elevate the Future Chapter Vietnam, a non-profit organization providing business and computer science education to young learners.
While the vast majority of entrepreneurship programs for high school students only talk about ideas and validation, we take it one step further. We believe that only by building and selling can students truly learn the core fundamentals of entrepreneurship.
During the first week, student entrepreneurs will pitch ideas individually, then students will vote on the best ideas to form teams around them, validate business models, and create the first proof of concept of their products or services.
Teams will then create a minimum viable product with the guidance of our mentors and network.
They will then beta test with real customers and come back to the drawing board with their new learnings.
The ability to generate traction is what separates real startups from "projects". As soon as that first dollar hits your account, you have a company.
With the support of our mentors, students will get sales as soon as humanly possible.
On the last week, students will demo and pitch their company to a judging panel formed by investors, CEOs, technologists, and more.
Companies will be judged based on product-market fit, market size, traction, and pitching.
Amal has two years of experience in venture capital, from due diligence, market research, and fund management, to fundraising directly from limited partners. In 2017, she was the sole Rising Tide team member based in Seoul, South Korea where she raised a feed-fund from high-impact South Korean investors to co-invest with Rising Tide in Silicon Valley companies.
The Leangap Experience is one of the most impactful things you can do as a teenager — starting and launching your own company. This does not go unnoticed by College Admission Officers, Recruiters, Scholarships Officials, Companies, etc.
Since Leangap started 7 years ago, hundreds of alumni have grown into successful startup founders, venture capitalists, prominent community leaders, outstanding business men and women, brilliant students at Ivy League colleges, remarkable interns at top tech companies, and more.
“One time, one of the mentors stayed up the entire night to help me code and build our prototype. Talk about commitment.”
“The mentors are easily some of the best people I've met in my life. We still keep in touch, and they still look out for us.”
“Leangap changes your life, not just your summer. What I created and experienced at Leangap played a big part to being admitted to Harvard.”
“I learned things that I only could by actually building a business, stuff I wouldn't learn by attending 'entrepreneurship' classes”.
“I came home with the start of a movement, incredible friends, and the knowledge/backing of an invaluable network of entrepreneurs.”
“I made lots of new friends. I know these friends will stay for life and the lessons will help me in the future to create my own business.”
“I've developed an invaluable network with entrepreneurs and executives that will set any kind of person up for success!”
“I was pushed above and beyond my limit and gave more than I thought I had in my arsenal for the sake of the company and my team.”
“I can't believe how we created a real tangible product that impacted very real people in the world in just a couple of weeks.”
Having real entrepreneurs and technologists is the secret sauce to the world's leading teen entrepreneurship program. We invite only the brightest to Leangap, and that applies to mentors as well. Meet successful CEOs, TED speakers, startup founders, software engineers, marketers, and more. We have a 4:1 student to staff ratio.
Co-founder at Discovr Labs, Forbes 30 under 30, Thiel Fellow. She has an EdTech background having previously founded an educational nonprofit. Former research associate at CalTech.
While in college, Kaeya got a deal on ABC’s “Shark Tank” with a prototype for her first product, BZbox. She is now the founder of a venture-backed startup disrupting e-commerce.
Sadok is a TEDx speaker and one of FastCompany Magazine's "Most Innovative Creatives". He also received the Best Mobile Innovation award at the Mobile World Congress.
Oliy started top.gg at 15, which he has grown to over 6 million monthly users. He continues to develop the platform today and advises multiple companies for tech and investment needs.
Find out more about the rest of our team and mentors in this page.
Currently a Bioengineering student at Northeastern University, Taiki's interests lie in entrepreneurship and the startup community. He interned at the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, one of the top accelerators on the East Coast.
Benefit from these resources from our beloved partners when you join Leangap. Make use of our vast network to increase your chances of success.
For more answered questions, head over to the complete FAQ page.
“One time, one of the mentors stayed up the entire night to help me code and build our prototype. Talk about commitment.”
“The mentors are easily some of the best people I've met in my life. We still keep in touch, and they still look out for us.”
“Leangap changes your life, not just your summer. What I created and experienced at Leangap played a big part to being admitted to Harvard.”
“I learned things that I only could by actually building a business, stuff I wouldn't learn by attending 'entrepreneurship' classes”.
“I came home with the start of a movement, incredible friends, and the knowledge/backing of an invaluable network of entrepreneurs.”
“I made lots of new friends. I know these friends will stay for life and the lessons will help me in the future to create my own business.”
“I've developed an invaluable network with entrepreneurs and executives that will set any kind of person up for success!”
“I was pushed above and beyond my limit and gave more than I thought I had in my arsenal for the sake of the company and my team.”
“I can't believe how we created a real tangible product that impacted very real people in the world in just a couple of weeks.”
