Launch a successful startup while in high school

Leangap™ provides the highest impact opportunity for teenagers.

Leangap is an immersive startup incubator that teaches high school students how to build their own scalable companies and non-profits. During one summer, we help students develop their ideas from concept to launch, with real customers and users.

Summer 2021 will take place online!

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!

Start date:

June 21, 2021

end date:

July 23, 2021

duration:

5 weeks

schedule:

Classes 8:00am to 11:00am PST. Mentoring and teamwork throughout the day in own time.

‍

Apply for Summer 2021

Join from anywhere and connect with others like you.

Summer 2020 ONLINE

the outcome

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 just on power-point slides.

Last year, in the middle of a pandemic, 100% remotely, Leangap Entrepreneurs achieved:

+$21,000USD

in generated revenue

1,392

Registered Customers

1M

Total Audience Reach

I was concerned about attending a ‘virtual’ summer program, but my experience at Leangap was extremely rigorous and real. It transformed me into an adaptable and resilient leader. I was never so productive at home, working with teammates from over three countries.

“

— Lindsey Lee, 17

Leangap Class of 2020

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.

Start a real company with real traction in one summer.

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.

PHASE ONE
validation

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.

PHASE two
CREATION

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.

PHASE THREE
TRACTION

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.

PHASE FOUR
PITCHING

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.

"...students from Asia, Europe, Canada, California, and Texas are all vying for spots in the program."

Apply for Summer 2021

As a teenager I wasn't sure what to study or what to do later in life. Thanks to Leangap I was able to experience the different roles and positions at a company. Now I'm majoring in a career I love, in a school I admire.

“

— Amal Mulaomerovic, 21

Leangap Class of 2015

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.

With Leangap™ you grow into the best version of yourself.

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.

Angela Q., Leangap Class of 2015

82% intern at major tech companies.

65% get admitted to top-rated colleges.

There are 11 spots left as of this day.

Applications for Summer ’21 close in
45:days 21:hours 12:minutes 25:seconds

Apply for
Summer 2021

“One time, one of the mentors stayed up the entire night to help me code and build our prototype. Talk about commitment.”

—

Vish N., Leangap Class of 2017

“I learned things that I only could by actually building a business, stuff I wouldn't learn by attending 'entrepreneurship' classes”.

—

Sarah J., Leangap Class of 2018

“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.”

—

Christie N., Leangap Class of 2018

“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.”

—

Amelie G., Leangap Class of 2020

“I came home with the start of a movement, incredible friends, and the knowledge/backing of an invaluable network of entrepreneurs.”

—

Swapnanil G., Leangap Class of 2015

“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.”

—

Andrew C., Leangap Class of 2017

“I've developed an invaluable network with entrepreneurs and executives that will set any kind of person up for success!”

—

Hannah Z., Leangap Class of 2018

“Leangap changes your life, not just your summer. What I created and experienced at Leangap played a big part to being admitted to Harvard.”

—

Shubh K., Leangap Class of 2019

“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.”

—

Devesh P., Leangap Class of 2018

You will learn from real entrepreneurs and technologists, not professors.

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.

Gemma

Busoni

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.

Kaeya

Majmundar

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

Cervantes

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

Barrett

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.

I hesitated between Leangap and the Babson Summer Study. I went with Leangap because they promised me one thing: I would be able to start a company and be an entrepreneur. On the day we made our first sale, Leangap delivered on its promise.

“

— Taiki Honda, 17

Leangap Class of 2017

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.

Access these and more resources to support your journey. Use our network to expand your reach.

Benefit from these resources from our beloved partners when you join Leangap. Make use of our vast network to increase your chances of success.

The leading website builder platform gives Leangap students a 12-month account to kickstart their journey.

Launch with a bang with icons, photos, music, and all the assets that you require from icons8.

Get a .CO or .US domain from GoDaddy for free to launch your startup in no time.

Compete against hundreds of teams for huge cash prizes along with your team.

Increase your chances of acceptance to the Ivy League, Oxford, Cambridge, and more with Crimson Education's help.

The Conrad Challenge is unlike any STEM competition out there. The challenge creates the next generation of entrepreneurs who are going to change the world!.

How the best startups in Silicon Valley get legal paperwork done. Clerky combines ease-of-use with a focus on helping startups get everything done the right way.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more answered questions, head over to the complete FAQ page.

There are 11 spots left as of this day.

Applications for Summer ’21 close in
45:days 21:hours 12:minutes 25:seconds

Apply for
Summer 2021

“One time, one of the mentors stayed up the entire night to help me code and build our prototype. Talk about commitment.”

—

Vish N., Leangap Class of 2017

“I learned things that I only could by actually building a business, stuff I wouldn't learn by attending 'entrepreneurship' classes”.

—

Sarah J., Leangap Class of 2018

“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.”

—

Christie N., Leangap Class of 2018

“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.”

—

Amelie G., Leangap Class of 2020

“I came home with the start of a movement, incredible friends, and the knowledge/backing of an invaluable network of entrepreneurs.”

—

Swapnanil G., Leangap Class of 2015

“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.”

—

Andrew C., Leangap Class of 2017

“I've developed an invaluable network with entrepreneurs and executives that will set any kind of person up for success!”

—

Hannah Z., Leangap Class of 2018

“Leangap changes your life, not just your summer. What I created and experienced at Leangap played a big part to being admitted to Harvard.”

—

Shubh K., Leangap Class of 2019

“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.”

—

Devesh P., Leangap Class of 2018

Launch a successful startup in high school

Leangap™ provides the highest impact opportunity for teenagers.

Summer 2021 will take place online!

Join from anywhere and connect with others like you.

Summer 2020 ONLINE

Start a real company with real traction in one summer.

With Leangap™ you grow into the best version of yourself.

There are 11 spots left as of this day.

You will learn from real entrepreneurs and technologists, not professors.

Access these and more resources to support your journey. Use our network to expand your reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are 11 spots left as of this day.