About Leangap

Real startups.
Real results.
Since 2015.

Leangap is a summer program for ambitious teenagers to build real companies for real customers. Since 2015, we’ve helped students launch startups under real-world pressure to secure top college spots, leading internships, and a head start in business.

The world changed. Summer programs didn’t.

While leading teams at Wikipedia, Lufthansa, and TripAdvisor, Leangap founder Sadok Cervantes noticed a gap: ambitious students were arriving woefully underprepared for the fast-paced tech world.

A new solution

Sadok founded Leangap to replace simulations with reality, giving students the hands-on experience he knew the industry demanded.

The "simulation" trap

Most programs use academic simulations rather than the real thing—perpetuating the very problem they aim to solve.

The skills gap:

Traditional schooling lacks the high-stakes experience needed to build true resilience and adaptability.

The Leangap Blueprint.

Mentors

Mentors with real-world experience...

While teachers offer wisdom, our mentors offer a roadmap. We exclusively recruit industry veterans—from Forbes 30-Under-30 Fellows to Shark Tank alumni—to guide our students.

You won't just learn from them; you’ll build a lifelong network of entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers who have already navigated the path you’re starting on.

Man in a buttoned shirt speaking on stage with a headset microphone and holding a remote control.
Young man in black Nike sweatshirt sitting at a wooden desk with computer and newspapers behind.
Method

...helping students build real startups.

Entrepreneurship isn't taught in a lecture; it’s forged 
in the market. At Leangap, we replace simulations 
with high-stakes reality.

Our students don't just "study" business—they validate ideas, build products, and sell to real customers. The experience culminates in a high-pressure pitch to Silicon Valley investors, ensuring the challenges (and the successes) are 100% real.

10 years of real-world achievement.

Large group of young adults posing together on grass outside a modern building.
Group of six young adults smiling and posing together indoors.
Grid of diverse people on a virtual video call, many smiling and making hand gestures or showing objects to the camera.

Other programs rely on canned lectures to accommodate large numbers of students — but at Leangap, we’ve spent the past decade demonstrating that there’s another, better way.

Here’s what the startups created by our students have collectively achieved across our programs:

+$39.1K
USD in generated revenue
3,228
Registered customers
1.9M
Total audience reach
Where our graduates go

Your launchpad to elite success

Their launchpad to elite success

82%

Intern at major tech companies

50%

Get admitted into top-rated colleges

Testimonials

Hear from our students

What our students say:

"I was concerned about a ‘virtual’ summer program, but Leangap Online was extremely rigorous and real. It transformed me into a resilient leader. I was super productive at home, working with teammates from three countries."

Lindsey Lee
Leangap Class of
2020

"I was between Leangap and Babson Summer Study. I went with Leangap because they promised me real-world results. On the day we made our first sale, Leangap delivered on its promise."

Taiki Honda
Leangap Class of
2017
Graduate News

Examples of 
Leangap’s success

Real-World Experience. Extraordinary Results.

If you think you’re ready for the challenge of Leangap — and you’re eager to prove yourself to college admissions clerks or internship program managers in real-world conditions — then we invite you to find out more or apply for one of our summer programs.

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