🚀 Youth Entrepreneurship Program

SHARP TANK

2-Week Summer Day Camp · Grades 6–12

🕘 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Daily🎓 Grades 6–12🦈 Pitch in Front of Real VCs
Young entrepreneur pitching on stage at Sharp Tank
Sharp Tank moments
Sharp Tank moments
Sharp Tank moments
Sharp Tank moments
10
Program Days
6 hrs
Daily Learning
1
Final Pitch Event
100%
Hands-On
World-Class Instructors

Taught by Students from

Our instructors are undergraduate and graduate students from the nation's top universities — passionate about giving back and inspiring the next generation.

Harvard University logo

Harvard University

Business & entrepreneurship students from Harvard Business School and College.

Stanford University logo

Stanford University

CS, product, and design students from Silicon Valley's leading university.

UC Berkeley logo

UC Berkeley

Engineering and Haas Business School students bringing Bay Area startup energy.

✨ All instructors are vetted, background-checked, and trained in youth education best practices.

Prizes Provided By

Prizes from Our Sponsors

OpenAI logo
Google Cloud logo
Anthropic logo
AWS logo
OpenVenture logo

Interested in sponsoring Sharp Tank? Contact us

Week 1

Build Your Startup

Days 1–5 · From idea to brand identity.

Meet your cohort, tour the space, and dive into what it really takes to think like a founder. We unpack famous startup stories, set personal goals for the program, and form your founding teams.

  • Icebreakers & team formation
  • Founder mindset workshop
  • Goal-setting & journaling

Learn the frameworks real founders use to spot problems worth solving. Teams brainstorm dozens of ideas, then pressure-test them against real-world criteria.

  • Problem-storming sprint
  • Jobs-to-be-Done framework
  • Idea scoring & selection

Get out of the building (digitally) and talk to real potential customers. Build user personas and learn how to ask questions that uncover insight, not bias.

  • Persona-building workshop
  • Live customer interviews
  • Insight synthesis

How does a startup actually make money? Map out your business model canvas, compare revenue streams, and stress-test your unit economics.

  • Business Model Canvas
  • Pricing strategy lab
  • Revenue stream design

Name your startup, design your logo, and craft a brand voice customers remember. Learn the fundamentals of marketing and positioning.

  • Naming & logo design
  • Brand voice workshop
  • Go-to-market basics

Build a 10-slide investor deck using the same structure top startups use to raise millions. Every slide gets workshopped and refined.

  • Slide-by-slide breakdown
  • Storytelling for investors
  • Deck design lab

Create a clickable mockup or prototype of your product. Learn UI/UX basics and how to demo your product without a single line of code.

  • Prototyping with Figma
  • Demo storytelling
  • Visual design fundamentals

Voice, posture, pacing, and presence. Work with speaking coaches to deliver your pitch with confidence and clarity.

  • Public speaking drills
  • Pitch rehearsals on stage
  • Live peer feedback

The toughest questions come after the pitch. Practice fielding hard investor questions and learn how to think on your feet under pressure.

  • Mock shark panel
  • Q&A drills
  • Objection handling

The big day. Pitch your startup live to a panel of real VCs, mentors, and family. Awards, certificates, and celebration follow.

  • Final pitch on stage
  • Live VC feedback
  • Awards ceremony
Week 2

Pitch Like a Pro

Days 6–10 · From deck to the big stage.

Daily Structure

Every Day, Same Energy

The same schedule every day keeps the energy consistent and learning focused.

☀️
9:00 – 9:30 AM
Morning Warm-Up
📚
9:30 – 11:00 AM
Lesson & Workshop
👥
11:00 – 12:00 PM
Team Work Time
🍕
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch Break
🎙️
1:00 – 2:30 PM
Activity / Guest Speaker / Practice
📝
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Reflection & Daily Recap
🏆

Sharp Tank Pitch Day

On Day 10, students take the stage and pitch their startup to a real panel of Venture Capitalists, Business Professionals, Mentors, and their families.

🎤

Live Pitch

Present your startup idea to a VC-style panel.

💬

Real Critiques

Receive genuine investor feedback and scoring.

🏅

Awards Ceremony

Certificates, prizes, and group celebration.

Ready to Pitch?

Spots are limited. Reserve your seat at this summer's Sharp Tank and learn what it takes to build and pitch a real startup.

Apply for Summer