Inkling isn't a classroom. It's a launchpad. Over six intensive weeks, you'll go from a raw idea to a real startup, building, iterating, and pitching alongside a handpicked cohort of ambitious high schoolers.
We stripped away the lectures, the hypotheticals, and the busy work. What's left is the real thing.
No textbooks. No exams. You learn by building a real company from scratch, making decisions that matter.
Customer discovery, MVP development, pitch decks - the same process used by Y Combinator founders.
Only 15–30 students per cohort. You'll be surrounded by driven, creative peers who push you further.
Guided by founders, VCs, and operators who've built companies worth millions. Real feedback, not theory.
Every week is designed to move your startup forward. Here's the journey from idea to Demo Day.
You'll explore problems worth solving, brainstorm solutions, conduct rapid market research, and form your startup team of 2-4 people. A mentor session this week helps you stress-test your early thinking. By the end of the week, you'll have a team, a problem, and a hypothesis.
Get out of the building. You'll run real user interviews, validate whether your problem actually exists, and build detailed personas of your target users. Your mentor reviews your findings and helps you work out what you're hearing.
Turn your validated idea into something real. This is where Agentic Coding comes in - you'll use AI engineering tools to build a working product, not a mockup. Mentor sessions this week focus on what to build and how to move fast without getting stuck.
A great product needs a real business behind it. You'll define revenue models, analyze competitors, and build a go-to-market strategy. Your mentor this week has been through this before and will tell you what actually matters.
Build your brand and land your first real users. A Growth mentor joins this week to guide your acquisition strategy - from brand identity to channels that actually convert.
This is it. You'll craft your pitch deck, run rehearsal sessions with mentors, and present in front of investors on Demo Day.
This isn't just a summer experience. You'll leave with tangible assets that last well beyond the program.
A working prototype or MVP that you built, tested, and iterated on with real users.
An investor-ready pitch deck refined through multiple rounds of mentor feedback and rehearsals.
A comprehensive business plan covering market analysis, revenue models, and growth strategy.
Lifelong connections with ambitious peers, successful founders, and industry mentors.
An official certificate of completion recognizing your entrepreneurial achievement.
A compelling narrative for college applications demonstrating initiative, leadership, and grit.
Every startup at Inkling is built by a team of 2-4 students. Because the best companies aren't built solo - they're built by people who complement each other.
We pair you based on skills, interests, and working style - not randomly. Every team is designed to succeed.
Daily standups, shared milestones, and structured check-ins keep your team aligned and moving fast.
Each team is assigned a dedicated mentor who provides weekly feedback and holds you accountable.
Visionary
Strategy & Leadership
Builder
Product & Tech
Storyteller
Marketing & Brand
Operator
Ops & Finance
Sample Team of 4
Applications are open for our next cohort. 15–30 spots. Six weeks. Put your idea to work.
Apply Now →$4,999 · Grades 9–12 · Selective Admissions