K⋅LAB
YOUTH STARTUP ACCELERATOR
K⋅LAB helps high school students create their own business while learning about entrepreneurship and preparing for college.
"It was fun and interesting, and I liked going over all my skills and figuring out businesses [that I could create with them].”
- Seamus V., K⋅LAB workshop participant
1-week Startup workshop
Rising 10th-12th grade students build a brand new business: create an idea, make a business plan, and launch their website
Get expert mentoring from an experienced entrepreneur and educator
Collaborate with a talented, elite peer group
Compete in an end-of-session pitch competition
Successful students earn a personalized letter of recommendation from K⋅LAB's CEO, Catherine Killingsworth (Yale '08) and receive an invitation to K⋅LAB's year-long Young Entrepreneur Fellowship Program.
“It was very interesting to see how easy it is to find a business that you are passionate about!”
- Tyler T., K⋅LAB workshop participant
workshop Facilitator
K⋅LAB workshops are designed and led by entrepreneur and educator Catherine Killingsworth. She earned a BA at Yale and an MBA at Quantic. In the course of her career, she has:
founded a nonprofit that was named one of the top 10 youth arts programs in the country by the President's Council on Arts and Humanities
led the creation of an accredited MBA program in Entrepreneurship and another in Strategic Leadership
served as a public school teacher and Dean of Curriculum and Instruction in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System
“It was encouraging and made starting a business feel more realistic.”
- Lauren, K⋅LAB workshop participant
Curriculum
Our engaging, interactive, project-based program teaches students about businesses by having them build one! The five-day Business Creation Workshop includes:
Day 1: Idea generation & the customer value proposition. Students will work together and use a variety of idea generation strategies to come up with over 100 viable new business ideas.
Day 2: Business models & competitive analysis. Students will analyze real case studies of different business models and research competitors for their own business in order to choose a business model.
Day 3: Market research & test-selling. Students will get out into the real world to talk to customers and find out what they'll really buy!
Day 4: Financial projections. Students will use a financial projection template to build their own financial projections while they learn about revenue, expenses, profit, margins, and returns on investment.
Day 5: Pitching your business plan. Students will create a short presentation to pitch their business to investors. And, they'll compete in the session Pitch Competition!
dATES, LOCATIONS, & sESSIONS
The Savannah-area summer Startup Workshop for high school students will take place July 25-29. To apply, head here. To inquire after other locations and opportunities, please email admin@klab.school.
Financial aid
Early enrollment tuition for the Savannah Summer Startup Workshop is $585 for students who apply by April 25. Regular tuition is $695. Some financial financial aid is available. Contact admin@klab.school for more information.
Money-back guarantee: If your student attends every day, participates fully in all assignments, and doesn't leave with a viable business plan and pitch, we will fully refund their tuition.
contact
Reach out to us at admin@klab.school with any questions, or to schedule a call.
can teenagers really start a profitable business?
Yes! In today's online economy, you can create a website and start pre-selling products in as little as a day or two, with little to no capital or technological expertise. In fact, digital-native teenagers are uniquely well-qualified to thrive in this economy! Check out just a few examples of successful teenage entrepreneurs:
16-year-old Alina Morse created the "healthy candy" company Zollipops
14-year-old Gabby Goodwin started her hair fashion company GaBBY Bows
16-year-old Femi Adebogun started the scholarship navigation service ScholarMe
With K⋅LAB's helpful business templates and tools, we set students up for real, practical business success.