Edify Startup Incubator

Launch your own business or nonprofit — guided by mentors from Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford, using frameworks drawn from Y Combinator and the world's top accelerators.

Program Overview

Ideate, build, and launch your venture

The Edify Startup Incubator is a selective program for high school students who want to build something real — a company, a nonprofit, or an impactful initiative — with expert mentorship every step of the way.

Launch a Real Venture

Build a business or nonprofit from scratch — not a hypothetical project. By the end, you have something you actually launched.

Harvard & Stanford Alumni Mentors

Work with experienced mentors from top universities and accelerators, using best practices from Y Combinator and leading startup ecosystems.

Group & Individual Formats

Choose the 3-week intensive group program during summer or the 12-week 1-on-1 individual program, available year-round.

Any Industry, Any Idea

Tech, social impact, education, health, consumer products — mentors span a wide range of industries and are matched to your vision.

Structured Framework

The curriculum is built on proven startup methodologies — problem validation, MVP development, pitch preparation, and go-to-market strategy.

Admissions Differentiator

Founding a venture — and being able to speak to that experience with depth — is one of the most compelling stories a student can tell in a college application.

Tuition & Enrollment

Choose your program format

Both formats lead to a launched venture. Choose based on your timeline and preference for group or individual work.

$3,990

Individual Program

12 weeks · 1-on-1 with expert mentor

+ $200 refundable deposit

$3,490

Summer Group Program

3 weeks intensive · Mon–Fri, 9am–12pm PST

+ $200 refundable deposit

Financial aid available.

Need-based financial aid is available for students from families earning under $80,000/year. Select the financial aid option in the application to be considered.

How It Works

From idea to launched venture

The Individual Program follows a 12-week journey based on frameworks from top accelerators with your Edify counselor supporting integration into your overall application strategy.

Weeks 1–2 — Define your idea and meet your mentor

Explore your interests, identify a problem worth solving, and align with your mentor on the direction for your venture.

Research your target market, talk to potential users, and sharpen your value proposition before committing to a build.

Develop a minimum viable product or initiative with hands-on mentor support. Iterate based on early feedback.

Put your venture into the world — whether that means a live website, a first customer, or a launched nonprofit campaign.

Prepare and deliver a final pitch of your venture. Reflect on lessons learned and what you would do differently — powerful material for college essays.

Faq’s

Common questions

Do I need a business idea before applying?
We provide a fully comprehensive, hands-on approach with unlimited communication available. However, for students who may benefit from additional support and guidance—particularly those who tend to be more passive in their engagement—we ensure regular check-ins at least bimonthly to monitor progress on their deliverables and maintain accountability.
We maintain strict enrollment limits for each grade level to ensure quality service. While priorities and deliverables vary across different grade levels, we make every effort to ensure all goals are met for each student. When we reach full capacity, we create a waitlist to manage future admissions.
Payment is required in full upfront. Refunds are not available after the third meeting, though we understand that unexpected circumstances may arise. We evaluate refund requests on a case-by-case basis when extenuating circumstances exist.
All services are provided in-house to ensure consistently high-quality output. We do not subcontract any of our services to external providers.
We established our company in 2018 and have served hundreds of families throughout Silicon Valley. The majority of our clients are technology industry professionals who attended university outside the United States and seek guidance from experts familiar with the U.S. education system to help their children achieve their academic goals.

Ready to build your venture?

Talk to your Edify counselor to choose the right format, then apply directly through our Email.