Building the Next Generation of Sharp Founders
A 2-week summer day camp for grades 6–12 where students build a real startup, learn from Ivy League mentors, and pitch live to venture capitalists.
Our instructors are undergraduate and graduate students from the nation's top universities — passionate about giving back and inspiring the next generation.
Harvard University
Business & entrepreneurship students from Harvard Business School and College.
Stanford University
CS, product, and design students from Silicon Valley's leading university.
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.
Interested in sponsoring Sharp Tank?
Two Weeks. One Real Startup.
A 10-day journey from spark of an idea to pitching live on stage.
Build Your Startup
From idea to brand identity — mindset, validation, customers, business model, and branding.
- 🚀Day 1:Welcome & Startup Mindset
- 💡Day 2:Idea Generation & Problem Validation
- 🎯Day 3:Customer Discovery & Target Audience
- 💰Day 4:Business Model & Revenue Planning
- 🎨Day 5:Branding & Marketing
Pitch Like a Pro
From deck to the big stage — pitch decks, demos, public speaking, and investor Q&A.
- 📊Day 6:Pitch Deck Building (Slide by Slide)
- 🖥️Day 7:Product Demo & Visual Design
- 🎤Day 8:Pitch Training & Public Speaking
- 🦈Day 9:Investor Q&A + Shark Panel Practice
- 🏆Day 10:Sharp Tank Pitch Day (Final Showcase)
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
Pitch Like a Pro
Days 6–10 · From deck to the big stage.
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
Daily Schedule
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.