Build something true, good, and beautiful.
Current high school students are invited to the Startup Venture Challenge, a summer program for high school students to explore their interest in business and entrepreneurship. Student participants will launch a business or social venture inspired by the True, the Good, and the Beautiful in the course of a 10-week virtual startup bootcamp.
SVC is an intensive 10 week challenge where participants will be guided through the process of identifying, developing, and launching a business that provides goods that are truly good or services that truly serve. Participants will learn from Busch School professors and business mentors. Weekly challenges will guide participants through the process of starting their business by the end of the bootcamp. During the weekly live meetings participants will learn about key business and entrepreneurship concepts and learn from their peers and guest lecturers.
What to Expect from the Challenge
Running from the week of June 8th-August 10th, participants will attend a weekly group meeting over Zoom, build community with entrepreneurial minded peers, and complete weekly challenges to prepare for their business launch.
- Week 1-3: Discernment and Identification of Business Idea
- Week 4: Business Launch
- Weeks 5-9: Testing Developing the Business Model
- Week 10: The Next Great Adventure: Plugging into resources and community to take things to the next level
Over the 10 weeks you will hear from various guest speakers including faculty from the Busch School of Business and Catholic business leaders.
At the end of the Startup Venture Challenge a total of $5,000 will be awarded to the top participants in the Startup Venture Challenge to support their business venture. The Startup Venture Challenge is a 10 week commitment that requires a virtual meeting once a week on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Eligibility for the monetary awards are contingent upon weekly attendance and completion of the weekly challenges. If students are unable to attend each week, they will still gain valuable business experience, but they won’t be eligible for the monetary awards.
To join this challenge, submit your application today.
Details:
Applications for Summer 2026 open February 16th
Application deadline is April 15th
Cost: $1,000 (scholarships available based on financial need)
Dates: June, 9th 2026-August, 13th 2026