15 Entrepreneurship Programs in Colorado for High School Students
If you are interested in business, finance, or innovation, entrepreneurship programs allow you to move beyond classroom concepts and explore those interests in a practical, engaging way.
What do entrepreneurship programs involve?
You'll dive into hands-on experiences such as designing business models, conducting market research, building prototypes, and pitching your startup ideas. Along the way, you'll build skills in startup strategy, financial planning, marketing, and product development.
Why enroll in entrepreneurship programs in Colorado?
Participating in these programs can strengthen your college applications by demonstrating initiative, leadership, and creative problem-solving. Colorado is an especially exciting place to explore entrepreneurship because of its growing startup ecosystem and strong culture of innovation. Many entrepreneurship programs in Colorado connect you with local founders, university mentors, and industry professionals, giving you a real inside look at how businesses grow.
For adjacent opportunities, check out business summer programs in Colorado.
Here’s a list of 15 entrepreneurship programs in Colorado for high school students!
15 Entrepreneurship Programs in Colorado for High School Students
1. Global Business Academy
Location: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Cost/Stipend: $3,750; limited scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: July 12 – 22
Application Deadline: February 1 (early admission and scholarship deadline) | May 1 (final deadline)
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18 enrolled for Fall 2026 (freshmen, sophomores, and juniors)
The Global Business Academy at Colorado State University is a 10-day summer program that introduces you to the fundamentals of business leadership and entrepreneurship on a global scale. The program combines classroom sessions with experiential learning to help you understand how businesses operate and how entrepreneurial ideas can create social and economic impact. You will explore core business topics while developing practical skills in teamwork, leadership, and strategic thinking. A big highlight of the program is collaboration with students from around the world on projects that tackle real-world business challenges. Beyond academics, you'll experience college life by staying in university residence halls and participating in outdoor activities such as a ropes course at CSU’s Mountain Campus in the Rocky Mountains.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: 100% Virtual (live, interactive workshops)
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts offered in summer, fall, winter, and spring
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Open to high school students
The Young Founders Lab is a startup-focused boot camp designed to help you build a revenue-generating venture from the ground up. Founded and led by Harvard entrepreneurs, the program emphasizes hands-on startup development rather than learning business theory alone. You will begin by identifying a real-world problem and validating your idea through market research, customer discovery, and feedback-driven iteration. By the end, you will have a clear roadmap for transforming your idea into a functional startup. Along the way, you will participate in live interactive sessions that cover key aspects of entrepreneurship, including product development, branding strategy, and go-to-market planning. Through case studies, workshops, and panel discussions, you will break down how successful startups attract customers, refine their products, and scale effectively.
3. Business Leadership Program
Location: University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: June 21 – 27
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Colorado residents or students attending a Colorado high school; current high school juniors during the 2025–26 academic year
The Business Leadership Program (BLP) at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business is a one-week residential program where you step into the world of business strategy, leadership, and problem-solving through a hands-on case competition. Working in teams, you will develop and present a marketing campaign for a corporate partner, gaining practical experience in business analysis and strategic thinking. What makes BLP stand out is the opportunity to learn directly from experts. You’ll interact with Leeds School of Business faculty, corporate partners, and industry professionals from companies such as EY, Deloitte, and KeyBank. These mentors guide you through workshops, discussions, and collaborative activities focused on leadership, teamwork, and innovation.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote (work from anywhere in the world)
Cost/Stipend: Varies by placement; some roles may be paid, while others are unpaid, depending on the startup
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts offered throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can commit 10–20 hours/week for 8–12 weeks
The Ladder Internship Program connects you with high-growth startups where you can work on real-world projects across industries such as technology, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, consulting, and journalism. Many participating startups are venture-backed companies led by experienced founders, including Y Combinator alumni and entrepreneurs who have previously worked at companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. That means you'll get a front-row view of how early-stage startups are built and grow. Throughout the internship, you will collaborate with your startup team while receiving mentorship from a dedicated manager and a Ladder Coach who guides your professional development. As you work on meaningful projects that address business challenges, you'll build practical skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.
5. Colorado Student Leaders Institute (COSLI)
Location: University campus in Colorado (residential program)
Cost/Stipend: Program cost $3,000 (largely funded); students obtain a $400 sponsorship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective
Program Dates: June 27 – July 24
Application Deadline: February (applications open October 1)
Eligibility: Colorado high school students (priority for grades 9–11; seniors also considered)
The Colorado Student Leaders Institute (COSLI) is a one-month residential summer program that helps you develop leadership, innovation, and critical thinking skills while experiencing college-level academics. You'll also earn three hours of college credit, giving you early exposure to the pace and expectations of college before you get there. What really sets COSLI apart is its hands-on, interdisciplinary approach. You'll work on projects that combine entrepreneurship, social impact, and ethical decision-making. In the Colorado Social Problem Lab, you explore solutions to real community challenges, whereas the Short-Term Business Lab introduces you to business strategy and innovation, and in the Daniels Ethics Case Competition, you'll analyze ethical dilemmas in business and leadership. These projects help you to build teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills, while developing ideas that address real-world issues.
6. Women in Business Case Competition
Location: University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Cost/Stipend: Free (tuition, room, board, and program activities covered)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: June 10 – 12
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Colorado residents or students attending a Colorado high school; current high school juniors during the 2025–26 academic year
The Women in Business Case Competition at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business is a short program where you step into the role of a problem solver. During the program, you will work in teams to tackle a case focused on issues affecting women in business and leadership. As you break down the problem and build your solution, you'll strengthen your critical thinking, teamwork, and analytical problem-solving skills while applying business concepts to practical scenarios. Throughout the program, you will collaborate with peers and receive guidance from faculty, staff, and corporate professionals at the Leeds School of Business. You'll develop strategic solutions to the case challenge and present them to a panel of judges, just like a real business pitch.
7. “Bring Your Ideas To Life” Summer Camp
Location: CSU Spur, Denver, CO
Cost/Stipend: $100; scholarships available for eligible students
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Limited capacity
Program Dates: June 8 – 12
Application Deadline: Not specified; registration open until spots fill
Eligibility: Students aged 12–18 (rising grades 7–12)
The “Bring Your Ideas To Life” Summer Camp at Colorado State University introduces you to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and design thinking through hands-on projects. Hosted by CSU’s Nancy Richardson Design Center and the College of Business Institute for Entrepreneurship, the weeklong program is all about learning by doing. You'll work with other students to explore how innovative ideas can be transformed into practical solutions for real-world problems, while learning how entrepreneurs approach product design, creativity, and problem-solving. Throughout the camp, you will develop and prototype your own ideas using design-thinking methods. You will also spend time working in a Makerspace, where you can experiment with tools and technologies to build early prototypes of your products or solutions.
8. IT in Business – Colorado State University
Location: CSU College of Business, Fort Collins, CO
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: TBD
Application Deadline: TBD
Eligibility: High school students
The IT in Business program at Colorado State University is a five-day summer experience that introduces you to the role of information technology in modern business. Hosted by the CSU College of Business, the program explores how digital tools and emerging technologies drive innovation, decision-making, and business strategy. Through sessions led by CSU faculty, you will learn how technology and entrepreneurship intersect in industries ranging from analytics to cybersecurity. You will also work with data visualization techniques and explore how artificial intelligence is used in business settings. To round out the experience, you'll tour CSU’s technology facilities, thus having a closer look at the tools and systems driving real-world digital innovation.
9. First-Generation Business Summit
Location: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: July 20 – 25
Application Deadline: Applications open March 2 and close April 21
Eligibility: First-generation high school students entering 10th grade through recently graduated seniors
The First-Generation Business Summit at Colorado State University is a week-long residential program for high school students who would be the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree. During the summit, you will experience college life while learning about the fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship in a welcoming, supportive environment. You will stay in CSU residence halls, eat in campus dining centers, and take part in workshops led by CSU College of Business faculty and staff. A highlight of the program is a case study competition, where you work in teams to design a business idea that addresses a real-world problem and pitch it to a mock panel of investors
10. High School New Venture Challenge (HSNVC)
Location: University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO (final competition held on campus)
Cost/Stipend: Free; $25,000+ in scholarships to CU Boulder available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective (teams advance through multiple competition rounds)
Program Dates: Spring competition cycle; final competition typically held in April
Application Deadline: Initial registration typically due in February
Eligibility: Open to all Colorado high school students
The High School New Venture Challenge (HSNVC) is an entrepreneurship competition that gives you the opportunity to turn your ideas into real, pitch-ready ventures. The program guides high school students through the full startup journey. You'll learn to identify market needs, build business models, and develop solutions to real-world challenges. You will typically work individually or in teams to refine your startup ideas and prepare presentation material for multiple competition rounds. In addition to gaining hands-on entrepreneurial experience, top teams compete for more than $25,000 in scholarships to CU Boulder, making the challenge a valuable opportunity to develop business skills while strengthening your college applications.
11. Junior Space Entrepreneur Program (JSEP)
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Typically held during the academic year (dates vary by cohort)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
The Junior Space Entrepreneur Program (JSEP) is a hands-on educational experience that introduces you to the intersection of aerospace innovation, STEM research, and entrepreneurship. You'll take on exciting challenges such as simulating a mission to Mars while developing solutions that address real-world problems in space exploration. Through collaborative projects and engineering design challenges, you learn how scientific ideas can be transformed into viable products and businesses. You will work with peers to design experiments, analyze data, and develop prototypes related to space technologies, getting a feel of how ideas move from concept to reality. Along the way, you might connect with professionals from aerospace and STEM fields, gaining insight into careers in space technology, engineering, and space entrepreneurship.
12. Business & Entrepreneurship Pathway
Location: EPIC Campus, Littleton, CO
Cost/Stipend: Not specified (school-based program)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: Academic-year courses
Application Deadline: Determined by participating high schools
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in participating Colorado schools
The Business & Entrepreneurship Pathway at EPIC Campus is a career-focused program that introduces you to entrepreneurship, finance, and real estate through hands-on learning and mentorship from industry professionals. The pathway is designed to help you develop practical business skills while earning certifications, licenses, and potentially college credit. In courses such as Starting a Business (Entrepreneurship 1) and Managing a Business (Entrepreneurship 2), you will work in teams to create and develop your own business idea. If you complete the real estate course sequence, you may be eligible to take the Colorado Real Estate Broker’s License Exam, which opens up the possibility of working in real estate right after high school or college.
13. JA Be Entrepreneurial® (Rapid Business Planning) – Junior Achievement
Location: Varies (classroom-based, virtual, or after-school programs available in Colorado)
Cost/Stipend: Typically free through participating schools or organizations
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment through participating programs
Program Dates: Flexible; typically delivered across 6 sessions
Application Deadline: Varies by school or program partner
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
JA Be Entrepreneurial® (Rapid Business Planning) is a hands-on entrepreneurship program that introduces you to the mindset and practical skills needed to develop and launch a business idea. As part of the Junior Achievement Entrepreneurship Pathway, this program shows you how innovators and entrepreneurs identify problems, create solutions, and build ventures that generate value for customers and communities. The curriculum focuses on structured entrepreneurial thinking and helps you translate ideas into actionable business plans. During the program, you use tools such as Design Thinking and the Lean Canvas business model to break down your startup idea into a one-page business plan. Along the way you will practice identifying customer needs, defining a competitive advantage, estimating cost structures, and validating business assumptions.
14. JA Be Entrepreneurial® (Creative Problem Solving) – Junior Achievement
Location: Varies (classroom-based, virtual, or after-school programs available in Colorado)
Cost/Stipend: Typically free through participating schools or organizations
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment through participating programs
Program Dates: Flexible; typically delivered across 5 sessions
Application Deadline: Varies by school or program partner
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
JA Be Entrepreneurial® (Creative Problem Solving) is a hands-on learning experience that teaches you how to think like an innovator using the design thinking process. As part of the Junior Achievement Entrepreneurship Pathway, the program focuses on helping you understand how entrepreneurs identify problems, develop solutions, and test ideas with real users. The curriculum emphasizes creative problem-solving and user-centered design, skills that are essential in both startups and established organizations. Through guided activities and collaborative projects, you gain experience applying the design thinking model to develop entrepreneurial ideas. You may also have the opportunity to participate in the JA Social Innovation Challenge, where you present innovative ideas aimed at making a real impact in your community.
15. JA Be Entrepreneurial® (Think Like an Entrepreneur) – Junior Achievement
Location: Varies (classroom-based, virtual, or after-school programs available in Colorado)
Cost/Stipend: Typically free through participating schools or organizations
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment through participating programs
Program Dates: Flexible; typically delivered across 3 sessions
Application Deadline: Varies by school or program partner
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
JA Be Entrepreneurial® (Think Like an Entrepreneur) is a starting point that helps you develop the mindset needed to succeed in entrepreneurship and innovation. As part of the Junior Achievement Entrepreneurship Pathway, the program focuses on helping you recognize opportunities, create value, and approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset. With the help of interactive lessons and discussions, you explore how entrepreneurs turn everyday problems into meaningful ventures. The program guides you through the process of creating a personal action plan for applying entrepreneurial thinking to future academic, professional, or startup pursuits. If you are ready to take it a step further, you may also have the opportunity to showcase your ideas in the JA Social Innovation Challenge.