Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL

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  • All high school students (grades 9–12) are eligible to join the program, with no prior entrepreneurship or non-profit experience required. Our curriculum covers everything from idea generation to pitching your product to investors and fundraising strategy.

  • The program is fully virtual and is conducted through online meetings, readings and assignments.

  • You will be the full owner of your startup. We organize a demo day at the end of the program where you will get an opportunity to pitch you idea to potential investors and industry experts.

  • Yes! Email us at contact@youngfounderslab.org or feel free to give us a call at 781 223 6202. We also hold monthly info sessions‍ ‍for students, counselors, and parents.

  • If you are interested in solving a problem or building a product, then this program is the right fit for you. From philosophy to engineering, every field has a problem that can be solved using the principles of entrepreneurship. In this program, we help you do that.

  • We do offer financial aid to students based on need and merit.

  • Receiving formal non-profit status can be a lengthy process that involves a detailed application process with the IRS and can take up to a year (and some patience). At YFL, we’ll guide you on entity registration and submitting the necessary paperwork for official recognition.

GROUP PROGRAM

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  • The time commitment is 8-10 hours per week.

  • If you apply for the group program, you can either form your own team before joining or let us help you build a team with like-minded individuals.

  • If you are in the individual format, you have the flexibility to adjust your meeting days based on other commitments. In the group program, while you can watch recorded sessions if you miss one, we recommend attending all sessions, as the program is fast-paced and missing sessions may result in losing important insights.

  • The group program starts in fixed cohorts. The next group program will run between June 9-29, 2025 (Group Program, Summer 1) and August 4-24, 2025 (Group Program, Summer 2).

INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM

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  • The time commitment is 6-8 hours per week.

  • The mentor and the student choose a mutually convenient time for their meetings. Based on our experience of running the program for over 100 students, finding an appropriate time has never been a problem.

  • Every two weeks students need to submit an assignment based on the readings part of the weekly curriculum.

  • The individual program effectively has a rolling start date and can be begun at any time of the year.

PITCH COMPETITION PREP PROGRAM

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  • Students in YFL’s Pitch Competition Prep Program often submit to competitions like the Diamond Challenge, Blue Ocean, or the Conrad Challenge. However, students may apply to any competition they wish, and the YFL team will customize their mentorship program to fit each competition’s requirements.

  • The time commitment is 8-10 hours per week.

  • If you apply for the group program, you can either form your own team before joining or let us help you build a team with like-minded individuals.

  • If you are in the individual format, you have the flexibility to adjust your meeting days based on other commitments.

    In the group program, while you can watch recorded sessions if you miss one, we recommend attending all sessions, as the program is fast-paced and missing sessions may result in losing important insights.

  • The program runs from early November to mid-January, 2026

GENERAL

Purple house icon with a white chimney on a purple background.

  • All high school students (grades 9–12) are eligible to join the program, with no prior entrepreneurship or non-profit experience required. Our curriculum covers everything from idea generation to pitching your product to investors and fundraising strategy.

  • The program is fully virtual and is conducted through online meetings, readings and assignments.

  • You will be the full owner of your startup. We organize a demo day at the end of the program where you will get an opportunity to pitch you idea to potential investors and industry experts.

  • If you are interested in solving a problem or building a product, then this program is the right fit for you. From philosophy to engineering, every field has a problem that can be solved using the principles of entrepreneurship. In this program, we help you do that.

  • We do offer financial aid to students based on need and merit.

  • Receiving formal non-profit status can be a lengthy process that involves a detailed application process with the IRS and can take up to a year (and some patience). At YFL, we’ll guide you on entity registration and submitting the necessary paperwork for official recognition.

GROUP PROGRAM

Icon of three people around a table

  • The time commitment is 8-10 hours per week.

  • If you apply for the group program, you can either form your own team before joining or let us help you build a team with like-minded individuals.

  • If you are in the individual format, you have the flexibility to adjust your meeting days based on other commitments. In the group program, while you can watch recorded sessions if you miss one, we recommend attending all sessions, as the program is fast-paced and missing sessions may result in losing important insights.

  • The group program starts in fixed cohorts. The next group program will run between June 9-29, 2025 (Group Program, Summer 1) and August 4-24, 2025 (Group Program, Summer 2).

INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM

A purple trophy icon

  • The time commitment is 6-8 hours per week.

  • The mentor and the student choose a mutually convenient time for their meetings. Based on our experience of running the program for over 100 students, finding an appropriate time has never been a problem.

  • Every two weeks students need to submit an assignment based on the readings part of the weekly curriculum.

  • The individual program effectively has a rolling start date and can be begun at any time of the year.

PITCH COMPETITION PREP PROGRAM

A purple trophy icon

  • Students in YFL’s Pitch Competition Prep Program often submit to competitions like the Diamond Challenge, Blue Ocean, or the Conrad Challenge. However, students may apply to any competition they wish, and the YFL team will customize their mentorship program to fit each competition’s requirements.

  • The time commitment is 8-10 hours per week.

  • If you apply for the group program, you can either form your own team before joining or let us help you build a team with like-minded individuals.

  • If you are in the individual format, you have the flexibility to adjust your meeting days based on other commitments.

    In the group program, while you can watch recorded sessions if you miss one, we recommend attending all sessions, as the program is fast-paced and missing sessions may result in losing important insights.

  • The program runs from early November to mid-January, 2026

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