Build, Launch, and Accelerate: B-BAY responds to demand for mentorship at different stages of youth entrepreneurial journey
What happens when high school students are given the tools to build real ventures? For over a decade, the UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) functioned as a blueprint for high school entrepreneurs, translating the academic rigor of UC Berkeley Haas into a hands-on, transformative experience for youth entrepreneurs. Building on the success of its renowned two-week Entrepreneurship Essentials sessions, B-BAY is strategically expanding its activities and impact with two new pre-collegiate programs: the virtual Academic Year (AY) program to launch business ideas and the Summer Bootcamp to accelerate later-stage product development.
Under the leadership of Interim Director Asra Khan, B-BAY is creating progressive pathways for youth entrepreneurial training. Khan’s vision includes a diverse portfolio of programs designed to meet high school students at various points in their entrepreneurial journeys – from just discovering their “builder” mindset to managing a venture with traction. The result is a coherent, step-by-step pathway rather than a one-off experience.
Build: Entrepreneurship Essentials
The Entrepreneurship Essentials is the B-BAY flagship program and has been running since 2009. As described in previous posts, the success of this long-standing program rests on three pillars: delivery of impactful curriculum by Haas faculty, creation of an engaging environment by Berkeley staff and students, and the participation by exceptional youth.
Launch: The Academic Year Program
The virtual Academic Year (AY) program launched in Fall 2024. This two-semester Launchpad moves participants beyond ideation and core concepts and into a rigorous implementation phase. In this program, high school students worldwide collaborate to pressure-test their business ideas against real-world market dynamics.
In the Fall semester, students utilize the Business Model Canvas to construct the foundational pillars of their ventures, explore value propositions, market segmentation, and strategic leadership. In the Spring semester, work shifts to a rigorous validation phase, where students test assumptions through Customer Discovery and prototype development, conducting 850+ interviews for their projects. Through an expanded timeline, the AY program provides a runway from business modeling to evidence-based validation.
By collaborating across time zones and nations, AY students begin developing the cross-cultural communication skills required to lead in a globalized workforce. The success of international participants is exemplified by Xander Yacoubian, a student from Canada whose team won first place in the Academic Year Showcase Competition. Xander stated, “B-BAY created an environment that pushed me to think critically and creatively. Most importantly, it taught me how to think like an entrepreneur—someone who adapts, iterates, and solves problems.”
AY student Nimai Garg shared how B-BAY helped him expand his skills as the CEO of Bright Sparks Academy, an educational nonprofit. “The program taught me how to connect creativity with business strategy, turning an organization into a sustainable one that empowers young learners and inspires innovation in education.”
Accelerate: Summer Bootcamp
Moving along the entrepreneurial journey, the Summer Bootcamp – launching in Summer 2026 – is designed for high school founders who are ready to scale. In contrast to the flagship Summer Entrepreneurship Essentials session where students create a business idea from scratch, Summer Bootcamp students will develop and scale their existing ventures. These student founders must meet strict criteria – such as a product with 250+ active users or $1,000+ earned revenue. Through this program, student founders will participate in Growth Labs focused on six foundational pillars: Metrics That Matter, Diagnostics, Iteration, Unit Economics, Content Engines, and Founder Resilience. Students will access key networks and resources within the UC Berkeley entrepreneurship community, building connections to support and sustain their startups into their university careers and beyond.
As stated by Soorbhi Khadilkar, B-BAY Program Manager, “B-BAY builds upon the foundational Haas spirit of questioning the status quo, empowering the next generation of leaders to turn ‘what if’ into ‘what’s next.”
Interested in learning more? Connect with the B-BAY team here.
