Delivering entrepreneurship training to high schoolers: Berkeley Haas’s Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) continues to thrive
Since 2009, the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business has delivered the Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY). The mission: to nurture, grow, and inspire the next generation of responsible business leaders. B-BAY’s intensive two-week program brings young talents to the UC Berkeley campus, where they study advanced business theory and immediately apply those frameworks to developing original startup concepts.
Asra Khan, Interim Director of B-BAY, emphasizes that B-BAY “drives students towards problem solving and creative thinking, supporting builders who translate innovative ideas into impactful ventures.” Soorbhi Khadilkar, program manager, reinforces that the academy “builds a necessary bridge between inspiration and implementation.” Through two weeks of rigorous academic training, students master core components of business development.
Three unique elements drive B-BAY’s success: Haas and Berkeley faculty leadership and talent, Haas and Berkeley student and staff mentorship, and the exceptional youth participants.
Haas faculty deliver impactful curriculum
B-BAY consistently features distinguished faculty, reinforcing its global standing as a premier youth entrepreneurship program.
In 2025, Dawn McGee, Executive Director of Berkeley’s prestigious entrepreneurship hub, hosted students for a problem identification workshop. Her innovative chatbot guided students through defining their problem and articulating how their unique experiences would help them build a solution. Jeff Eyet discussed design thinking and human-centered AI, inspiring students to integrate emerging technologies into their ideas. Kunal Cholera presented insights on leveraging strong communication and problem-solving skills to increase team productivity.
These are just a few highlights from the course curriculum. Over two weeks, students study business strategies, financial models, corporate social responsibility, and more–while conducting market research to take their ideas to the next level.
Berkeley staff and students create engaging environment
B-BAY’s dedicated team of staff and Berkeley student assistants ensure a high-quality experience for students. B-BAY is governed by a robust Code of Conduct that enforces clear standards, ensuring that participants have not only an engaging and rigorous environment, but a safe and supportive one as well.
Brigette Mahoney, two-time Teaching Assistant, noted that her role offers the dual benefit of observing world-renowned Haas professors while “inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.” This inspiration and influence from teaching staff allows students to think creatively about solutions to real-world problems and ultimately make a meaningful difference.
2025 summer sessions highlight the best of B-BAY
This past summer, B-BAY welcomed one of the largest cohorts in program history, with an extremely competitive pool of applicants and an acceptance rate of about 10%. Across two sessions, a total of 102 students – representing five countries and thirteen American states – were accepted.
B-BAY participants are challenged to tackle pressing, real-world issues. This was exemplified by Tether2Gether, cohort 1 winners, who addressed the critical concern of Alzheimer’s treatment. Their approach was rooted in expertise derived from their lived experiences. CEO Brayden Dare, a junior at The Nueva School, explained that his grandmother is “one of the seven million Americans living with this cruel disease.” This personal content helped his team identify an overlooked population: caregivers of dementia patients. They noted that 74% of caregivers struggle with their own health, highlighting a critical and unmet need.
Tether2Gether’s solution is a multifaceted system where caregivers are provided resources via an app and smart device. The software utilizes AI to monitor patient status and offer direct support, allowing caregivers an easier method of tracking and supporting their family members. Additionally, the smart device is designed to monitor stress levels of the caretaker, generating proactive alerts to designated family members when additional support is needed.
Tether2Gether and their B-BAY competitors presented pitch decks at the conclusion of the program. Integrating classic frameworks such as the value proposition, SWOT analysis, TAM-SAM-SOM, and competitive analysis, teams articulated their solution’s market viability.
Supporting a future of entrepreneurship
The lessons and networks built through B-BAY shape students’ professional trajectories, with many students developing their innovations throughout college and into their careers. Brigette Mahoney, HSEN ‘22, currently studies at Stanford, having developed a passion for finance and entrepreneurship through B-BAY. Next summer, she will join the Goldman Sachs team as a Wealth Management Analyst. Siddharth Ramalingam, HSEN ‘23, now mentors students in their entrepreneurial passions while studying at UCLA, reinforcing that “once you’re part of it, you’re part of the B-BAY family for life!”
B-BAY plays a crucial role in developing values and the capacity to succeed. Vibhat Puchalapalli, HSEN ‘25, said it best: “I learned more about business, I learned more about entrepreneurship, I learned more about teamwork and leadership. However, I learned more about myself, and that’s my biggest takeaway from this program. B-BAY will have been a major stepping stone in me achieving my goals. And for that, I thank this program and everyone who made it possible.”
