A high-energy, hands-on two week-long program. Small teams work together, typically by age range (15-17, 18-21+), guided by industry executives.

NIMBLE Founder, Mariette Wharton, a Columbia MBA, exited tech founder and investor in 100+ startups, develops and leads the program. A team of over 35 executives from startups and tech giants contribute expertise and feedback directly to teams. See our team of Silicon Valley industry experts

Create an idea for a startup - based on a challenge in our community or world at large as well as the UN Sustainability Goals for 2030 Apply human-centered/design thinking Validate the idea in the market, assess product-market fit Rapidly prototype and iterate based on mentor and market feedback Plan the business using the lean business canvas model and revise with input Learn the art of the pitch with direct feedback on product concepts and prototypes Pitch to VCs and other investors ​

The program attracts high-achieving, driven students from diverse backgrounds and regions, including 45% female. We strive to offer the rich diversity of geography and economic status and have a Scholarship Fund. ​ We have college students from a variety of universities (Berkeley, University of Chicago and Connecticut College as examples) as well as students from: Bellarmine, Castilleja, Cupertino High, Gunn, Harker, Homestead, Khan Lab, LAHS, Monta Vista, Menlo School, MVLA, Nueva, and Paly. We have also had students from New York, DC and Chicago in the US startup program and students from all over the world in global programs. ​

This not a lecture-heavy program. Our programs give you the chance to apply what you are learning: design thinking, ikigai, brain dominance theory, improv, practicing mindfulness, building prototypes and getting feedback on your ideas, for examples. Concepts are presented and then you get to work to apply them, generally in small groups (although there are some individual activities around mindfulness, self-assessment, and developing a personal pitch). ​

Adaptability Quotient (AQ) is the measure of how skilled you are in making intentional change in a dynamic environment. According to the Harvard Business Review, it is the new competitive advantage. Flexibility and agility is one of the core job skills the World Economic Forum identified in May 2023 as in demand. We help you acquire this skill by challenging the way you approach problems, providing opportunities to try new activities and specific exercises. The entire program is designed to increase your AQ.

Many startups build a product and put it on the market without getting any feedback from customers. It's a surprise to them when it doesn't sell. It's far better to prototype using low-resolution materials and enable rapid, iterative designs. In the human-centered design thinking approach we show you, you build a prototype that others can interact with, either physically or on a software platform designed for that purpose. You get targeted, useful feedback that you would not get without a prototype. The faster you can do this, the more times you can iterate and arrive at a better solution. Cardboard and other low-resolution materials are used by savvy startups to prototype to avoid spending millions initially.

A team created an Airbnb-like solution to the parking problem in downtown Mountain View. Park Daddy's idea is to have people who live near downtown rent their driveway spaces out and have local restaurants advertise the spaces. The team successfully implemented the startup with revenue-generating customers and restaurants.

You are not expected to know anything about building or running a venture. We scaffold the process. You are expected to think, collaborate and research not figure out the steps. It is ok if you are not planning to be an entrepreneur. You can still develop skills that will help you will use in your career (and in life). Self-awareness, adaptability, creativity, communication, teamwork and empathy are essential life skills and needed for any job. The World Economic Forum's 2023 Future of Jobs report identifies all these skills as the most in demand.

This program is infused with a bit of improv because it is a powerful tool to promote cognitive flexibility and to foster communication styles. If you consider another person's response as a "yes and..." opportunity, it's a mindset shift to collaborate better and find novel solutions. It's also fun and is team-building. ​

You do not need to have an idea. As a group, we initiate idea creation (and validation) process together and small teams form with common interests to work on various concepts. Ideas come from problems that you see in your community, school or the world at large. We also consider the 2030 UN Sustainability Goals to think about problems that need to be addressed (climate, equity, etc.)

We welcome participants from anywhere and have worked with students from all over the US, Europe and Africa. Contact us to help you find accommodations: hello@nimblemindset.org or +1 650-397-1353 ​

Some register alongside a friend or two or even a sibling (and we offer discounts in these cases), but it's not necessary as new friendships form. The first day we have ice-breaking activities and many friendships form quickly. ​

Living on a campus is a valuable experience but the quality of these programs vary (and are not typically of the same caliber of the university). Ours is unique : Experiential rather than lecture-based. Consistently working in teams. Dual focus on 21st century leadership skills AND innovation. Team of over 35 industry executives provide direct input to teams. The majority have decades of expertise as C-suite leaders and venture capital partners across a variety of industries and functions. Two of our mentors are less than 10 years out of college with technical experience in AI, blockchain, and robotics.

AI is integrated into many applications today and there are many ways you can use it to accelerate the development of your startup solution. We will help you: Understand AI and how it works how it can be leveraged what applications exist that you use today to save time on your work how to optimize prompts build AI into your solution if you want

Our 60 hour program ($20 per hour) includes hands-on leadership and innovation training (a mini accelerator), design thinking, self-awareness and other leadership activities (mindfulness, improv, personal pitch development, cultivating good habits, inclusive leadership), networking with high-achieving peers and Silicon Valley executive mentors, pitch training and Shark Tank-style pitch competition as well as lunch and refreshments.

One team had an idea to develop replaceable soles on basketball shoes. The idea came from one of the team member's observation that the uppers of his shoes would be in great condition but the soles would wear out fast. Mentor David Gilmour, a CTO with both a Physics and MBA from Harvard, pointed out that their materials design would not work from a physics standpoint. The team analyzed different materials options and ultimately pivoted to a different solution. A pivot is not a failure but a necessary step when the evidence is pointing to poor market timing, too much competition, or violation of the laws of physics! ​ Mentors (VCs and others) give feedback during pitch practices and then pitch to VCs and investors and discover the holes in their logic, get challenged on assumptions about costs or customer adoption and then revise their plan and pitch again.

Each day is different but the common thread is we introduce concepts briefly (5 minutes or less) and then you get to work thinking and researching. This is a sample from our one-week program of an afternoon schedule. Do you have other questions? Call us at 650.397.1353 or email us at hello@nimblemindset.org