HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS
We are more than just a program, we are a supportive community of changemakers who are committed to fueling dreams.
Build Your Path to Success
with a Strong Foundation
Our tuition-free programs are powered by a nationally recognized curriculum shaped by leaders who deeply understand the lived experiences, cultural creativity, and systemic challenges facing the communities we serve. It’s designed to develop an entrepreneurial mindset rooted in innovation, authentic leadership, and real-world problem-solving, which are skills that translate across any career path.
Students begin with The Gray Matter Experience, a six-month fellowship where they take a business idea to a working prototype and sharpen their pitch at Pitch Perfect, our pitch intensive. Next, they choose a path in ACCELERATE: a paid summer internship with a Chicago small business, or an entrepreneurship track that prepares them to compete for seed funding at Pitch Black.
As young adults, they keep building through Hustle Hacks.
82% of students in the Entrepreneurship Track felt prepared to pitch competitively.
86% walked away with a stronger grasp of entrepreneurial principles and practices.
THE GRAY MATTER
EXPERIENCE
THE GRAY MATTER EXPERIENCE
6 Months · 3 Saturdays a Month · In Person
Our core high school fellowship, for ages 14–18. Over six months, fellows turn a business idea into a working prototype, earn a $1,000 stipend, and build a network of peers, mentors, and alumni who keep pushing them forward.
Skills
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ACCELERATE
6 Weeks · Summer · Monday–Thursday
ACCELERATE is our advanced paid summer bootcamp for students who have already built with TGME. Students choose a track: a paid internship with a Chicago small business, or an entrepreneurship track that prepares them to compete for seed funding at Pitch Black.
Skills
Innovative Education and Entrepreneurial Excellence
In our programs, young innovators generate groundbreaking ideas by diving into a collaborative and dynamic learning environment.
Through hands-on projects, mentorship, and real-world challenges, they explore their creativity, tackle complex problems, and refine their concepts. This process inspires them to think outside the box and develop innovative solutions that make a difference.
To see some of these amazing ideas in action, click through our gallery of innovative concepts below.
Innovative Ideas from Our High Schoolers
Our young innovators produce a diverse range of ideas that showcase the transformative power of entrepreneurship and community-focused innovation.
VieYou is an online platform that connects individual and small groups of freelance graphic
designers to business owners who need help defining their branding identity. Their mission is to offer an efficient route for graphic designers to create intriguing visuals customized to those in need of them.
Embroidered Fashions by Bel is a custom clothing brand that helps teenagers and young adults develop their identities through fashion. They offer customizable embroidered fashions and classes.
Purely You is a sustainable cosmetics brand with a comprehensive shade range designed to celebrate and enhance the beauty of women of color. The unique product is created with a high-quality formulation and sustainable packaging.