Course Descriptions
Accounting & Finance: From Business Idea to Business Value
In this two-week experiential course, students learn accounting and finance basics for entrepreneurial leaders by working with a real startup. Week one focuses on designing the business for sustainable long-term value creation and cash flow generation; week two develops a business plan with financial projections and enterprise value assessment. Finally, the students will pitch their proposals to the start-up’s founder(s).
Instructors: Brigitte Muehlmann and Jia Hao
Babson Entrepreneurial Investor Lab: Decode Companies, Allocate Capital, Pitch Your Strategy
Learn to evaluate companies, allocate capital, and pitch investment strategies in this high-energy finance lab. Rising juniors and seniors will analyze real companies, develop an Investment Policy Statement, and manage a simulated $100,000 portfolio. You’ll practice valuation, risk management, and evidence-based decision-making—finishing with a Portfolio Demo Day presentation. Grounded in Babson’s Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® methodology.
Instructor: Jia Hao
Beginning Italian: Language, Culture, and Experience
Speak Italian. Experience Italy. Think Globally. Start speaking Italian from day one in this fun introductory course that blends language learning with culture, creativity, and real-world experience. Through interactive activities, music, food, and contemporary Italian media, students build confidence while exploring how Italians live, work, and communicate today. No prior language experience is required—just curiosity and a willingness to engage. Perfect for students eager to add a global skill, explore Italian culture, and stand out with a dynamic, experiential learning opportunity.
Instructor: Laura Brusetti McGinn
Biotech Entrepreneurship
Some of the world’s most pressing challenges including feeding a growing population, fighting disease, and protecting our planet. These problems demand bold, science-driven solutions and biotechnology is leading the way! In this hands-on, lab-based course, students will explore the full spectrum of biotech applications from engineering sustainable materials and improving crops to developing new medicines and redesigning industrial processes. Through hands-on experiments and real-world case studies, students will also explore the business and ethical decisions that turn scientific discoveries into real-world impacts.
Instructor: Julie De Zutter
Build a Neural Network! An Introduction to Machine Learning
Are you ready to build the future? In this hands-on lab course, students will learn the basics of coding in R, create predictive models, and even design a simple neural network. Perfect for beginners, this course combines practical skills with big ideas, giving students a taste of how machine learning powers the world around us.
Instructor: Eric Chan
Collaborating with AI to Develop an Entrepreneurial Venture
Build your business at the speed of AI. In this one-week, experiment-heavy course you’ll learn how entrepreneurs use artificial intelligence as a strategic partner to test ideas and accelerate early venture development. You’ll explore how to prompt, question, and verify AI-generated insights while shaping a concept that reflects your own judgment and creativity. Through rapid research sprints, hands-on prototyping, and simple market experiments, you’ll pressure-test your idea and learn when to trust the technology—and when to challenge it. By the end, you’ll present a small but well-supported venture concept and walk away with practical skills for using AI thoughtfully in any future project.
Instructor: Angela Randolph
Commodities Trading
Step into the fast-moving world of global commodities trading in this simulation-driven finance course. Rising juniors and seniors will use professional-grade trading software in a state-of-the-art finance lab to explore risk modeling, futures markets, and trading strategy. You’ll analyze real market data, build intuition for price movements, and experience the pressures and decisions traders face—no prior finance background required.
Instructor: Ryan Davies
Connectivity Project: Human-Centered Design with AI for Equitable, Intergenerational Connection
In Connectivity Project, you will learn design thinking by partnering with older adults to create solutions that strengthen social connection without relying on screens. You will conduct interviews and observations, build empathy and journey maps, develop personas, and turn real insights into compelling “How might we …?” questions. Using AI responsibly, you will expand your ideas through structured brainstorming and then select and prototype a concept that is equitable, practical, and meaningful. In team showcase you will demonstrate a solution designed to enable happier, more content intergenerational engagement.
Instructor: Sinan Erzurumlu
Cooking & Food Science
This is science you can taste. This course invites students to explore the chemistry, biology, and physics behind everyday cooking. From understanding how gluten forms in baked goods to uncovering the reactions responsible for browning and flavor development, students connect core science concepts to the kitchen. Whether students love to cook, or are simply curious about food, this course connects core scientific principles to real foods and real kitchens.
Instructor: Chuck Winrich
Customer Acquisition and Persuasion
Customer acquisition and retention is the driver of revenue and hence the lifeblood of every company. Therefore, organizations continuously seek people with strong persuasion skills. College graduates often become sales professionals, business development executives, customer relationship managers, or end up in positions that complement these roles. This course will preview the skills necessary to succeed in a change where interpersonal relationships are more critical than ever.
Instructor: Nicholas Gallagher
Discover Your Why: Strengths, Purpose, and Entrepreneurial Thinking
Find your purpose. Own your future. What drives you? In this one-week intensive, you'll discover your personal "why"—the North Star that guides every great entrepreneur and leader. Using Babson's signature Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® methodology and CliftonStrengths assessments, you'll uncover your natural talents, explore what matters most to you, and craft a clear Why Statement you can use for college essays, interviews, and life. You'll leave with the confidence to articulate who you are and the impact you want to make.
Instructor: Diana Hechavarria
Entrepreneurship and Policy
In this course, participants will explore how policies, social values, and ethics influence entrepreneurship, free enterprise, and prosperity for all. Specifically, students will engage in various activities and exercises aimed at illustrating how the intersection of government, business, and society inform entrepreneurial thought and action. Topics will span various academic disciplines and include entrepreneurial identity, market research, prototyping and business models, among others. The course is designed as an experiential class to mirror Babson’s teaching pedagogy and to give participants a taste of the interactive nature of Babson classes. As such, lecturing will be limited, and active engagement in and outside the classroom from all participants will be required to maximize both the learning (and the fun!).
Instructors: Lily Crosina and Andrew Corbett
Entrepreneurship for Artists and Musicians
Learn entrepreneurship by building a business around your creative passion. In this intensive one-week course, you'll apply entrepreneurship frameworks to your work as a musician, artist, designer, or performer. Through hands-on experimentation, you will validate business ideas, interviewing potential customers, and pitching concepts to develop entrepreneurial skills that transfer to any career path.
Instructor: Angela Randolph
Environmental Justice Entrepreneurs
Think like an environmental entrepreneur and turn today’s environmental challenges into powerful solutions. This course invites students to address environmental justice issues through hands-on collaboration, solution design, and entrepreneurial thinking. Students work in teams to develop ideas and pitch them in a dynamic Shark Tank–style presentation focused on real impact. Take the lead. Create the change. For our planet.
Instructor: Margaret Hassey
Exploring Careers™ in Business and Healthcare
Explore the diverse world of healthcare careers through hands-on activities, simulations, and real-world problem solving. In this immersive course for rising juniors and seniors, you’ll discover roles in public health, clinical care, insurance, regulation, and health innovation. Through case studies and expert engagement, you’ll see how these fields work together to improve health outcomes and drive innovation. You’ll leave with clarity about possible career paths and the skills needed to thrive in them.
Instructors: Michele Bernier and Errol Norwitz
Fashion and the Environment
Fashion is one of the most influential industries in the world, and one of the most damaging to the environment. This course pulls back the curtain on fast fashion, global supply chains, and the hidden environmental and social costs behind everyday clothing. Through case studies, brand analyses, and creative challenges, students rethink consumption, identify greenwashing, and design solutions for a more sustainable and ethical future of fashion. Every outfit has a story.
Instructor: Margaret Hassey
Fashion Entrepreneurship: How to Launch a Mini-brand in 5 Days
Dive into the world of fashion and entrepreneurship in this fast-paced, hands-on summer course for high school juniors and seniors. Explore how trends become businesses, design your own mini brand, and learn the essentials of launching a venture—from concept to pitch. Work in teams, meet fashion industry pros, and walk away with real-world skills and a portfolio piece that shows off your creativity and business savvy. No experience required—just bring your ideas and energy!
Instructor: Caroline Daniels
Finance for Entrepreneurs: Advancing Your Idea from a Hobby to a Career
So you have an idea, or maybe not, but you’re working on it. What do you need to do to see if it is possible to advance your idea to go from a hobby to a possible job or even career? What do banks and investors want to see, what are the key financial metrics and objectives, and in short, what do you need to know about numbers to get to where you want to go? This course will help get you there.
Instructor: Mark Potter
Finance for Real Life: Money, Markets, and Informed Decisions
Finance is no longer adult only. Today, teenagers can access investing earlier than ever through custodial accounts and investing apps. This course teaches students how to think clearly about money, markets, risk, and valuation through interactive discussions and hands-on activities. Students learn practical financial literacy for real life, including how to evaluate opportunities responsibly, understand tradeoffs, and avoid common pitfalls. Ideal for students curious about business, entrepreneurship, or becoming smarter and more confident with money.
Instructor: Ahmed Ahmed
Food Systems, Sustainability & Entrepreneurial Solutions
Investigate the future of food—and design entrepreneurial solutions that support a more sustainable and equitable food system. Immersive, hands-on experiences will allow students to investigate today’s most pressing food system challenges while developing an entrepreneurial leadership mindset to propose innovative solutions. Participants will engage in experiential learning, through hands-on labs, fieldtrips, and engaging with guest speakers working in areas across the food system, thereby gaining exposure to practical solutions for a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food future. Ideal for students interested in food business or sustainability and eager to explore big challenges, test ideas, and learn by doing.
Instructors: Vikki Rodgers and David Blodgett
Foundations of AI: Leveraging Big Data to Discover Patterns and Make Predictions
Artificial intelligence powers many of the digital tools we use every day, from recommendations and search results to pricing and personalization. In this hands-on course, students learn how modern AI and machine learning systems work by writing real code, analyzing large datasets, and building algorithms that discover patterns and make predictions. Students will learn the basics of the R programming language before using it to explore recommendation systems, predictive models, clustering, and association rules through guided labs and applied projects. Designed for beginners, the course emphasizes learning by doing and working with real data. Students who complete the course earn a digital badge highlighting their skills in applied AI and data analytics.
Instructor: Benjamin Levy
Fund Your Future: An Entrepreneur's Financial Roadmap
In this course, we will link your personal goals and motivations to critical concepts involving finance and entrepreneurship as we examine funding and capital management opportunities and challenges encountered by entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial investors. You will work in teams on experiential case analyses, hands-on financial and entrepreneurial exercises, and a comprehensive, interactive team-based live simulation. The simulation will offer you the opportunity to engage with classmates portraying entrepreneurs and VCs (venture capitalists) in a simulated, but realistic, negotiating environment. You will assume roles as startup founders or investors, managing the fundraising cycle - from valuation to negotiating funding terms.
Instructor: Kevin Sweeney
Horror, Uncertainty, Wonder
Explore the mysterious power of literature to provoke fear, curiosity, and wonder in this discussion-based summer course for rising juniors and seniors. You’ll examine horror, weird fiction, science fiction, and related genres to ask if the effect of uncertainty must always be fear or if there might be a more positive spin to uncertainty. Through close reading, conversation, and reflective writing, you’ll investigate how our own perceptions influence meaning—and how uncertainty can spark insight, not just fear.
Instructor: Bryan Counter
Inside Wall Street: How Investors Find Winning Stocks
Think like an analyst and pitch like a professional investor in this immersive finance course. Led by a former equity analyst and portfolio manager, you’ll explore how investors evaluate companies, value stocks, and interpret markets. Using accessible versions of industry tools, you’ll practice sourcing data, modeling competitive dynamics, and synthesizing insights from earnings calls and filings. You’ll see how today’s investors use AI to accelerate research while strengthening—not replacing—critical thinking. The week culminates in a team-based stock pitch modeled on real investment-fund practices. Ideal for students curious about finance, economics, or markets.
Instructor: Patrick Gregory
Intro to Business Strategy and Consulting
Step into the world of consulting and business strategy through real-world cases and team-based problem-solving. Rising juniors and seniors will learn how companies assess markets, analyze competitors, and make strategic decisions. You’ll practice breaking down complex problems, synthesizing insights, and presenting recommendations—building skills valued in business, consulting, and entrepreneurship.
Instructor: Richard Wang
Launchpad AI: Building a Startup from Scratch with the AI-Driven Entrepreneurship Model
In this dynamic one-week intensive, rising juniors and seniors will step into the shoes of a founder to build a company from “Zero to One.” By merging the timeless “First Principles” of entrepreneurship with the exponential power of modern AI tools, students will learn not just how to use technology, but how to think—and act!—like innovators. Guided by the AIDE Model (AI-Driven Entrepreneurship), students will move rapidly through the entrepreneurial lifecycle. They will move beyond theory, utilizing AI as a co-founder to accelerate market research, generate prototypes, and craft compelling narratives, while simultaneously grounding their work in human-centric validation. This is not a coding camp; it is a leadership and strategy intensive designed to build the confidence required to launch real ventures.
Instructor: Paul Cheek
Living with Algorithms: Social Media, AI, and Society
Social media and artificial intelligence shape nearly every aspect of modern life—but how well do we really understand them? In this intensive two-week course, students will use insights from media studies to explore how digital platforms and AI systems influence identity, relationships, politics, labor, and the environment. Through discussion, short lectures, and real-world case studies, students learn to question technologies they often take for granted and to think critically about their ethical and social consequences. Ideal for rising juniors and seniors seeking a rigorous, thought-provoking introduction to college-level media studies.
Instructor: Xinghua Li
Making Market Moves: Unlocking the Secrets to Real Estate Investing
Discover how entrepreneurs and investors evaluate the housing market, manage risk, and build long-term wealth through real estate. In this one-week immersive course, students learn to analyze markets, value properties, understand financing, and see how contracts and negotiation shape real estate deals. Through real-world examples, financial analysis, and hands-on simulations, students practice thinking like investors and applying tools to assess opportunities. Although focused on residential properties, the analytical skills developed also translate to commercial real estate and prepare students for future study in business, finance, law, and entrepreneurship.
Instructor: Erin Escobedo
Narrative Intelligence: The Art of Influence & Leadership in the Age of AI
Stop Presenting Data. Start Building Connection. In the age of AI, the ultimate leadership superpower isn’t knowing the most information—it’s knowing how to make that information matter. This 5-day masterclass teaches you the Narrative Intelligence Framework, a blend of behavioral psychology and human-AI collaboration designed to help you rise above the noise and connect deeply with any audience. You will master the science of how stories activate the brain, learn to use AI as an ethical creative partner, and deliver a signature narrative that motivates others to say “yes” to your vision. By the end of this sprint, you won't just be better at communicating; you will be irreplaceable.
Instructor: Scott Magnacca
Numbers, Models, and Morals: A Journey from Statistics to AI
Discover how numbers shaped today’s technological world! This one-week intensive course takes students on a fascinating journey from the birth of statistics to the age of algorithms and artificial intelligence. Through lively discussions and thought-provoking readings, students will explore how data drives decisions and why ethical responsibility matters more than ever.
Instructor: Eric Chan
Personal Finance: Dollars and Sense
The five pillars of personal finance are Earning, Spending, Saving, Borrowing, and Protecting. Together, they help you take care of your money now and prepare for the future. When you understand these areas, you can make smart choices, avoid money problems, and build financial security over time. If you do not have a plan, I suggest you panic!
The course will provide pre-class videos of each topic to be reviewed in advance of the daily classes. Students will be using a financial calculator/excel along with a budgeting app. Upon completion each day, students will need to complete and upload homework on each topic. Successful completion of the assignments in a timely fashion earns the Personal Finance Warrior Certificate.
Instructor: Mark Potter
Pitch Perfect: Master the Communication Behind Million-Dollar Ideas
Why do some pitches get funded while others flop? It’s not what you say—it’s how you say it. But how do you master that? This course decodes the psychology and linguistics of persuasion—revealing the secrets successful entrepreneurs use to win investors, customers, and teams. Through hands-on analysis and practice, you’ll craft and pitch your own business concept, mastering the same communication strategies Babson founders use to overcome objections, win rooms, and raise capital. Ready to pitch like a founder?
Instructor: Olga Birioukova
Politics in Panels: Capes, Comics, and Culture Wars
Comics have long served as battlegrounds for cultural and political conflict, from World War II to the present. Using superhero stories, graphic novels, and popular screen adaptations, students learn how visual narratives influence the way we understand politics and society. The course builds critical thinking and media literacy skills through discussion, comparison, and creative analysis, without requiring students to take political positions, and is grounded in the media students already know.
Instructor: Krystal-Gayle O'Neill
Powering our Planet: Energy Systems and Solutions
Explore the new and exciting technologies powering our world. From solar panels and wind turbines to biofuels and electric vehicles, you’ll discover how science and engineering shape the future of energy. Each day includes hands-on labs that bring real technology to life. Learn how innovative companies are transforming the way energy reaches our homes and roads.
Instructor: Kirstin Cooprider
Sports Management
Big games and bigger business—step inside the world of sports beyond the field. In this immersive one-week summer course, students explore how professional sports leagues and college athletics actually operate, from big-money media deals to athlete negotiations and NIL opportunities. Students will dive into the business of sports through group exercises, class discussion, and real-world scenarios drawn from leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and WNBA, as well as the NCAA.
Instructor: Leslie Garbarino
Startup Sprint: Two Weeks to Launch!
This course challenges students to build, brand, and launch a real product in just two weeks. Using AI and digital tools, teams move fast—testing ideas, experimenting with marketing, and learning from real customers. If you’re curious about startups and want to learn by doing, this sprint is for you. Grounded in Babson’s Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® methodology.
Instructor: Ruth Gilleran
Storytelling, Video Production, and You
Learn to craft compelling stories and bring them to life through professional-quality video production. In this two-week course for rising juniors and seniors, you’ll practice interview techniques, narrative development, filming, and editing with Adobe Premiere. Week One activities will include discussing and practicing interview techniques, experimenting with video production techniques and conventions, developing a story vision, and planning for an interview shoot to be conducted over the weekend. Week Two activities will focus on transforming interview footage into an engaging story through editing in Adobe Premiere, test-screening with peer focus groups, and revising for impact. Students will produce a short film and premiere it at our watch party on the last day of class.
Instructor: Stephen McElroy
Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Design sustainable solutions that balance environmental impact and entrepreneurial opportunity in this hands-on summer course for rising juniors and seniors. Through simulations, design sprints, and real-world tools such as stakeholder mapping and Design for the Environment, you’ll learn how companies address climate and sustainability challenges through innovation. Working in teams, you’ll create and pitch a sustainable product concept supported by data and customer insight.
Instructor: Sinan Erzurumlu
TeamCraft: Build, Solve, Succeed
Build the kind of team everyone wants to be part of in this energetic, challenge-driven course. Learn how high-performing teams actually work. Each day you will try a new tool, practice it in a fast-paced activity, and use it with your team as you tackle a meaningful challenge. You will build practical skills in trust, communication, decision making, and feedback while learning how to collaborate effectively under pressure. Throughout the course, your team will take small actions, see what happens, and adjust. By the end, you will deliver a Team Solution Showcase and a polished Team Playbook you can use in future classes, clubs, or sports teams.
Instructor: Jessica Burkland
The Art & Science of Negotiation: Skills for Life, College, and Career
Learn to get what you want without burning bridges. This experiential course puts you into hands-on negotiations from day one: you’ll practice, get feedback, and discover what actually works. Whether you’re navigating group project drama, making your case for more independence, or gearing up for your first job, you’ll leave with proven strategies and the confidence to use them. These are skills most people don’t develop until years into their careers; you’ll have them before freshman move-in. Fair warning: the adults in your life may regret letting you take this class.
Instructor: Amanda Weirup
The Economics Lab: Testing How the World Works
This is a hands-on introduction to economics for rising high school juniors and seniors. Instead of starting with lectures, students run experiments, play strategy games, and participate in simulations that reveal how markets, incentives, and policies really work. From building toy cars and fishing for crackers to deciding new airline routes and negotiating policies for climate change, students learn economics by doing it.
Instructor: Jason Wong
The Entrepreneur’s Edge: How to Speak Up and Find Your Voice
Build confidence, presence, and communication skills in this interactive speaking course for rising juniors and seniors. You’ll practice persuasive techniques, personal branding, body language, and structured delivery while giving multiple speeches throughout the week. Through guided feedback and real-world scenarios, you’ll learn how strong communicators influence teams, shape ideas, and lead with clarity.
Instructors: Keri Thompson and Sharon Sinnott
The History of Capitalism
Why did Adam Smith like free markets but dislike business corporations? Why are some historical periods favorable for entrepreneurship while others aren't? How will artificial intelligence shape the future of capitalism? These are the sort of questions we will discuss. This course aims to give you a taste of the wide-ranging perspective with which a Babson education will equip you to meet the ever-changing future.
Instructor: Jim Hoopes
The Psychology of Persuasive Marketing: Designing Campaigns That Matter
Ever wonder why certain ads, influencers, and social movements actually change what people think, feel, and do? In this immersive, hands-on course, you’ll uncover the psychology behind persuasive marketing and learn how brands use emotion, storytelling, and strategy to shape behavior. You won’t just analyze viral campaigns and social media trends; you’ll design your own ethically grounded marketing campaign around a real issue you care about, from sustainability to mental health to everyday habits. If you’re curious about psychology, business, media, or social impact, this course lets you turn creativity into influence and ideas into action.
Instructor: Krista Hill Cummings
The Tech-Enabled Founder: Building MVPs with AI, Python & Data
In today’s entrepreneurial landscape, the most successful leaders aren’t just “idea people”—they are creators. This intensive, one-week experiential course transforms students from technology consumers into creators. Using a “Launch First” methodology, students will spend Day 1 building and deploying a live professional website via GitHub Pages, leveraging LLMs (Large Language Models) to accelerate their development process. Grounded in Babson’s Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® methodology.
Instructor: Matthew Macarty
UNSTOPPABLE: The Art of Persuasive Communication & AI Collaboration
UNSTOPPABLE is more than a summer course; it is a high-impact workshop that transforms high school students into confident, AI-literate leaders ready to succeed at Babson and beyond. By mastering the intersection of human persuasion and technological collaboration, students gain a tangible competitive advantage through life skills designed for long-term professional success. Don’t just prepare for the future—own it this July by building your personal brand and communication toolkit required to lead the way.
Instructor: Scott Magnacca
Vibe Coding for Business
Build real digital products—no coding required. In this future-focused course for rising juniors and seniors, you’ll use cutting-edge AI tools to create websites, automate workflows, and prototype business ideas simply by describing what you want to build. You’ll experiment with natural-language development, learn how to iterate quickly with AI feedback, and explore how entrepreneurs are transforming industries without writing a single line of code. By the end, you’ll deploy your own working web applications and walk away with a portfolio of projects you can show to colleges, clubs, or potential collaborators.
Instructor: Zhi Li
When Things Don’t Go as Planned: Exploring Variability and Uncertainty in Real Life
Why do lines get so long? Why do some business systems feel chaotic even when everyone is trying their best? And how can small changes make things work way better? In this hands-on course, students explore variability and uncertainty by experiencing them—not just talking about them.
Instead of lectures, students learn by doing: building LEGO processes, running real-life assembly lines, playing the roles of customers and servers in queues, and even using candy to explore quality management. Students will see firsthand how randomness affects speed, flow, and performance—and why real-world systems don’t always behave the way we expect.
Daily reflection journals and a fun “word-of-the-day” activity help students make sense of what they experienced and unwind at the end of each day. We will get to know each other, learn with each other and from each other, in a fast-paced, professional, and stimulating way.
Instructor: Bojan Amovic
Writing Our Cultures/Writing Ourselves: Pop Culture, Identity, and Memoir
Still reeling from the Stranger Things finale, finding any excuse to talk about the FIFA World Cup, or just wishing for another moment to talk about Tay's wedding? “Writing Our Cultures/Writing Ourselves” invites students to explore how contemporary media and everyday cultural moments shape who we are and how we tell our stories. Through discussion and writing, students will analyze pop culture and use it as a starting point for various kinds of personal writing. Some students may leave with drafts that could later be developed into college application essays, while others may explore writing for public audiences or simply enjoy the chance to write thoughtfully about themselves.
Instructor: Kristi Girdharry