Summer Springboard

Business & Entrepreneurship

ON THE CAMPUS OF GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

LAUNCH YOUR OWN STARTUP AND EXPERIENCE THE WORLD OF BUSINESS FROM IDEA TO PITCH.

THIS IS A TWO-WEEK PROGRAM WHERE YOU’LL FOCUS ON ONE COURSE FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION.

Business & Entrepreneurship @ Georgetown

  • Explore how operations, marketing, sales, and finance work together to drive business success.
  • Learn to analyze financial statements to assess a company’s performance.
  • Create a sales and marketing plan and pitch a business venture to real investors and mentors.
  • Gain firsthand insights from entrepreneurial founders on the challenges of launching and growing a startup.
  • Develop a complete business plan throughout the program and present it to experienced investors.
  • Participate in immersive excursions, such as visiting a maker space, to see startup operations and innovation in action.

Summer Springboard

Business & Entrepreneurship

About This Course

A business program for teens on a university campus in Washington, D.C.

From day one, students break into teams to brainstorm and develop an original business idea, which they will build into a full venture throughout the program. Using an experiential learning approach, students tackle real-world challenges such as creating marketing strategies, building financial projections, and understanding core business functions like operations, sales, and finance. As they work through these elements, instructors introduce key concepts and theories that help deepen their understanding. The program culminates in a final pitch, where teams present their ventures to a panel of expert investors and receive insightful feedback.

In addition to classroom learning, students gain exposure to real startup environments through immersive excursions. For example, past participants have visited a cutting-edge maker space, where they explored how innovative startups operate and witnessed product creation firsthand. They also hear directly from entrepreneurial founders and industry veterans, learning about the challenges and successes of launching and running a business. Through these hands-on experiences and direct mentorship, students leave the program with a well-rounded understanding of what it takes to turn an idea into a viable business.

TOPICS YOU'LL EXPLORE

Hands-on Learning

Students will examine best practices in Research and Development (R&D), Operations, Marketing, and Finance. Understand the mechanics of scaling a business while maintaining quality. Students become part of a new company and configure themselves into teams working on various aspects of a business. The program culminates in a shark tank environment with professional investors.

Career Exploration

Meet with range of business people, from small business owners, mid-level managers and execs from Goldman Sachs, McKinsey consultant, and CEO. From creative marketers to hard-nosed financial analysts, there are myriad careers you may not have heard of. Together we will discuss the career options and the academic paths to get there.

RESOURCES

Course Infosheet

Click here to view or download the printable infosheet for this course.

Program Catalog

Click here to request our catalog to learn more about our summer programs and courses.

Campus Page

Click here to view the website page for this campus and learn more.

“I really enjoyed this program. I have had an interest in business, but I haven’t been sure about which path in business I would like to pursue. In this class, it showed all the different aspects. I especially enjoyed the simulation and the coming together with a group to make the pitch.”

-Kendall S. | Alumni Student

Summer Springboard

Business & Entrepreneurship

Meet Your Instructor

Lisa Francis is an entrepreneur, business strategist, and educator with a deep passion for fostering growth in new ventures and organizations. With an MBA from American University, Lisa has built her career around entrepreneurship and business strategy. Her early work at POLITICO focused on people strategy during the organization’s formative years, connecting talent to opportunities that propelled growth. She later served as Director of Graduate Admissions at American University’s Kogod School of Business, building global partnerships and mentoring aspiring leaders.

In 2023, Lisa launched The Federal Lunch, a Washington, DC-based food company inspired by her great-grandfather’s restaurant, combining her family’s legacy with her entrepreneurial vision. As a member of the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship Incubator and an active contributor to the DC entrepreneurship community, Lisa draws on her experience in corporate strategy, consulting, and business ownership. She is eager to guide students this summer in learning the principles of entrepreneurship and building a path forward.

LISA FRANCIS

“I thought the business and entrepreneurship course was absolutely outstanding, the professor was extremely knowledgeable and had valuable information to give at all times.”

-Hayden I. | Alumni Student

Summer Springboard

Business & Entrepreneurship

Dates & Tuition

2026 Dates
Session 1: June 21 – July 3, 2026

Click here to enroll in this course using our online enrollment form.

Tuition
 Residential Tuition: $5,798
 Commuter Tuition: $2,998

Tuition Protection Plan: Allows for cancellation for any reason up until the day of the program.

Location
 City: Georgetown Neighborhood
 State: Washington, D.C.
Campus: Georgetown University

Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners (with the exception of Cal Poly, UW Foster, and NYSID which are run in partnership with SSB). Universities and their affiliated departments and partners do not control and are not responsible or liable in any manner for any part of the Summer Springboard program.