Student entrepreneur presenting on a dark competition stage
Student founder pitching to judges at a startup competition

Some students study business.

Others build them.

Introducing

Aeroventure Institute

Build before college.

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120Student founders
$400K+Combined startup valuation
25+Qualified mentors
3Cohorts completed

The Program

Everything you need to go from idea to launch.

A structured curriculum built by founders, for founders. No fluff — just the skills that matter.

01

Ideation

Discover real problems worth solving and generate business ideas grounded in your own life and interests.

02

Validation

Test whether people will pay for your idea before you build anything. Talk to customers the right way.

03

Building MVPs

Create the simplest version of your product that can generate real feedback and early revenue.

04

Pitching

Tell your startup's story clearly and confidently. Practice in front of real founders and mentors.

05

Customer Discovery

Run structured interviews to understand what your customers actually need — not what you assume.

06

Launch Strategy

Get your first paying customers, iterate quickly, and plan a growth strategy that scales.

Included in every cohort

Venture funding

Each selected team receives $500 in startup funding. Top performers unlock rolling grants. No equity taken.

1-on-1 mentorship

Weekly sessions with a founder or operator who has built a real company.

Founder community

Workshops, pitch nights, and office hours with a network of Long Island student founders.

How it works

Four steps. Your first startup.

We took everything complicated about starting a business and made it simple enough to do between classes.

01

Apply

Fill out a short application in under 5 minutes. No grades, no experience, no fees required.

02

Join a cohort

Get matched with a mentor, a startup idea, and a group of peers. Cohorts run every semester.

03

Build your startup

Follow a proven curriculum. Get funding, weekly mentorship, and real resources to launch.

04

Pitch and launch

Present your company at a Demo Day. Most students make their first sale within 30 days.

Student ventures

Built by Long Island teens.

Every company below was started by a high schooler using Aeroventure funding and mentorship.

Apply for the next cohort
S
E-commerce

StickerDrop

Custom sticker kits shipped to your door.

Maya C., Syosset HS · '25

$500 raised
C
Consumer goods

CleanKit

Eco-friendly cleaning kits for college dorms.

Jordan E., Garden City HS · '24

$500 raised
I
Art & design

InkByPriya

Fine-art prints for teen bedroom walls.

Priya N., Jericho HS · '25

$500 raised
T
EdTech

TutorLink LI

Peer tutoring marketplace for AP subjects.

Alex M., Massapequa HS · '24

$500 raised
G
Subscription

GreenBox

Monthly subscription box for plant lovers.

Sofia R., Plainview HS · '25

$500 raised
F
Food & health

FitSnack

High-protein snack packs for student athletes.

Marcus T., Huntington HS · '25

$500 raised

Founder stories

Real students. Real businesses.

Hear directly from teens who applied, got funded, and launched.

I applied on a Sunday night not really expecting anything. Two weeks later I had $500 in my account to buy inventory. Aeroventure is the most concrete thing that has ever happened to my idea.
JE

Jordan Ellis

Senior, Garden City HS · Founder of CleanKit

I started a sticker shop in October and made $400 by winter break. My friends thought I was joking until they saw the orders come in.
MC

Maya Chen

Founder of StickerDrop

The mentor they matched me with literally started a company at 17. He helped me figure out pricing in one call.
AM

Alex Morales

Founder of TutorLink LI

I'm not a business person at all — I like drawing. Aeroventure showed me how to turn my art into prints people actually buy.
PN

Priya Nair

Founder of InkByPriya

Office hours felt like hanging out with older siblings who happened to know how to build companies. Unlike any class I've taken.
SR

Sofia Rodriguez

Founder of GreenBox

Mentor network

Real founders in your corner.

Every Aeroventure student is matched one-on-one with an experienced founder or operator. No generic advice — just someone who's done it.

DP

Daniel Park

Founder of SnapCart · YC W21

RT

Rachel Torres

Ex-Google · Founder of TeachUp

JO

James Okafor

Serial founder · 2 exits

LH

Lily Huang

VC at Lightspeed · Angel investor

MR

Marcus Reid

COO at Shopify merchant · LI native

AP

Aisha Patel

Product designer · Figma alum

Start building now.

Applications are free and open to any Long Island high school student in grades 9–12. No experience required.

Grades 9–12 · Long Island, NY · 100% free · No equity

Send us a message

For mentorship, partnerships, donations, or general questions.