About us

The Leadership and Innovation Lab, or LIL, is a highly selective, hands-on startup incubator for high school students interested in developing leadership skills through entrepreneurship. We also offer programs for advanced middle school students. Our entrepreneurship programs help young people execute, elevate, and expand their businesses, organizations, or other ventures from ideation to sustainability. 

In 9 to 15-week cohorts, our seasoned instructors mentor LIL participants on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, including the different leadership styles, how to navigate shared ownership, various business formations to consider, marketing, and so much more. We also help them discover and develop their inner leader as they conduct market research, seek project funding, draft business plans, and ultimately bring their venture to life. 

We offer various programs to suit various needs, and Leadership and Innovation Lab students can access an entire ecosystem of resources designed to support their bright ideas. Through lectures, workshops, fundraisers, networking events, and more, our entrepreneurship programs equip young leaders with the tools they need to succeed beyond high school. And with our Expert Add-On option, LIL participants can receive even more in-depth, technical support from scholars, researchers, and industry experts–like Google programmers and Oxford University professors–who work with us to provide priceless insight to those who need it. 

Our students walk away from their cohorts with tangible results in the form of signature projects. These projects act as the cornerstones of their college applications and help them stand out among other impressive applicants, thus improving admissions results. Over the years, LIL alums have earned acceptance letters from top colleges and universities like Harvard, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, UT Austin, and UCLA, just to name a few.

The Leadership and Innovation Lab's primary mission is to support future entrepreneurs' ambitions with hands-on mentorship and ongoing support from LIL instructors and industry experts. Launching a successful initiative requires vision, creativity, project management skills, and hard work — all necessities for aspiring leaders and high-value quality in competitive school admissions. We know the most innovative ideas often come from the youth, and we’re here to make those ideas a reality.