About us
The Leadership and Innovation Lab, or LIL, is a highly selective, hands-on startup incubator for middle and high school students interested in developing leadership skills through entrepreneurship. Our entrepreneurship programs help students execute, elevate, and expand their businesses, organizations, or other ventures from ideation to sustainability.
For 9 to 15 weeks, our seasoned instructors mentor LIL participants year-round 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.
Our Team
Maya Gobert, Director of Student Innovation
Maya Gobert, Director of Student Innovation
Maya Gobert, Director of Student Innovation
Maya Gobert is our Director of Student Innovation. She is also the Founder and Director of the Leadership & Innovation Lab.
Maya attended Cornell University on a full expenses paid scholarship where she double majored in Economics and Political Science and graduated with top honors. Maya has worked across three continents and industries - finance, marketing and educational consulting. Maya has led a team of consultants and worked personally with students across the world (more than 14 countries and counting!), mentoring them in candidacy building and extracurricular pursuits. Her students have gained admission into all the Ivy League colleges and many other Top 20 US universities.
AVi hegland-fisher, instructor
Maya Gobert, Director of Student Innovation
Maya Gobert, Director of Student Innovation
Avi Hegland-Fisher is our Instructor. Avi attended Colgate University, where she studied English, philosophy, and classics. She taught and tutored high school students while in law school at the University of Pennsylvania and was the recipient of an Exceptional Pro Bono Service Award, which is awarded to Penn Law students who complete over 200 hours of pro bono service. Avi also received a Certificate in Management from Wharton. After Penn, she was a teaching assistant, research assistant, and adjunct professor at American University. Avi is a researcher, writing consultant, and college essay coach who tutors students in English, humanities, writing, reading, high school admissions testing, SAT, ACT, LSAT, and AP courses.
Zijia Liu, Director of Admissions
Maya Gobert, Director of Student Innovation
Zijia Liu, Director of Admissions
Zijia Liu is the Director of Admissions at our institution. With a background in bioinformatics, Zijia earned her master's degree in the field. Throughout her career, Zijia has utilized her expertise to educate and mentor thousands of middle and high school students, as well as undergraduates. Simultaneously, she has held the role of academic counselor, providing invaluable guidance to students as they navigate their academic and career paths. With decades of experience under her belt, Zijia has played a pivotal role in helping students achieve their goals. In addition, she has demonstrated her dedication to continuous learning by independently preparing for and passing all CPA exams during her leisure time.
Our student instructor
Alex Huang (MIT, Class of 2028)
Alex is an inventor, entrepreneur, educator, and 3D designer passionate about empowering youth to bring their ideas to life.
Alex participated as a finalist in the International Science and Engineering Fair, was named the National Diamond Challenge Champion, and received the 2022 Future Innovator of the Year award from the Arizona Governor.
Since 2020, Alex has taught more than 25+ students CAD and 3D printing, helping them launch their own projects and prototypes. When he's not teaching or building things, you will find him dancing or swimming with his friends!