Sparknify Future Startup Founder Bootcamp
Baby Shark Tank
Cohort 2 Now Open For Admission
Ages: 10 to 15 Years Old
Location: Midpen Media Center
900 San Antonio Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Admission by Invitation or Approved Application Only
Baby Shark Tank is a startup bootcamp for ages 10–15 where young founders brainstorm, refine, and pitch their business ideas with guidance from Silicon Valley mentors. Along the way, they’ll dive into ideation, marketing, product engineering, and business development — all leading up to a live pitch to real VCs in a TV studio, recorded for broadcast. This isn’t just about learning — it’s about learning confidence, teamwork, and creativity in their first step toward building their own startups.
🚀 Program Highlights:
• Innovate & Create – Young founders will start by coming up with a unique product idea and refining it throughout the week. We also welcome any teams with an existing product idea.
• Learn from Experts – Silicon Valley guest mentors, including founders, lawyers, bankers, and other specialists of the startup ecosystems, providing valuable insights and mentorship.
• Startup Essentials – Young founders will be introduced to key business concepts, including branding, product development, GTM strategies, pitching, and funding.
• Exciting Pitch Day – The program ends with a high-energy pitch session at an actual TV studio, where young founders will present their ideas to a panel of venture capitalists.
• Lights, Camera, Action! – The final pitch session will be recorded and edited into a TV episode, making young founders the stars of their own startup journey!
Venture Capitalist
Yvonne Lutsch
Investment Director at Lam Capital
Yvonne joined Lam Capital as Investment Director, after 7+ years at Bosch Ventures leading deep tech investments in AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, sensors, and industrial tech. She also spent 13 years at Bosch in leadership roles across technology scouting, business development, engineering, and electronics for mobility and consumer sectors. Yvonne holds a PhD in Applied Physics from the University of Tuebingen and a Diploma in Experimental Physics from the University of Siegen, Germany.
Gayathri Radhakrishnan
Partner at Hitachi Ventures
With 20+ years in product management, marketing, corporate strategy, M&A, and venture investing, Gayathri has invested at Micron Ventures — focusing on AI-driven solutions in manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive — and at Earlybird Venture Capital in Germany. She has held leadership roles at Dell, Corning, and startups, and holds an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University, an MBA from INSEAD, and is a Kauffman Fellow (Class 16).
Jonah Probell
Founder of Lexi Ventures
Jonah is the Founder and Managing Partner of Lexi Ventures, bringing a track record that spans engineering, executive leadership, and founding roles in seven startups. Over his career, he has achieved two IPOs, earned 16 granted patents, and authored two books. With a lifelong passion for science, engineering, economics, philosophy, and innovation, Jonah now channels his expertise into investing for maximum realized IRR, supporting ventures that push the boundaries of technology and impact.
Angela Jimenez
Leon Precision Capital | Founder | Physician
Angela is a physician and entrepreneur who bridges medicine and business, combining clinical expertise, venture capital experience, and startup leadership to identify and invest in high-impact biotech and healthcare solutions. Her work spans clinical research, public health, federal oversight, and portfolio support, driven by a passion for evidence-based innovation, patient empowerment, and disruptive solutions that improve health outcomes.
Mentors
In Alphabetical
Entrepreneurial Grit
Amr Abuellil
CEO of Lens EDA
An electronics engineer by profession, a chef by instinct, and an entrepreneur at heart, Amr has built ventures by turning ideas into reality. He will mentor young founders on entrepreneurship — sharing lessons on taking risks, thinking creatively, and building businesses that reflect both skill and passion.
Project Management
Juanita Dion-Chiang
Managing Partner of Intellidion Group
With 20+ years leading innovation at IBM and Zepp Health, Juanita has managed global projects, launched award-winning products, and scaled thriving user communities. As a mentor, she’ll coach young founders on how to set goals, manage timelines, and lead teams to bring their startup ideas to life.
Customer Insights and Strategy
Martin Feuillet
CEO of M9Market
Recognized as one of Silicon Valley’s most promising upstart CEOs, Martin helps businesses turn customer insights into winning strategies by analyzing social media patterns to anticipate trends. He will show young founders how to use these insights to create smarter products and more impactful marketing.
The Art of the Startup Pitch
Donna Griffit
Stanford Business School Communication Coach and Best Selling Author
Donna has spent 20+ years helping 1,000+ startups and Fortune 500 companies turn ideas and data into powerful stories that inspire action, raising over $2B in funding. As a pitch alchemist for startups, she’ll mentor young founders on transforming their startup ideas into pitches that excite and win support.
Team Dynamics & People Strategy
Q Hamirani
CPO of HighLevel
A former Global People Operations leader at Airbnb, Q helped scale the company through hypergrowth and shaped its innovative hybrid work strategy. With experience across startups and Fortune 100, he will mentor young founders on the importance of building high-performing, people-centered organizations.
Tech-Driven Product Design
Michael Hoppe
Creative Director @ Geopogo
Creative Director at Geopogo and former 3DFX designer, Michael brings deep expertise in 3D visualization and AR. He helps teams turn complex ideas into interactive, user-friendly designs. At Baby Shark Tank, he’ll guide young founders in visual thinking and digital prototyping to bring their startup ideas to life.
Vision, Goals, and Spirit
Phillip Keys
Principal of Maido Media
With 13 years as a Nikkei Newspaper Silicon Valley correspondent living in Japan and extensive experience advising top executives, Phillips crafts clear and compelling news reports. He’ll mentor young founders on communicating their startup vision, inspiring their spirit, and defining clear goals.
Startup Legal Fundamentals
Matt O'Brien
Corporate Associate at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
As an accomplished attorney, Matt brings years of experience helping startup founders navigate key legal steps. Similar to how he mentors startups at Techstars, he will support young founders in sharpening their business models, structuring their companies, and safeguarding their ideas.
Design Thinking
Albert Wang
Senior Director at Observe.AI
Albert, who helped shape LinkedIn during its pre-IPO growth, is a designer known for creating engaging, impactful products that improve lives at scale. He’ll mentor young founders on Design Thinking, guiding them in creative problem solving and user-centered design to turn big ideas into real solutions.
This one-of-a-kind program is more than just learning—it’s about building confidence, teamwork, and creativity in a fun and engaging way. Young founders will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, meet like-minded young founders, and experience the thrill of launching a business idea from scratch. It is entirely possible that the VC may end up investing in them.
Whether the young founder is an aspiring CEO, inventor, or just curious about how businesses work, Baby Shark Tank will be an unforgettable experience packed with creativity, teamwork, and high-energy fun!
⚠️ Warning: These young founders just might drop out of the school to scale their own business after this class!
Sparknify is committed to providing high-quality, trusted educational experiences for children. As a proud member of the American Camp Association (ACA) (Member No. A-103787), we adhere to rigorous safety and quality standards. All Sparknify educators undergo thorough criminal background checks and possess extensive experience within their fields. Our instructors bring years of expertise, with many holding advanced degrees — including Master’s and PhDs — ensuring your child receives exceptional, knowledgeable guidance in every program.
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