Youth Startup Accelerator
The Sharks Garage
Time: 9AM to 3PM
(Extended Session Time Available)
Location: Menlo Innovation Hub
Cohort 2 Middle School + High School
August 3-7, 2026
Contact us for admission qualifications.
Work in a REAL co-working space
Learn from REAL mentors
Pitch to REAL venture capitalists
The Sharks Garage is a youth startup accelerator for middle and high school students where young founders brainstorm, refine, and pitch their business ideas guided by some of Silicon Valley's best mentors — all inside a real tech co-working space in Menlo Park, where they work side by side with active startup founders in tech ecosystem. They'll dive into ideation, marketing, product engineering, and business development, culminating in a live pitch to real VCs in a TV studio, recorded for broadcast. This isn't just about learning, it's about building confidence, teamwork, and creativity as their first real step toward launching their own startups.
🚀 Program Highlights:
-
Innovate & Create – Young founders learn Design Thinking methodology and apply it to brainstorm and refine their product idea throughout the week. Teams with an existing idea are welcome too.
-
Learn from Experts – Young founders get direct access to an elite lineup of Silicon Valley mentors, including seasoned startup founders, top-tier lawyers and bankers, renowned Silicon Valley pitch doctor, and specialists from across the startup ecosystem — all sharing real-world insights and guidance.
-
Startup Essentials – Young founders will be introduced to key business concepts, including branding, product development, GTM strategies, pitching, and fundraising.
-
Real Startup Environment – The program is hosted at an actual tech co-working space in Menlo Park, where young founders work alongside active Silicon Valley startup founders for real conversations, spontaneous connections, and firsthand exposure to the energy and culture of a working startup hub — not a classroom simulation.
-
Exciting Pitch Day – The program ends with a high-energy pitch session in a studio environment, where young founders will present their ideas to a panel of actual venture capitalists.
-
Lights, Camera, Action! – The final pitch session will be recorded and edited into a TV episode broadcasted on Comcast Cable, making young founders the stars of their own startup journey!
This one-of-a-kind program is more than just learning, it is 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, The Sharks Garage will be an unforgettable experience packed with creativity, teamwork, and high-energy fun!
Please note the last day will be filmed and may be at a studio in San Jose or elsewhere.
⚠️ Warning: These young founders may just drop out of the school to scale their own business after this camp!
2026 Mentors
Protect What You Build
Anil Advani
Founder and Managing Partner of Inventus Law
As one of Silicon Valley’s most powerful startup attorneys, Anil has advised thousands of founders for over two decades through formation, financing, and acquisitions totaling more than $1 billion. He’ll mentor young founders on clear ownership, smart agreements, and protecting the ideas behind their startups.
Turn Waste into Opportunity
Gabriella Dweck
Founder of Oleo
As the founder of Oleo, a venture transforming waste biomass into cost-effective oil feedstocks for advanced fuels, Gabriella sees value where others see waste. She’ll mentor young founders on discovering opportunities in overlooked resources and turning bold ideas into solutions with both business value and environmental impact.
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. Helping some of the hottest Silicon Valley startups raising over $2B in funding. As a pitch alchemist for startups, she’ll mentor young founders on transforming their startup ideas into winning pitches.
Start with the Problem
Gary Holmgren
CEO of Drover Labs
As a former NASA robotics engineer, Gary builds autonomous robots that perform dangerous industrial inspections so people don’t have to. He’ll mentor young founders on starting with a real problem, not simply a cool invention, and adapting their ideas to create solutions that people truly need.
The Founder’s Scientific Method
Elena Itskovich
President of Nest Catalyst
Trained at Cambridge, MIT, and Stanford, Elena helps scientists turn frontier research into venture ready companies. She believes founders can use the same curiosity, disciplined experimentation, and evidence based thinking that drive scientific discovery. She’ll mentor young founders on forming hypotheses, testing ideas, learning from evidence, and improving before scaling.
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.
Innovation Is a Team Sport
Ajit Ninan
Senior Director of Display and Imaging at Meta
A display technology pioneer whose work on Dolby Vision and HDR revolutionized digital images, Ajit is now at Meta bringing next-generation visual experiences to smart glasses. At The Sharks Garage, he will coach young founders on building high performing teams, forming strategic partnerships, and scaling key ecosystems to transform ambitious ideas into technologies that reach millions.
Learn by Teaching
Ritvik Rustagi
Founder of TMAS Academy
Ritvik founded TMAS Academy to make high-quality STEM education accessible and has authored numerous textbooks in mathematics and physics. He’ll encourage students to think like teachers, not just absorb information as learners. By explaining ideas clearly, students deepen their understanding and communication skills.
From Research to Startup
Basel Salahieh
CEO of Vimmerse
With a Ph.D. and more than 18 years of immersive media experience, plus over 20 patents, Basel transformed deep technical expertise into a Y Combinator backed AI video startup. He’ll mentor young founders on translating complex technology into a simple, useful product, validating it with real users, and building a scalable business.
Make Your Story Stick
Ella Sogomonian
Former News Anchor and Reporter at KRON4 News
With more than a decade in broadcast news, Ella knows how to turn complex ideas into clear, memorable stories. She’ll mentor young founders on finding the human story behind their startups, speaking with confidence, and delivering a message that inspires people to care.
From Idea to Prototype
Ryan Spurlock
Founder and CEO of Humanmade
Ryan has helped thousands of makers develop hands-on skills. As CEO of Humanmade, a California-backed launchpad for the next generation of hardware innovators, he’ll mentor young founders on turning ideas into prototypes by building early, testing often, and improving through real world feedback.
Build the Right Thing First
Aarthi Srinivasan
Corporate Head of Generative AI at Docusign
Aarthi has built and scaled AI products at companies including Amazon, Target, and Walmart Labs. She’ll mentor young founders on product thinking, choosing the features that matter most, testing ideas with users, and building a simple first version that delivers real value.
2026 Coaches
Millie Garrett
Tina Chang
Taliyah Huang
Chanel Chan
Kelby Whitehead
John Huang
Startup Bootcamp
The Sharks Garage
Time: 9AM to 3PM
(Extended Session Time Available)
Location: Menlo Innovation Hub
Cohort 2 Middle School
August 3-7, 2026
Contact us for admission qualifications.
2025 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.
2025 Mentors
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.
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.
Share with your friends:
You may also be interested in:
Future Flight Lab
Future Flight Lab is a one-day hands-on drone workshop for kids in grades 4–8, featuring actual drone startup founders, FPV drone racers, and aerospace scientists as mentors. Build and fly your own drone while exploring the science of flight and the future of aviation.
