High School Entrepreneurs at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School Use AI to Build Real-World Ventures
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, June 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- At Léman Manhattan Preparatory School, high school students are not waiting for the future of artificial intelligence to arrive. They are already using it to build businesses designed to solve real-world problems.
Léman recognized the achievements of the inaugural cohort of the Collegio Institute’s AI Entrepreneur Fellowship during its first Venture Distinction Awards Ceremony, celebrating students who transformed ideas into working ventures through a demanding process of research, experimentation, product development, and execution.
The Fellowship was created to give students direct experience with entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence. Rather than studying AI only as an emerging technology, students were challenged to use it as a practical tool. They identified market opportunities, developed business concepts, tested assumptions, built prototypes, and presented their ventures before a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and investors.
The resulting projects addressed a wide range of challenges and opportunities, including education technology, student well-being, trustworthy AI research tools, creator-economy platforms, productivity solutions, youth employment, and college preparation.
Students developed functional businesses, attracted early users, and tested whether their ideas addressed genuine needs. Their work reflected a level of initiative and execution rarely expected of high school students.
Students were recognized through a competitive judging process that evaluated innovation, market understanding, product design, execution, and overall entrepreneurial potential. The Fellowship's highest honor, the Grand Venture Scholar Award, recognized a venture that demonstrated exceptional product design, business model clarity, market understanding, and execution. Judges described the winning project as a compelling example of how students can leverage artificial intelligence to create scalable, impactful solutions.
“The work of these students reflects why Léman has rapidly emerged as a premier preparatory school,” said Don Lively of Collegio Partners. “The institution is helping students develop the qualities that selective colleges, employers, and investors increasingly value. They are learning how to identify problems and opportunities, build solutions, use AI tools responsibly, and turn an idea into something tangible.”
Léman’s latest academic results are equally impressive. It has become the first private school to have students accepted to every Ivy League university within its first ten graduating classes. The AI Entrepreneur Fellowship shows that the school is not resting on that record, as it is at the forefront of preparing students for the opportunities that lie ahead.
The Fellowship reflects Léman’s commitment to preparing students for a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence. Students need to understand the technology, but fluency alone is not enough. They also need the judgment to identify worthwhile problems, the discipline to test their assumptions, and the resilience to improve an idea when the first version falls short. With an emphasis upon using AI thoughtfully and creatively to develop solutions with practical value, Léman is incubating builders, problem-solvers, and leaders.”
The awards ceremony marked the culmination of months of work by students who accepted the challenge of building ventures from the ground up. Along the way, they developed skills in communication, leadership, collaboration, product design, and strategic thinking.
The program also offered students an early lesson in the realities of entrepreneurship. Promising ideas require more than imagination. They require the willingness to ask difficult questions, listen to users, revise assumptions, and persist through setbacks.
As Léman expands its offerings in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning, the AI Entrepreneur Fellowship provides a model for what future-focused education can look like. The goal is not simply to prepare students to adapt to change but to equip them to shape it.
About Léman Manhattan Preparatory School
Léman Manhattan Preparatory School is an independent International Baccalaureate World School located in Lower Manhattan, serving students from early childhood through grade 12. Through rigorous academics, personalized instruction, and experiential learning opportunities, Léman prepares students to become confident critical thinkers, globally minded leaders, and purposeful contributors to their communities.
About the Collegio Institute at Léman
The Collegio Institute at Léman, in partnership with Collegio Partners, provides students with immersive learning opportunities that connect academic preparation with emerging fields and real-world challenges. Its AI Entrepreneur Fellowship combines entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, product development, and experiential learning. Students develop and launch venture concepts while gaining practical experience in innovation, leadership, and execution.
Don Lively
Collegio Partners
email us here
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
