Project Mentors: Dr. Samantha Dewalt, Lehigh@Nasdaq Center; Dr. Willy Das, Lehigh@Nasdaq Center
Continuing Fellow:
Jacob Seibert '26
2025 Impact Fellows:
Michael Olivier '27
Grace Phillips '27
Project Description:
How can entrepreneurial education equip underserved youth with the human-centered skills that AI can’t replace?
This project empowers disconnected and underrepresented youth to thrive in a rapidly changing economy by blending entrepreneurship training, leadership development, and AI literacy. Our goal is to position entrepreneurship as a pathway for social mobility, equipping students not just with technical exposure but with the uniquely human strengths of creativity, resilience, communication, and critical thinking that drives long term success.
In partnership with schools and youth-serving organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, the team has piloted the Global Entrepreneurial Leadership (GEL) Workshop, a one-day immersive program where high school students explore their values, identify real-world problems, build ventures, and pitch solutions. The workshop also introduces students to the productive use of AI as a tool for problem discovery, ideation, and pitching, while emphasizing that human judgment and collaboration remain the true edge in entrepreneurship.
Future teams will build on this foundation by expanding the workshop across more Bay Area schools, deepening partnerships with local organizations, and refining curriculum modules that integrate AI and entrepreneurial skills. Students will also have the opportunity to publish thought leadership pieces, like op-eds, on the role of human skills in an AI-driven world.
We welcome students from all majors to join this project, particularly those passionate about fostering equity, designing innovative learning experiences, and preparing the next generation of changemakers to succeed in the age of AI.