Entrepreneurship Program & Lab
Entrepreneurship at BWL
At Birch Wathen Lenox, entrepreneurship is more than a program—it’s a mindset that begins in Middle School and develops through a four-year Upper School sequence. From their first exposure to design thinking and creative problem-solving in 7th and 8th grades, students learn to see challenges as opportunities and to approach the world with curiosity, collaboration, and confidence. By the time they reach Upper School, they are ready to take bold steps: moving from idea generation to prototypes, launches, and fully operational ventures. Along the way, students gain real-world experience, mentorship from industry leaders, and the durable skills of communication, adaptability, and ethical decision-making. By graduation, BWL entrepreneurs don’t just imagine possibilities—they’ve built, tested, and scaled them, leaving with both the confidence and the practical tools to make an impact in college, career, and beyond.
Program Advisors
Maggie Sprenger
NYU Stern Adjunct Professor and Partner at Audere Capital LLC
Brian Lancaster
Columbia Business School Professor of Finance and Economics, Founder and President of The Minot Group LLC
Jayesh Punater
Founder and CEO of Nucleus DNA, Founder and CEO of Gravitas
Middle School Entrepreneurship
At Birch Wathen Lenox, we believe entrepreneurial thinking starts long before a student launches a business. Our Middle School entrepreneurship program is designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills in ways that are developmentally appropriate, highly engaging, and deeply connected to real-world challenges, inspiring fresh ways of thinking and learning across subjects.
Over the course of grades 7 and 8, students explore how ideas are generated, tested, and brought to life. They learn to spot problems worth solving, think from a customer’s perspective, and collaborate effectively in teams. Units build from foundational activities in design thinking and creative problem solving to practical experiences like a Pop-Up Marketplace or eCommerce simulation, where students create, market, and sell their own products.
The focus is on mindset, not mastery: learning how to ask the right questions, listen actively, give and receive feedback, and adapt quickly when a plan changes. Students present their work to peers and faculty, gaining early confidence in public speaking and persuasive communication. By the end of Middle School, they have not only a collection of small entrepreneurial projects under their belt but also the self-belief that their ideas matter and their actions can make a difference.
This program serves as a springboard into our Upper School entrepreneurship track, ensuring that students enter high school with a baseline fluency in innovation, collaboration, and ethical decision-making.
Upper School Entrepreneurship Program Overview (Levels 1–4)
Our Upper School Entrepreneurship Program is one of BWL’s signature academic offerings and a clear differentiator among New York City’s independent schools. This four-year sequence is more than a set of business courses; it’s an incubator for the skills, mindset, and resilience students will need to thrive in any future they choose.
From the first day of Level 1, students are treated as emerging entrepreneurs. They learn by doing: running experiments, conducting customer interviews, building prototypes, launching campaigns, and pitching ideas to real audiences. The curriculum blends creativity and critical thinking with finance, marketing, and leadership, all anchored in the values of integrity, social responsibility, and purposeful action.
Students gain access to mentorship from leading industry experts, inspiring talks by top professionals, exclusive site visits to both startups and established companies, and the chance to participate in dynamic entrepreneurship competitions. Each year builds on the last, culminating in the Level 4 Accelerator, where students scale their ventures under the guidance of experienced entrepreneurs.
By graduation, BWL entrepreneurs don’t just know how to write a business plan, they’ve built something that works, tested it in the real world, and learned how to adapt it for growth. These experiences prepare them for college and career with an edge few high school graduates possess.
Upper School Program Structure
Level 1: Foundations of Entrepreneurship
Level 1 is designed to immerse students in the core concepts and skills of entrepreneurship while cultivating the habits of mind that set innovators apart. Students explore what it means to think entrepreneurially: spotting opportunities, assessing risks, and turning abstract ideas into actionable plans.
The curriculum is organized into eight major units:
- Entrepreneurship & Business Foundations: Understanding the entrepreneurial mindset, business models, and roles within an organization.
- Building a Personal Brand: Developing a unique identity, leveraging strengths, and communicating value.
- Creative Problem Solving: Generating and refining ideas using structured frameworks.
- Customer-Centric Design Thinking—creating solutions grounded in empathy and real customer needs.
- Financial Management: Mastering the basics of budgeting, pricing, and revenue models.
- Leadership & Durable Skills: Learning teamwork, adaptability, and conflict resolution.
- Marketing & Sales: Understanding markets, crafting messages, and persuading audiences.
- Project Management: Setting goals, managing time, and delivering results.
Through simulations, case studies, and small-scale projects, students begin building a toolkit they’ll use throughout the program. Assessments focus on both process and outcome, encouraging iteration and reflection. By year’s end, each student has developed a small business concept and tested it with a target audience.
Level 2: From Idea to MVP
Level 2 marks a pivotal shift from broad exploration to focused execution. Students take a single business concept from early-stage idea through the development of a minimum viable product (MVP).
The year begins with Ideation, where students refine their ideas into clear value propositions. They move into Customer Discovery, conducting interviews and market research to test their assumptions. In Customer Connections, they learn how to create compelling brand experiences and build trust with early adopters.
The Finance unit introduces students to detailed revenue modeling, cost structures, and funding strategies, giving them the tools to make data-driven decisions. The year culminates in Building Your MVP, where students prototype and test their product or service with real users, iterating based on feedback.
By the end of Level 2, students can demonstrate not only a functioning MVP but also a documented understanding of their customer, their market, and the steps needed to bring their venture to launch readiness.
Level 3: Launch and Growth Strategies
Level 3 is about taking the leap into the marketplace. Students address the legal considerations of starting a business, from intellectual property to contracts. They conduct MVP experiments to refine their product or service, using data to drive improvements.
In Promotion, students design and execute marketing campaigns, learning how to build brand awareness and convert interest into sales. They also prepare for the Pitch Your Story unit, where they craft a compelling narrative and present it to a panel of entrepreneurs, investors, and community members.
This year challenges students to balance creativity with accountability. They must meet deadlines, hit performance targets, and manage the real-world messiness of launching a venture. The emphasis is on growth strategies: scaling production, expanding market reach, and building operational capacity.
Level 4: The Accelerator
The Level 4 Accelerator is the capstone of BWL’s entrepreneurship sequence, a yearlong, immersive experience in which students transform their ventures from promising prototypes into fully operational businesses.
Each student or team enters with a validated concept and a plan for growth. They work closely with mentors, industry advisors, and faculty coaches to refine business models, explore funding options, and expand their customer base. They set quarterly goals, track progress, and present regular updates to an advisory board.
The Accelerator blends classroom learning with independent execution. Students might spend one week negotiating supplier contracts, the next running digital ad campaigns, and the next pitching for seed funding. The program concludes with a Demo Day, where ventures are showcased to a public audience of investors, alumni, and community members.
Graduates of the Accelerator leave BWL not only with a high school diploma but also with a functioning business, a professional network, and a practical skill set that can be applied to any future path.
“I understand the general concepts of the field of business. I also know the math that goes behind the scenes and that there is a lot to being an entrepreneur. What we learned this year is critical information that will be very helpful in our future careers, even if not directly. I'm looking forward to next year's class!”
“I really enjoyed being able to collaborate with my peers for the final project and creating a business plan!”
“The speakers were excellent and the project was fun.”
“One thing I most enjoyed about this year was learning about the stock market. I gained a thorough understanding of how the stock market works and why it was created… I also really enjoyed developing the business plan and giving the presentation. I learned real-world skills and got great feedback that I can implement in the future.”
“I am very thankful to be able to have this opportunity to take this class this year. It has been a great course with lots to learn. I enjoyed watching the stock market and the stock we purchased. By far, working on this presentation has been my favorite! I found it very valuable especially in the long run if I want to become a business owner. I look forward to next year!”
Most Recent Survey Results and Feedback
Entrepreneurship students completed a survey upon completion of the course. We are proud to share these survey results and feedback from the 2023–2024 cohort of Entrepreneurship students.
95% will continue the Entrepreneurship Program next year
68% experienced increased interest in Entrepreneurship
55% more likely to consider starting their own business
Questions About the Program
What are the eligibility requirements?
All students are eligible to participate beginning in the Fall of their freshman year. Students must have achieved at least a B+ average across all of their classes from last year. Only 9th grade students are eligible.
When will it begin?
Students who apply and are accepted will begin their coursework in fall of their freshman year.
Where does the Program take place?
The Program is housed in our new Entrepreneurship Lab located on the 9th floor. An initial Phase 1 of the Lab build-out was completed in September 2023. A more in-depth Phase 2 was completed in summer 2024.
What is the time commitment?
The Entrepreneurship Program meets in school for two class periods per week. The course is extremely rigorous, and students must be dedicated and motivated. Students should expect to dedicate time outside of scheduled class hours for assignments and continued work and development.
Is there an additional cost?
There is no additional cost to participate in the Entrepreneurship Program.
Who do we contact with questions?
Please reach out to Mr. Kuhn (bill.kuhn@gbwl.org) with any questions.
How do students apply?
9th grade students interested in participating in the Entrepreneurship Program should apply in the spring before beginning 9th grade.