AI + Entrepreneurship Experiential Learning Bootcamp

Program Highlights

• Hands-on Learning: Team-based workshops and business exercises guided by mentors.
• Entrepreneurship Education: Lectures on ideation, business model development, marketing, finance, and pitching from experienced entrepreneurs and faculty.
• AI Education: Lectures on the fundamentals and applications of AI in variety of high-tech industries.
• Simulations & AI: Engage in startup simulations using AI to accelerate venture creation.
• Industry Visits: Tours to major companies, Fortune 500 firms, and innovation hubs.
• Networking: Connect with alumni, local entrepreneurs, and industry professionals.
• Cultural Outings: Explore iconic NYC sites, Jersey Shore, and more.  

Program End Goals

• Pitch and Presentation Showcase: Present an AI-driven business idea to entrepreneurs and investors in a final pitch and presentation showcase.

What’s Included

• All educational materials, company visits, cultural excursions, on-campus meals, and accommodation in shared double rooms.

Cost

• $5,000 per student (excludes airfare and personal transport, and off-campus meals). Payment to be collected by the sending university for the entire group and remitted to NJIT.

Eligibility

• Ideally students are second- and third-year university students.
• Required proficiency in English.
• Open to all majors and fields of study for students with an interest in AI + entrepreneurship or those looking to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in this new AI era.

Location & Dates

• Newark, New Jersey (minutes from NYC); Summer 2026
• Dates: June 14 to June 27

Additional Info

• Minimum of 20 students are required to run the program per 2-week term.
• Travel documents are the responsibility of participants; NJIT will provide letters of invitation.

Application

• Open to students seeking a transformative educational and cultural experience in the U.S. AI and startup ecosystem. The sending university will handle the application process and send the list of accepted students to NJIT’s Office of Global Initiatives.
• Due date: April 1st to receive all student applications and payment.
• Apply As an Individual
• Apply As a Group

Program at a Glance

Day 1 (June 14)

• Arrival

Day 2: Class (9am-12pm, 1:30-4:30pm)

• AI Themes: AI Overview and Applications
• Entrepreneurship Themes: Problem Discovery and Customer Reality
• Integration: The AI workshop introduces students to the breadth of contemporary AI capabilities and application areas. The entrepreneurship workshop focuses student attention on identifying problems that are meaningful, persistent, and worth solving.

Day 3: Class (9am-12pm, 1:30-4:30pm)

• AI Themes: How Machines Learn 
• Entrepreneurship Themes: Customer Discovery and Market Validation
• Integration: The AI workshop demonstrates how machines learn from data through concrete examples. The entrepreneurship workshop challenges students to test whether the identified problem is real, acute, and shared by a meaningful group of people.

Day 4: Class (9am-12pm, 1:30-4:30pm)

• AI Themes: Beyond AI — Design Thinking and Prototype Creation
• Entrepreneurship Themes: Value Proposition and Solution Fit
• Integration: The AI workshop enables students to explore how ideas can be translated into early prototypes. The entrepreneurship workshop focuses on connecting technical possibilities to concrete customer value.

Day 5:

• AI Themes: How Machines See the World 
• Entrepreneurship Themes: Business Models and Revenue Logic
• Integration: The AI workshop highlights powerful AI application domains. The entrepreneurship workshop shifts focus to sustainability: how value is captured and why the business works economically.

Day 6: Friday June 19 (Juneteenth, NJIT closed)

• Company and Alumni Connections

Day 7: Saturday, June 20

• Newark Cultural Excursion and Company Visits

Day 8: Sunday, June 21 

• NYC Cultural Visit

Day 9: Class (9am-12pm, 1:30-4:30pm)

• AI Themes: How AI Creates (Image and Video Generation)
• Entrepreneurship Themes: Competition and Strategic Positioning
• Integration: The AI workshop lowers perceived barriers to creation. The entrepreneurship workshop introduces competitive realism and the need for differentiation.

Day 10: Class (9am-12pm, 1:30-4:30pm)

• AI Themes: AI and Robotics
• Entrepreneurship Themes: Go-to-Market Strategy and Early Traction
• Integration: The AI workshop emphasizes real-world deployment and implementation constraints. The entrepreneurship workshop focuses on execution readiness and assembling a complete, coherent investor narrative.

Day 11, Wednesday, June 24

• Company and Alumni Connections / Cultural visits

Day 12, Thursday, June 25

• Pitch and Presentation Showcase & Awards Ceremony

Day 13, Friday, June 26

• Wrapping Up
• Morning: Group and individual reflections and discussions 
• Afternoon/Evening: Free time including packing or personal excursions

Day 14, Saturday, June 27 

• Departure Day 
   

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a diverse STEM-focused university with an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit operating at the highest level of research (Carnegie R1 Classification).