Founders Lab is YSMnation's hands-on entrepreneurship experience where young people take an idea from something they notice to something they can build, explain, test, and put in front of real people.
The business is the vehicle. The growth is the point.
At Founders Lab, we don't begin by handing kids a business idea.
We begin by asking them to pay attention.
What frustrates people? What could work better? What do they care about? Who could they help?
From there, founders choose an idea they want to explore and begin doing the work behind it—thinking about customers, making decisions, building first versions, working through cost and pricing, creating a way to communicate the idea, listening to feedback, and trying again.
The goal isn't to produce perfect businesses.
The goal is to give young people meaningful practice making decisions about something that belongs to them.
Founders Lab is built for young people who are curious, creative, observant, talkative, quiet, artistic, analytical—or still figuring out what they enjoy.
Some founders arrive full of ideas. Others begin by saying, 'I don't know what I want to make.'
Both belong here.
We start with noticing problems because finding something worth working on often comes before knowing what you want to build.
Details for Founders Lab 2027 are currently being developed.
Look closely at everyday life. Find frustrations, needs, gaps, or people you would like to help.
Sort through the possibilities and commit to one problem or idea worth exploring.
Think about the person you're building for. What do they need? What matters to them?
Move from thinking to making. Sketch, prototype, create, name, test, and make decisions.
Work through feedback, cost, pricing, presentation, and the things that don't work the first time.
Explain your idea clearly, put it in front of other people, and learn from what happens.
Learning to notice before rushing toward a solution.
Choosing between ideas, materials, features, prices, and possibilities when there isn't always one correct answer.
Considering what another person might actually need instead of building only around personal preferences.
Working with cost, price, and profit in the context of something they are creating.
Explaining an idea, pitching it, answering questions, and becoming more comfortable speaking about their work.
Looking at what happened, deciding what should change, and trying again.
Founders Lab is guided, but founder-owned.
Facilitators teach concepts, ask questions, provide structure, help young people think through obstacles, and make sure they have the tools they need.
But we try very hard not to rescue an idea every time it becomes difficult.
Sometimes the most useful question isn't: 'Here's what you should do.' It's: 'What do you think you should try next?'
A product an adult perfected may look better. A decision a young person worked through themselves teaches more.
Founders Lab 2026 moved through two connected stages.
The first stage focused on the founder mindset: noticing problems, finding an idea, identifying a customer, thinking through an offer, learning money basics, and practicing the pitch.
The second stage moved from idea toward execution: developing products, shaping brand identity, thinking more deeply about pricing and selling, preparing to meet customers, and getting ready for Market Day.
This was the structure we used in 2026. We're reviewing the experience as we design Founders Lab 2027.
Market Day is where the work leaves the learning space.
Founders set up their booths, explain what they've created, answer questions, interact with visitors, make decisions in real time, and experience how other people respond to something they built.
A product doesn't have to sell out for Market Day to matter.
A customer walking past can teach something. A question can expose something unclear. A sale can build confidence. Feedback can change the next version.
The point is not simply selling. It's experiencing what happens when your work meets the world.
Nine young people joined YSMnation's first Founders Lab. Their ideas ranged from small everyday solutions to handmade products, personalized items, beauty products, toys, and food and drink.
They gave us our first opportunity to see the Founders Lab model in motion—and a lot to learn from before the next one.
We're using what we learned in 2026 to make the next Founders Lab stronger.
Dates, format, enrollment details, and other program information will be shared once they're finalized.
No. Finding an idea is part of the process.
No. Entrepreneurship gives us a practical framework for problem-solving, communication, decision-making, creativity, and learning through doing.
That's not how we measure the experience. Founders work toward making, testing, explaining, and improving an idea. Different ideas develop at different speeds.
Not yet. Join the interest list and we'll share details when they're finalized.
That's enough to begin.
Founders Lab gives young people somewhere to follow that thought and find out what happens next.