Goodbye Gilman, Hello Business!

During the 15th and 16th of January, almost 40 Gilman students disappeared from their classes. They were absent from history, gone from English, and nowhere to be found in math. Where did these missing students go? They were in Fenimore Library participating in the Gilman Startup Experience.

The Gilman Startup experience is a two day class in mid-January. Participants arrive at Gilman by 8:00 a.m. as usual, but, instead of heading to their classes, they head to Fenimore Library. On the first day, students are sorted into groups of three or four, where they will work for the duration of the startup experience, led by Henrik Scheel, an entrepreneur who created the original program and teaches the class. 

Students are then immersed in the world of business by identifying a problem, finding a solution, and figuring out how to sell their solution to customers. Eventually, students will have formed an entire business model with budgets, products, demographics, and projected costs, supported by alumni throughout the process. One group of alumni entrepreneurs, who change every year, help during the class, and another group serve as a panel of judges at the end.. The director of the program, Nathaniel Badder ‘94, explained that the entrepreneurs are "not teaching, per se, they're sort of guiding. I like to think of them as the bumpers on a bowling alley." They answer the students’ questions or ask ones of their own, always pushing their businesses in the right direction. At the end of the program, the other set of entrepreneurs will judge the businesses and decide which one is best in a Shark Tank style presentation. 

The program was brought to Gilman in 2015 by Jason Griswold ‘93' and Nick Owsley ‘93. The Startup Experience was originally created by Scheel, who first taught the program at colleges such as Colgate University. Griswold and Owsley thought that Gilman would benefit with having such a program, and after talks with head of school Mr. Henry P.A. Smyth, the Startup Experience became part of Gilman tradition. Two years later, Nathaniel Badder ‘94 became the experience's supervisor. Since then, Mr. Scheel still teaches and Mr. Badder still supervises. According to Mr. Badder, "The program itself has stayed mostly the same", but Mr. Scheel is an entrepreneur himself, so he's always bringing in new ideas, new conversations, new media." Unsurprisingly, in recent years AI has become a topic of interest for the class.

Each year around eight teams compete, but only one is crowned the best and wins the competition at the end of the program. To win, groups not only need a relevant problem, creative solution, and appeal to the customer, but they also need a strong presentation. Many times, the quality of a presentation is more important than the content itself. Last year, the startup PyroPack, led by Brandon Wu '27, Liam Higgins '27 and Jaival Sevak '27, won the competition. Their company used the material aerogel to create stronger and more resistant protection for firefighters. The problem was relevant because firefighters have been using outdated equipment, there have been many devastating wildfires this decade, and the problem appears to be escalating due to global warming. The year prior, ClubHub caught the judges’ eyes. Business creators Nikhil Gupta '26, John Watson '26, Kevin Zheng '26, Max Shein '26, and Oliver Sung '25 constructed an app which connects students through clubs and sporting events. It solved a clear issue, the lack of student involvement in extracurricular activities, and provided an effective solution. They also had an engaging presentation and functioning prototype.

This year's Startup Experience was full of innovation. Many companies made use of AI technologies in their business model. The business, SpeakUp, created by Tripp Lawrence ‘28, Nathaniel Gong ‘28 and Henry Snow ‘28 came out on top. They created an app using AI which helps people learn public speaking. The app is used through a vr headset. The user gives their presentation to a virtual audience, while the AI records their behavior. At the end of their presentation, the AI goes over aspects of their presentation like eye contact, audience interest, filler words, and body language. The inventive and groundbreaking use of AIto solve a common but difficult problem impressed the judges. Their project embodied the skills and beliefs taught by the Startup Experience.

Mr. Badder notes that "[the program] “is not for everybody because you're coming in early, you're going to work hard, you're going to stay late, you're going to have to talk with adults, and that can be uncomfortable." However, Mr. Badder added that those who succeed are people that "don't need someone standing over them, who are looking for ways to get things done, not reasons they can't be done, who are driven, and who are creative." Anyone can participate in the Startup Experience, and the only limiting factor is the effort of the student. If a student stays committed, they can not only learn about key aspects of business, such as problem solving, refining ideas, and giving pitches, but also more general skills, like seeking help, working under pressure deadlines, and learning to work in a team.