At the NSLC on Business & Entrepreneurship, you’ll explore what it takes to turn an original idea into a successful business. Through hands-on challenges and collaborative projects, discover how entrepreneurs develop products, understand their customers, and make strategic decisions in a competitive marketplace. Work with your team to build and pitch a business concept while exploring the creativity, leadership, and problem-solving skills behind entrepreneurship.
Business & Entrepreneurship Programs
Launch a career in business.
Official Program Partner
Inc. Magazine
NSLC is proud to partner with Inc. Magazine – the leader in business ideas, resources, and advice – connecting our students with entrepreneurs from the fastest-growing companies in the United States.
Program Highlights
Inside Business at NSLC
Explore business and entrepreneurship firsthand this summer. NSLC pre-college programs combine academic learning with real-world opportunities, giving you the experience and perspective to make more confident decisions about college and your future career.
Explore through hands-on learning.
Develop the skills and knowledge you need for a future career in business with experiential simulations.
Explore SimulationsLearn from industry leaders.
Get real-world perspectives and insider knowledge straight from the professionals, including Inc. 5000 entrepreneurs who founded America’s fastest growing private companies.
Explore Guest Speakers
Go behind the scenes.
Discover the inner workings of the field through immersive trips and tours.
Explore Trips & ToursMy NSLC experience was very fun and eye opening. It was cool to meet people from all over the world and collaborate on projects we were all interested in.
Jacob, Massachusetts
Hands-on Simulations
Explore business
through immersive challenges that put you in the middle of the decisions entrepreneurs and business leaders face every day. Discover how finance, marketing, and operations work together as you manage a company in a competitive marketplace. Then bring your own business idea to life, collaborating with your team to develop a product or service and pitch your concept to a panel of investors.
Business Pitch
Develop a new product or service with your team and collaborate to create a persuasive presentation for investors. Entrepreneurs from the Inc. 5000 will provide real-time feedback on how to take your business plan to the next level.
Marketing & Pricing
Explore how companies identify their target markets, develop competitive pricing strategies, and position their products to appeal to customers in a competitive marketplace.
Management Simulation
Make decisions across finance, marketing, operations, and product research and development that generate success for your business.
Industry Analysis
Evaluate other businesses operating in your company's sector and develop informed strategies to expand beyond your competition.
Social Media Madness
Develop an online presence for your brand and practice public relations skills by navigating real-time responses to your company's social posts.
Professional Development
Practice networking, resume building, interviewing, and public speaking skills that will benefit your career for years to come.
Guest Speakers
Gain industry insights.
Interact with guests speakers, including Inc. 5000 CEOs and professionals in the fields of marketing, finance, and business operations, bringing practical knowledge and real-world experiences to the Business & Entrepreneurship program.
See Past Guest Speakers
Inc. Magazine
SPARK Ann Arbor
Wall Street Walking Tour
Trips & Tours
Go beyond the classroom.
Gain a new perspective on business through field trips that uncover how the industry works behind the scenes. A mix of educational and sightseeing tours allow you to explore the city surrounding the university.
See Trips by Location
Leadership
is in our name.
Each NSLC program contains a leadership curriculum designed to teach skills that can apply to all areas of life. Workshops on personality styles, communication and listening, resilience, and empathy set the foundation for a successful future, no matter where it may lead.
Watch VideoLife on a College Campus
Dates, Locations, & Tuition
NSLC provides an immersive pre-college experience that prepares students for life beyond high school, allowing them to study in university classrooms, learn to navigate a campus, and experience college life firsthand. When submitting an application, students will select a residential or commuter option: residential students stay on campus in supervised dormitories, while commuter students follow daily arrival and departure times designated by their chosen location.
Duke University**
Durham, NC
$4,595 Residential
$4,100 Commuter
Summer 2027
Jun 24 - Jul 2
Jul 6 - Jul 14
Jul 18 - Jul 26
University of California, Berkeley
San Francisco, CA
$4,495 Residential
$3,745 Commuter
Summer 2027
Jun 13 - Jun 21
Jun 25 - Jul 3
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
$4,395 Residential
$3,900 Commuter
Summer 2027
Jun 25 - Jul 3
Jul 8 - Jul 16
* NSLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Columbia University.
** The NSLC is not affiliated with Duke University, nor is the NSLC a Duke University program or activity.
Tuition Resources
Earn College Credit
NSLC has partnered with American University to offer an online college credit opportunity for students across all our programs and locations. AU’s faculty-taught courses are completed at home outside the dates of your program and tailored to complement your area of study.
Learn MoreRelated Programs
Students interested in Business & Entrepreneurship also expressed interest in these programs.
Business FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering if NSLC’s Business & Entrepreneurship program is right for you? Explore below, read our general FAQs, or reach out to our team. We’re happy to help!
Yes! You don’t need to have taken business classes or started a company to attend NSLC’s Business & Entrepreneurship program. You’ll explore foundational concepts through practical challenges involving business strategy, finance, marketing, and management. Whether you’re beginning to explore business or already have an interest in entrepreneurship, you’ll have opportunities to apply your ideas and develop new skills.
At NSLC, you’ll develop an original business concept with your team and pitch it to entrepreneurs who can offer feedback on your ideas. You’ll investigate what goes into creating a product or service, understanding customers, and developing a business strategy. The experience is designed to introduce you to entrepreneurship through realistic challenges rather than requiring you to launch and operate an actual company.
You don’t need a business degree to start a company, and entrepreneurs come from many academic backgrounds. However, studying business can help you understand important areas such as accounting, marketing, finance, and management. At NSLC, you’ll explore several of these responsibilities through collaborative business challenges, helping you discover which skills you enjoy using and might want to develop further.
Business majors typically explore how organizations operate through subjects such as finance, accounting, marketing, and management. Entrepreneurship programs focus more specifically on identifying opportunities, developing new ventures, and managing the challenges of starting a business. Some colleges offer entrepreneurship as a major, while others offer it as a concentration or minor. NSLC’s Business & Entrepreneurship program introduces you to both perspectives, helping you consider which direction might interest you in college.
Business connects to careers in marketing, finance, management, operations, product development, and more. Marketing specialists research audiences and develop campaigns, financial analysts evaluate business performance, and product managers help guide products from concept to market. Entrepreneurship offers another path for people interested in creating and building their own ventures. At NSLC, you’ll explore different business responsibilities and begin discovering which types of work appeal to you.
Think about which kinds of problems you enjoy solving. You might be interested in understanding why customers choose certain products, figuring out how a company manages its money, or developing ideas for a new business. At NSLC, you’ll experience different parts of business through team challenges and decision-making activities. You may discover a particular area you want to study further, or realize that your interests lie somewhere else. Both are valuable things to learn before choosing a major.
Your future starts here.
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