Build it.
Innovate it.
Pitch it.
STEM to Startup runs hands-on workshops where students design a real product, build a functional prototype, and pitch it to simulated investors.
From Idea to Pitch
Every workshop follows a structured timeline — working in small cohorts, building with physical assets, and facing an active feedback loop.
Identify & Innovate
Finding Problems Worth Solving
Every great invention begins with a problem. Students will explore real-world challenges related to STEM, such as environmental sustainability, healthcare, technology, or community issues. They will research these problems, brainstorm creative solutions, and develop an initial concept for a product or prototype that addresses a meaningful need.
- Identify a real-world STEM challenge
- Research the problem and its impact
- Brainstorm innovative solutions
- Create a prototype concept and design plan
Design & Build
Bring Ideas to Life
With guidance from mentors and hands-on workshops, students will transform their ideas into working prototypes. They'll learn engineering design principles, collaborate with teammates, test their designs, and improve their products through an iterative design process.
- Build and refine a prototype
- Learn engineering and design principles
- Receive mentor feedback
- Test, improve, and iterate their designs
Pitch & Launch
Presenting Like an Entrepreneur
Students will develop the business side of their innovation by learning how to communicate their product's value. They will create a professional pitch, explain the problem their solution addresses, discuss its potential impact, and present their prototype to the judges while learning what investors look for in promising ideas.
- Develop a business pitch
- Learn presentation and public speaking skills
- Explain the value and impact of their innovation
- Present their prototype to a panel for feedback
Register for Workshops
Select whether you would like to view upcoming active sessions or explore our past completed workshop gallery.
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Next Session: TBD
We are currently organizing our upcoming elementary workshop session. Details and scheduling will be posted soon!
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Session 2: STEM Meets Strategy (Interactive Presentation)
An interactive presentation exploring core STEM concepts alongside the basics of sales, finance, and building a winning business plan.
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Session 3: Team Formation & Prototype Planning
Form teams of 4–5, gather materials, and map out your prototype plans. Teams will review project guidelines and get their initial concepts approved by the instructors.
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Session 4: Prototype Build & Pitch Prep
Put the finishing touches on your physical prototypes! Next, we'll review the presentation requirements and start building your team's business pitch, with instructors on hand for full Q&A.
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Session 5: Polish & Practice
Finalize your business pitch slides, refine your speaking points, and practice your delivery. Instructors will be available for final feedback and questions.
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Session 6: Shark Tank Grand Finale
Presentation Day! Dressed in your favorite professional outfit, your team will deliver a "Shark Tank style" pitch to the panel. May the best ideas win—1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes will be awarded!
Our Past Workshops Gallery
Highlights and achievements from completed workshops across elementary and middle school cohorts.
Elementary Session 1: Icebreakers & Toothpick Challenge
Students participated in icebreaker games, Kahoot quizzes, and structural engineering builds using toothpicks and marshmallows.
Elementary Session 2 & 3: Egg Drop & Shield Pitch
Interactive lessons on physics and impulse, where teams built shield designs and presented their prototypes to judges.
Elementary Session 4: Catapult Innovation
Hands-on engineering exploring kinetic and potential energy along with branding and pricing strategy pitches.
Elementary Session 5: Eco Innovators Challenge
Addressing environmental challenges through prototype invention, business planning, and pitch presentations.
Middle School Session 1: Team Orientation
Introduction session featuring collaborative team challenges, problem discovery, and initial design frameworks.
2026
Elementary Session 1: Introduction Session (Parents Allowed)
Welcome introduction, fun icebreaker games, Kahoot challenge, and toothpick & marshmallow building contest.
2026
Elementary Session 2: Impulse Lesson & Egg Drop Build
Interactive impulse lesson, Egg Drop Challenge team builds, and material experimentation.
2026
Elementary Session 3: Pitch Shield Idea & Egg Drop
Teams pitched creative shield designs to the mentor panel and ran structural egg drop trials.
2026
Elementary Session 4: Catapult Innovation Challenge
Mini catapult construction exploring physics principles along with target customer branding pitches.
2026
Elementary Session 5: Eco Innovators Challenge
Environmental challenge research, eco-friendly solution prototypes, and mini business plan presentations.
2026
Elementary Session 6: Float & Pitch Boat Challenge
Students designed and built their own boats using simple materials while learning the science of buoyancy and floating. Teams tested whose boat held the most weight or floated the longest before presenting why their design was the best.
2026
Middle School Session 1: Introduction Session
Team-building icebreakers, orientation, and fast-paced mini-challenges for young innovators.
Learn STEM. Think Like an Entrepreneur. From Anywhere.
For Students in Grades 6th - 9th
Our Virtual Academy keeps students learning all year long through engaging online workshops. Whether we're teaching engineering, business, finance, or technology, every session is designed to be interactive, educational, and fun. Students can join live from home while participating in games, discussions, and hands-on thinking activities.
No prior experience required!
How It Works
Join the Live Session
Students join from any device using our online meeting link.
Learn Together
Our student mentors teach an engaging STEM or business lesson using slides, demonstrations, and discussions.
Play & Practice
Students participate in interactive games like Kahoot, Blooket, or Jeopardy to reinforce key concepts.
Keep Growing
Students can join future workshops, earn participation certificates, and continue learning throughout the year.
📚 What You'll Learn
🔬 STEM Concepts
Explore exciting topics like engineering, physics, environmental science, and more.
💼 Entrepreneurship & Introductory Finance
Learn how products become businesses through branding, pricing, marketing, pitching ideas, and financial literacy skills.
🎮 Interactive Games
Reinforce what you've learned with Kahoots, Blookets, Jeopardy, trivia, and other fun challenges.
💡 Problem Solving
Develop creativity, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking through real-world activities.
Sample Topics
STEM
Business & Startup
What to Expect
🎤 Live Lessons
Each session features an engaging presentation led by our student mentors.
🗣️ Interactive Discussions
Students ask questions, share ideas, and collaborate with peers.
🏆 Review Games
Every workshop ends with a fun game to reinforce what students learned.
🚀 Keep Learning
Join throughout the school year to explore new STEM and business topics and continue building your knowledge.
🌟 Why Join?
Interactive Learning
Live lessons designed by high school student mentors.
Fun Activities
Kahoot, Blooket, Jeopardy, and STEM challenges every session.
Learn From Anywhere
Join virtually and continue learning throughout the school year.
📅 During the School Year
While our hands-on workshops are held in person throughout the year, our Virtual Academy keeps students engaged between events with live online lessons, interactive games, and STEM discussions. This allows students to continue learning and exploring new topics no matter where they are.
Register for Virtual Sessions
Select an upcoming online workshop to secure your spot for live interactive learning.
SOON
Session 1: Virtual STEM & Entrepreneurship Kickoff (TBD)
An interactive live online session introducing STEM innovation, interactive games, and foundational business concepts. Dates and exact schedule will be announced soon.
Unlocking Strategic Thinking Early
STEM to Startup provides structural educational programs that teach students how to build solutions and communicate why they matter.
We believe technical problem-solving reaches its full potential when students are equipped to translate structural engineering concepts into persuasive proposals.
Student-Led Design
Constructed and engineered directly from a peer perspective to spark high authentic engagement thresholds.
Absolute Product Ownership
All structural builds and theoretical concepts remain 100% the property of the participating students.
Constructive Evaluation Loop
Industry-experienced volunteer mentors provide real, transparent development milestones to our student founders.
Open Curricular Pathways
Zero barrier-to-entry pricing parameters or prior technology exposure metrics demanded. All that is required is intellectual curiosity.
The Benefits of being a part of STEM To Startup
🚀 Real-World Problem Solving
Students learn to identify actual community and global challenges, moving past abstract worksheets to build concrete solutions.
💡 Strategic Thinking
Participants don't just engineer; they evaluate feasibility, market need, and project viability to train a multi-dimensional brain.
🛠️ Tangible Innovation
Students experience the thrill of the iterative cycle—transforming raw concepts into physical, functioning prototypes from scratch.
📈 Future Readiness
Early exposure to basic corporate models, product design frameworks, and resource allocations gives students a distinct competitive edge.
🏁 Communication Skills
Young builders practice public speaking and proposal presentation, translating complex technical ideas into persuasive storytelling.
🤝 Team Dynamics & Leadership
Working in student-led cohorts teaches collaboration, compromise, task distribution, and the value of leveraging diverse peer strengths.
Meet Our Co-Founders
Harshini Dodda
Founder & Managing DirectorHi! I’m Harshini Dodda and I’m one of the co-founders and the manager director of STEM To Startup! I will be majoring in finance with a concentration in corporate finance. Beyond that, I have a strong interest in public speaking and participating in business competitions. I am thrilled to help the next generation turn a spark of inspiration into a structured reality.
Avya Sinha
CO-FOUNDER & Director of STEMHello! I’m Avya Sinha and I am one of the co founders of STEM to Startup! I am going to major in applied physics/aerospace engineering. Aside from that, I love being oustide and I run track and do hurdles in my free time. I am super pumped to be able to share my knowledge and help spark curiosity in the next generation of innovators.
Misha Balwani
CO-FOUNDER & Director of STEMHi there! I’m Misha Balwani and I’m one of the co-founders of STEM To Startup! I will be majoring in Architecture Engineering. A fun fact about me is that I love playing basketball and I play the saxophone for my school’s marching band! I’m excited to inspire kids and help them learn new ways to implement their ideas into real world situations!
Contact Us
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