GLOBAL

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CHALLENGE

2025-2026

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A year-long, team-based innovation experience for high school students and educators

An initiative by Scarsdale High School Design Lab, the Global Entrepreneurship Challenge invites high school teams from around the world to work on real human-centered challenges that matter. Students are guided by educators and Hudson Lab Ventures entrepreneurs, supported by a global innovation network, and grounded in empathy, research, and clear thinking.

Sponsors & Organizers:

What Is the Global Entrepreneurship Challenge?

The Global Entrepreneurship Challenge (GEC) is a free, multi-month innovation program open to qualifying schools from October to May with an optional in-person 2-day sprint in Lisbon, Portugal and culminating in a global summit in Scarsdale, New York.

Each year students focus on a local problem related to a specified United National Sustainable Development Goal.

Student Teams:

  • Identify meaningful, real-world problems

  • Conduct interviews and stakeholder research

  • Generate, test, and refine solutions

  • Communicate their thinking clearly through pitches, vlogs, and presentations

Educators:

  • Mentor student team(s) at their school

  • Learn and apply a structured innovation process

  • Join a global community of forward-thinking teachers and school leaders

Who Participates

Students

  • High school students

  • Teams of 2–6 students

  • Curious, motivated, and willing to work with others

  • No prior business or entrepreneurship experience required

Student Benefits

  • Confidence earned through real responsibility

  • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal

  • Experience working in teams with real expectations

  • A repeatable framework for tackling complex problems

  • A clearer sense of how they think and contribute

High School Educators

  • 1+ faculty mentor per team

  • Open to educators in any subject area

  • Ideal for teachers interested in project-based learning and real-world application

  • Schools may enter multiple teams.

Educator Benefits

  • A classroom-ready innovation framework

  • Structured curriculum, tools, and timelines

  • Ongoing support from the GEC team

  • Access to a global educator network

  • A practical model for high-quality project-based learning

OCT 2025

Challenge Brief

Have you ever felt like you didn’t quite belong?
You’re not alone. This year, you’ll take on one of the most important innovation challenges out there: How can you help more people feel seen, supported, and connected in real life? 

The first step? Pay attention. Where do people in your school feel invisible? What do students wish they could say out loud? What small change might make someone feel they matter?

Here are suggested tracks for you to choose from:

How the Challenge Works

The GEC follows a clear, educator-supported innovation arc.

AUTUMN

Discovery and Problem Identification

Students learn how entrepreneurs notice problems worth solving.

  • Observation and empathy

  • Stakeholder mapping

  • Interviews for insight

  • Problem framing

  • Vlog 1: Identified Problems

WINTER

Ideas and Validation

Students explore solutions and test assumptions.

  • Idea generation

  • Opportunity selection

  • Individual and team pitches

  • Lean Canvas thinking

  • Vlog 2: Lean Canvas

SPRING

Building and Communicating

Students refine ideas and clarify their thinking.

  • Lean Product Plan

  • Iteration and feedback

  • Final pitch preparation

  • Final pitch submission

Time Commitment

  • Attend Zoom meetings and submit deliverables by the stated dates

  • Student teams should meet approximately one hour per week with educators and it is advisable to also meet independently outside of class time

  • Optional 2-Day Sprint in Lisbon on May 7-8, 2026

  • Attend the GEC Summit at Scarsdale High School (Scarsdale, NY) either in person or on Zoom

Summer 2026
Educator Innovation Program in Lisbon

July 20-24, 2026

OPTIONAL

Educators may apply to join a one-week summer innovation program in Lisbon, hosted in collaboration with Unicorn Factory Lisboa. Given the luxury of time and space, you’ll be able to dive into the GEC innovation process as a learner and collaborate with educators from around the world.

To learn more, please complete the form below.

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