Seoul Summer Innovation Challenge

A two-week, real-world entrepreneurship experience in Seoul for high school students ready to collaborate, take on responsibility, and learn in a global context.

Location: Seoul
Dates: July 27 - Aug 7, 2026
Schedule: Mon - Fri, 10 am - 5 pm
Residential Student Ages: 14-18
Commuter Student Ages: 13-18

Cohort Size: Limited to 15 students
Instruction: All sessions conducted in English

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장소: 서울
기간: 2026년 7월 27일 - 8월 7일
시간: 월요일 - 금요일, 오전 10시 - 오후 5시
통학 학생 연령: 13-18세
기숙사 학생 연령: 14-18세

정원: 최대 15명
수업: 모든 수업은 영어로 진행

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The Seoul Innovation Challenge

Seoul is one of the world’s most dynamic innovation hubs, where technology, culture, commerce, and global influence intersect at remarkable speed. For students, the city provides daily context for understanding how companies operate, how markets behave, and how innovation takes shape outside a Western framework.

Hudson Lab Ventures’ Seoul program is anchored by a real-world innovation challenge sponsored by a venture studio based out of New York City.

Rather than working through a predefined case, students engage with open-ended questions shaped by cultural context, platform dynamics, and consumer behavior. The focus is on learning how to observe carefully, frame meaningful problems, and develop ideas that respond to real constraints.

By working in this environment, students develop perspective, judgment, and confidence. These qualities matter whether students are preparing for university applications, future leadership opportunities, or meaningful work in a global context.

Students are not expected to solve a company’s problem. They are expected to think seriously, collaborate responsibly, and communicate their ideas clearly.

  • The Seoul program is designed for students preparing for a global future, where problems are complex, context matters, and answers are rarely straightforward.

    Students gain experience working on real-world challenges connected to real companies. They learn how innovation operates in practice and apply strategy, creativity, and problem-solving to unfamiliar situations. Students also develop work they can reflect on in future academic and professional settings.

    Learning happens through structured teamwork, guided facilitation, and ongoing feedback. Students work closely with experienced Hudson Lab Ventures educators and practitioners who help them identify problems worth solving, ask better questions, and communicate their ideas effectively.

  • The Seoul program is designed for high school students who are curious, motivated, and ready to engage seriously with complex, real-world problems in a global context.

    Students do not need prior experience in entrepreneurship, business, or international travel. They do need to be willing to participate actively, collaborate with peers, and take responsibility for their work.

  • Students who thrive in the Seoul program often:

    • Enjoy working through complex problems with others

    • Are curious about how ideas become real in different cultural contexts

    • Are open to feedback and revising their thinking

    • Can manage independence within clear structure

    • Take responsibility for their contributions to a team

    Both outgoing and quieter students do well, especially those who are reflective and open to growth.

  • Hudson Lab Ventures is not a simulation or a class.

    Students work on real challenges connected to real organizations, receive feedback from practitioners, and present their work to authentic audiences. The emphasis is on responsibility, judgment, and learning through doing rather than observation or instruction alone.

  • Students are expected to:

    • Participate fully in teamwork

    • Make decisions and explain their thinking

    • Manage their time and contributions

    • Learn from mistakes and revise their work

    Facilitators provide structure and support, but students are not micromanaged.

  • Students seeking a recreational summer are probably not the right fit. Students uncomfortable with ambiguity (often high-achievers) may struggle at first, but this program is exactly what you need.

Is This the Right Program for Your Child?

Program Rhythm

People waiting in line at the reception desk of a Coupang store or office.

Understand the Challenge
Meet the challenge sponsor, explore context, and build empathy for the problem.

Group of young people gathered around a large whiteboard covered with colorful sticky notes during a workshop or brainstorming session, with a cityscape visible outside the window.

Reframe & Prioritize Problems
Dig into stakeholder needs, surface insights, and identify problems worth solving.

Young man giving a presentation in front of a screen that says 'thirdEYE keep an eye open'.

Pitch & Form Teams
Students pitch ideas and form teams around the most compelling ones.

A woman with dark hair, wearing a white shirt, sitting at a desk in a conference room, looking at a hand-drawn comic or storyboard on a piece of paper. There are two MacBook laptops, one with a rose gold color and the other silver, on the desk in front of her. The room has large windows with white blinds, and there are other chairs and tables in the background.

Pitch to an Authentic Audience
Students pitch their work to challenge partners, executives and experts.

Four children presenting in front of a classroom with a projector screen displaying 'ReForge' and a computer on the desk showing the same presentation.

Design & Develop Solutions
Teams research, iterate, and refine their solutions while preparing a persuasive pitch.

Living in Seoul

Students participating in the Seoul program live and learn in one of the world’s most dynamic global cities, supported by clear routines, close supervision, and experienced staff. The residential experience is designed to balance independence with structure. Students are encouraged to engage with their surroundings while operating within clear expectations that prioritize safety, well-being, and responsibility. Seoul is treated as part of the learning environment, offering daily context for understanding how innovation, culture, and technology intersect in real life.

Check-in: Sun, July 26
Check-out: Sat, August 8

  • Residential students live in supervised housing with live-in Resident Advisors (RAs) and Hudson Lab Ventures staff who are present outside program hours.

    RAs are responsible for:

    • Daily check-ins and established routines

    • Supporting student well-being

    • Enforcing expectations around safety and conduct

    • Serving as a consistent point of contact for students

    Students are not left to navigate the city independently. Movement, free time, and group activities are planned, structured, and supervised.

  • Students are housed in a guesthouse-style residence with dormitory-style accommodations.

    Breakfast and snacks are provided onsite. Lunches and dinners take place in small groups, with guidance and oversight from Hudson Lab Ventures staff. The program includes several planned group dinners, and staff share a curated list of nearby, student-appropriate dining options.

    This approach allows students to practice age-appropriate independence while remaining supported and supervised throughout the program.

    Students are also supported in managing daily routines such as punctuality, communication, and shared responsibilities.

  • The Seoul program is designed for students who are ready to manage independence within clear structure.

    Students are expected to:

    • Follow program schedules and guidelines

    • Communicate responsibly with staff

    • Respect shared spaces and community norms

    • Represent Hudson Lab Ventures appropriately

    These expectations are communicated clearly at the start of the program and reinforced throughout.

  • Families receive clear pre-program information and know how to reach Hudson Lab Ventures staff with questions or concerns.

    Questions about housing, supervision, or student care are always welcome. Families are encouraged to attend an info session to learn more about the residential experience and daily routines.

  • Hudson Lab Ventures provides clear guidance to families in advance so travel expectations are well understood.

    For students traveling from the United States or other countries:

    • Families arrange flights independently based on provided arrival and departure windows

    • Program staff coordinate group arrival times and shared transportation where applicable

    • Staff are present to support students upon arrival in Seoul and during departure at the end of the program

    Detailed travel guidance, including recommended arrival dates, meeting points, and packing considerations, is shared with enrolled families ahead of the program.

    Students are not expected to navigate international travel logistics on their own.

More Questions? Families are always welcome to reach out or attend an info session.

What Students Leave With

By the end of the Seoul program, students leave with:

  • Experience tackling a real, complex challenge with real expectations

  • Greater confidence communicating ideas and working in teams

  • Practice navigating ambiguity, feedback, and iteration

  • A clearer understanding of how ideas become action in the real world

  • Perspective gained from learning in a global city context

Ready to take the next step?

Applications are short and focused on fit and interest rather than prior experience.

Apply to the Seoul program or join an info session to learn more.

Three young men are discussing a presentation on a whiteboard, with notes and sketches related to Coupang's business strategies.
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