TAMPA — Twenty-eight high school students gained hands-on business experience last week through the Bulls Startup Summer Camp, hosted by the University of South Florida’s Nault Center for Entrepreneurship in collaboration with the USF Office of Youth Experiences.
The camp, held at the Muma College of Business, marked the largest group for the program to date and immersed rising 10th through 12th graders in entrepreneurial thinking, digital trends and business pitching. Over five days, students developed their own ventures and presented final pitches to a panel of judges.
“This is about helping students see themselves as problem solvers and innovators,” said Frank Nunez, a program planner with the Nault Center. “We’re preparing them to think like founders, even before they graduate high school.”
Campers explored everything from brand building and storytelling to financial strategy and market validation. Sessions were led by USF faculty and local entrepreneurs, including Allen Clary, executive director of the Nault Center, and Tang Wang, an associate professor whose work focuses on technology entrepreneurship and innovation management.
Highlights included a field trip to Tampa-based company Cirkul, where students toured the water bottle innovator’s headquarters and took home their own bottles, as well as a visit to USF Athletics to examine how entrepreneurship intersects with sports.
"I got a lot out of this camp — from friends to giving pitches. I learned so much about entrepreneurship and being successful in a challenging market," said Giuliana Oh, a student participating in the camp.
Other students in her project group, Salma Ladkani and Alexandra Brown, said making friends created memories they'll "never forget" and that they enjoyed getting a "glimpse of college life."
Oh, Ladkani and Brown attend Bulls Startup Camp.
The week concluded with a high-energy pitch competition. Teams presented their startup ideas before a judging panel and received feedback on business viability, public speaking and innovation.
The Bulls Startup Summer Camp is part of USF's growing portfolio of pre-college programs designed to connect youth with real-world college and career pathways. A second camp will launch next month at USF’s St. Petersburg campus.
“This camp gives students a real-world introduction to entrepreneurship,” said Dirk Libaers, director of the Nault Center. “They leave not just with ideas, but with the tools and confidence to pursue them.”