A two-week, real-world entrepreneurship experience in Lisbon for high school students ready to collaborate, take on responsibility, and grow.
Lisbon Summer Innovation Challenge
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Dates: June 28-July 11, 2026
Schedule: Mon-Fri, 9:30am - 4:30pm
Ages: 14-18
Residential & Commuter Options
The Innovation Challenges
In partnership with Unicorn Factory Lisboa
Lisbon is a growing European hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and applied problem-solving. Through its partnership with Unicorn Factory Lisboa, Hudson Lab Ventures situates students inside a real innovation ecosystem shaped by startups, scale-ups, and established companies working across industries.
The Lisbon program is anchored by a real-world innovation challenge sponsored by leading Portuguese companies, with recent challenges supported by José de Mello and Sonae.
These organizations operate across sectors such as education, retail, telecom, healthcare, industry and technology. Their involvement gives students exposure to how large, complex organizations think about strategy, innovation, and long-term impact in practice.
Rather than working through a predefined case, students engage with open-ended questions grounded in real organizational contexts. They learn how to understand constraints, evaluate trade-offs, and develop ideas that respond to practical, real-world conditions.
Lisbon becomes both a setting and a learning environment, helping students understand how innovation takes shape within an interconnected European ecosystem.
Is This the Right Program for Your Child?
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The NYC program is designed for high school students (typically ages 14–18) who are curious, motivated, and ready to engage seriously with complex, real-world problems.
Students do not need prior experience in entrepreneurship or business. They do need to be willing to participate actively, collaborate with peers, and take responsibility for their work.
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Students who thrive often:
Enjoy collaborative problem solving
Are curious about how ideas turn into action
Are open to feedback and iteration
Are willing to speak up, even when unsure
Introverted students often do very well, especially when given time to build confidence through practice and supportive facilitation.
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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.
Responsibility is real, expectations are high, and students are treated as capable young adults.
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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.
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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.
Understand the Challenge
Meet the challenge sponsor, explore context, and build empathy for the problem.
Program Rhythm
Reframe & Prioritize Problems
Dig into stakeholder needs, surface insights, and identify problems worth solving.
Pitch to an Authentic Audience
Students pitch their work to challenge partners, executives and experts.
Pitch & Form Teams
Students pitch ideas and form teams around the most compelling ones.
Design & Develop Solutions
Teams research, iterate, and refine their solutions while preparing a persuasive pitch.
Lisbon
Lisbon is easy to love.
Students will spend time together exploring local neighborhoods taking riverfront walks, sharing meals, and discovering favorite spots. Conversations continue long after workshops end, whether over gelato, pastel de nata, or an evening walk through the city. The rhythm of Lisbon encourages students to slow down, notice their surroundings, and enjoy being part of a community.
Living in Lisbon
Students participating in the Lisbon program live and learn in one of Europe’s most welcoming and accessible cities, supported by clear routines, close supervision, and experienced staff. The residential experience is designed to balance independence with structure, giving students space to grow while remaining well supported. Lisbon is treated as part of the learning environment rather than a sightseeing destination. Its scale, walkability, and strong sense of community provide daily context for understanding how innovation, business, and civic life intersect in practice.
Check-in: Sun, June 28
Check-out: Sat, July 11
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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.
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Students are housed in centrally located accommodations selected for safety, accessibility, and proximity to program activities.
Lunch is provided on program days. Dinners are a mix of organized group meals and small-group outings with guidance and oversight from Hudson Lab Ventures staff. This structure 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.
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The Lisbon 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.
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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.
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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 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 Hudson Lab Ventures or join an info session to learn more.