GSE is the experience of a lifetime.
Opening our doors to the first group of young entrepreneurs in 2013, we bring teens from across the state into a three-week residential program, immerse them in a creative space and arm them with the tools needed to unleash their entrepreneurial spirits for the betterment of Kentucky.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GSE? ATTEND A VIRTUAL SESSION!
During the program, teams of high school students develop a business model, design a prototype and pitch their startup to a large audience and a panel of judges. GSE teaches the opportunities, benefits and pitfalls of taking a business concept from the idea phase to pitching it to potential investors.
Once you're admitted into Governor's School for Entrepreneurs (GSE), you join a community of collaboration, creativity, and courage. You aren't just students. You become Entrepreneurs. You become an "E" - what we call our entrepreneurs. And we support our Es through the program and beyond.
Collaboration. Creativity.
Courage.
We know that exposing high school students to entrepreneurship allows them to see the world differently. Click below to learn more.
Why
Apply
to GSE?
Entrepreneurs solve problems.
The spark of entrepreneurship is in each of us. But, to become an entrepreneur takes a unique mindset. Successful entrepreneurs must be determined and disciplined, confident and competitive and unafraid of failure. Our entrepreneurs learn how to cultivate creative thought, effectively communicate ideas, apply critical application, approach problems from different angles, consider customer perspective and turn failure into opportunity.
Think Like an Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship skills are life skills. Teens who experience GSE grow intrinsically and leave with the ability to better themselves and those around them. They learn to be confident, to take risks with their ideas and to assess options. They learn to think independently, and to embrace diversity and divergent thinking.
Scholarship Opportunities
Thanks to our many collegiate partners, GSE participants qualify for $5 million in scholarship opportunities each year.
Launch a Business or Idea
20+ new businesses have already been launched by GSE alumni. Others have filed for multiple patents and developed new ideas and relationships that sow the seeds for more business formation.
GSE adapts to change through innovation.
We kept pushing boundaries and attaining new heights this summer as we added a second session to give 120 Kentucky teens, up from 72 in previous years, an opportunity to explore their entrepreneurial spirits and pitch their business startup ideas.
We are already excited for the summer of 2022! Our application will be live in November.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Who can apply to GSE?
How much does it cost?
9th, 10th, and 11th grade Kentucky teens are eligible to apply for the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs.
GSE is absolutely free of cost to the entrepreneurs we serve. There is no application or attendance fee.
What if I have an idea for a business?
What if I'm not sure if entrepreneurship is for me?
That's awesome! While you won't be working on a personal business idea at GSE, you will be able to apply what you learn as soon as you get home.
Entrepreneurship is so much more than starting a business. GSE will help you find your place, and you'll learn how to be entrepreneurial in all you do.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Who can apply to GSE?
9th, 10th, and 11th grade Kentucky teens are eligible to apply for the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs.
How much does it cost?
GSE is absolutely free of cost to the teens we serve. There is no application or attendance fee.
What if I have an idea for a business?
That's awesome! While you won't be working on a personal business idea at GSE, you will be able to apply what you learn as soon as you get home.
What if I'm not sure if entrepreneurship is for me?
Entrepreneurship is so much more than starting a business. GSE will help you find your place, and you'll learn how to be entrepreneurial in all you do.
GSE is currently hosted by
“The Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs enrolls highly motivated and talented teens from across the Commonwealth, and I’m proud NKU will have a role in exposing these students to the entrepreneurial way of thinking."
- President Ashish Vaidya
Check out both of our 2021 Demo Days.
We couldn't be happier with the outcome, and we certainly couldn't be more proud of our 2021 entrepreneurs.
They used grit, determination and innovation to create business models, design prototypes and pitch their startup ideas to a prestigious panel of entrepreneur judges and an audience of 300 during each of the Demo Day events.
Session 1: June 6 - June 26, 2021
1
BranchOut
This app connects high school students to educational and career opportunities in Kentucky.
2
Fill It
A refillable laundry detergent system to reduce plastic waste while letting families use their favorite laundry detergents.
3
Secura
Secura is an app that connects women instantaneously based on location and need, allowing them to take self-defense classes together and access other opportunities and tools to defend themselves from an assault.
Session 2: July 5 - July 24, 2021
1
TEHRA
TEHRA is an online marketplace that allows consumers to select from a variety of eco-friendly, sustainable home resources, from lumber to light bulbs.
2
Nexxus bond
This durable and safe cover for chemotherapy ports allows patients to move with less fear of getting an infection or damaging their port.
3
SwimSafe
SwimSafe is an educational water safety organization that caters specifically to autistic children and their affinity for water.
GSE isn't your average summer camp; it's a life changing experience.
It's truly transformed the way I see the world and my place in it. GSE has not only put me on a path to be the best entrepreneur I can be, but also the best human being I can be.
- Shubh '20
I've grown externally with my abilities to be an entrepreneur, and internally with the ability to believe in myself and have confidence in what I create.
I'm so sad to see this fantastic experience come to an end, but I'm more than excited to be an alumna so that I can encourage my peers to apply!
- Santana '20
GSE was actually the deciding factor of my future career.
Up until I attended GSE I wanted to become a journalist, but all of the hands-on experience I received at GSE opened my eyes and allowed me to see that I really want to go into the marketing and business field. For me, GSE was life changing because I was able to find myself and identify what I wanted my future to look like. I'm very grateful for having the opportunity to attend the program.
- Lydia '15
A deep and lasting impact.
The Governor's School for Entrepreneurs was not the longest educational experience I've had. Nor was it the most grandiose. But I can say with a great certainty that it was the most formative, the summer that set the stage for the rest of my high school experiences.
Without GSE, I would never have discovered the wonder of a college campus, the beauty of a statewide network of friends, or the utmost importance of giving my all and being my own individual. I can't thank GSE enough for the work it is doing in this Commonwealth, and I encourage anyone and everyone to look for the entrepreneur inside them and make their way to that spectacular summer.
- Barton '14
Alumni Success
Learn more about how you can be a part of Kentucky's growth story.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS:
