Pathfinder: A Summer at Rice University for Future Entrepreneurs

Calling all curious, creative high school students! Pathfinder is a 2-week summer program hosted by Rice University’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) that gives students the chance to experience what it’s really like to be an entrepreneur.

Students will live on Rice’s campus in Houston, TX, while exploring business ideas, learning startup skills like prototyping and customer discovery, and building something from the ground up—all in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.

From field trips to Houston’s innovation hubs, to daily lab time and founder meetups, Pathfinder is about learning through doing. The program wraps up with a pitch competition judged by real entrepreneurs from the Houston startup community.

No prior business experience required—just curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to dive in.

Apply now and take your first step on the entrepreneurial path.