Harvard’s AI-Driven Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

The program, which has already enrolled at least 760 founders since its April launch, guides participants through the lifecycle of a startup—from initial concept to investor outreach. Senior lecturer Jeff Bussgang, whose digital clone facilitates simulated video calls with students, admits the experience feels slightly uncanny. Yet, project leaders suggest that users find the personalized nature of these specific faculty-modeled avatars more trustworthy than generic chatbot interfaces.

Developed by project director Katharina Rings, the platform evolved from a simple ChatGPT-style tool into a structured curriculum following student feedback. By partnering with AI firm HeyGen, Harvard aims to solve the scalability issues inherent in traditional mentorship. Educators like Harold Solomon of the Georgia Institute of Technology have already integrated the software into their own coursework, noting that it allows them to reach hundreds of founders who would otherwise be limited by the constraints of a physical classroom. Despite the heavy reliance on automation, faculty co-chair Tom Eisenmann argues that the program’s peer-to-peer community forums remain its most valuable asset, proving that digital tools function best when they support human connection.