TKS | The World's Top Innovation Accelerator for Teens

The world’s top global accelerator for teens.

TKS is a 10-month global innovation program for ambitious high school students ages 13-17.

Virtual Program

In-Person Program

2,500+

Alumni

Get support from a network of alumni who have built startups and attended top-tier universities.

200+

Cities

Join a global community of impact-driven young people who want to make the world a better place.

Named a leader in Global Innovation and Creativity, including complex problem-solving and analytical thinking.

Emerging Tech

Learn about emerging technologies in areas like artificial intelligence and gene editing that are changing the world.

Mentorship

Get personalized mentorship from your program directors, and earn access to our mentor network of 200+ experts.

Mindsets

Develop foundational mindsets to help you optimize yourself so you can make a significant impact on the world.

Global Community

Be in a community of like-minded people who care about making an impact on the world and solving problems.

2,500+

Alumni

Get support from a network of alumni who have built startups and attended top-tier universities.

200+

Cities

Join a global community of impact-driven young people who want to make the world a better place.

Build real projects within a few months.

No prior knowledge needed. We expose students to emerging technologies and sciences, while training real-world skills. After a few months, these are some projects students have worked on:

Jonathan Kao

Age

Ottawa, Canada

Exoskeletons are no just longer found in nature. They can be found in humans, in innovation, and soon enough, they will change the world.

The future of bionics: how exoskeletons will change the world.

Rishay Gupta

Age

Red Bank, USA

I'll be taking you through my process of building a pneumatic robot. I'll also go over some of the mechanical and electrical setbacks I faced while building it.

Process of building a pneumatic robot with applications in search & rescue.

Viola Seda

Age

San Francisco, USA

I focused on sodium-ion batteries in solar storage as a solution to the duck curve problem compared to lithium-ion, addressing electricity demand.

Improving sodium-ion batteries in solar storage to solve the duck curve problem.

Vinaya Sharma

Age

Toronto, Canada

Why models from scratch will never be as good as Transfer Learning models at classifying brain tumours - a comparative analysis.

Using transfer learning models to classify brain tumours.

Minh Anh Đồng Nguyễn

Age

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Finding the ground state energies and bond lengths of Lithium Hydride and Hydrogen using Variational Quantum Eigensolver in Qiskit.

Simulating molecules using a quantum computing programming software.

Pavi Dhiman

Age

Toronto, Canada

In this video, I explain how I built out an algorithm using the machine learning model DBSCAN (a density based clustering algorithm) and give a live demo.

Contact tracing for COVID-19 using the DBSCAN clustering algorithm.

Mia Aiyana Cardenas

Age

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Basically, bacteria can talk! Learn how the discovery of a glowing squid led to a revolutionary spin on virulence and antibiotics.

Understanding Quorum Sensing, a process of bacterial cell–cell communication.

Jovana Urosevic

Age

Zurich, Switzerland

Through the use of BCI applied to lucid dreams, scientists have discovered incredible insights in the field of dreaming and sleep.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) changing the future of dreams.

Make real impact within a few years.

Our alumni have started companies, worked at top research labs at institutions like Stanford, MIT, and Berkeley, and interned at companies including SpaceX, Microsoft, OpenAI, Neuralink, and more.

Founding engineer at Thirdweb valued at $160M.

"TKS was the catalyst for me to rapidly progress toward my goals. It showed me that I didn't need to wait to start building valuable technical skills, start companies, and carve my own path. Without it, my life would look very different."

Adam Majmudar

TKS 2019

SpaceX engineer and founder of Ember Bazaar.

"TKS has helped me realize that I'm meant to build and that I will continue to build and help others in spaces like climate tech and space tech! It helped me build an engineering portfolio and get amazing internships and opportunities."

Valkyrie Holmes

TKS 2019

Co-founder of human longevity startup, Biotein.

"TKS gave me a new frame of reference for what I could accomplish. I trained tangible mental models like breaking down major issues into their root causes. I wouldn't have been able to cofound a biotech startup without this experience."

Anupra Chandran

TKS 2017

Utopia Labs raises $23M led by Paradigm Capital.

"Through the mentors and friends I met during TKS, I learned mental models that deeply impacted me and shaped who I am today. TKS helped me be unafraid of tackling ambitious problems and pursue a more unconventional path.”

Alexander Wu

TKS 2017

Blockchain powered hedge fund at Numerai.

"TKS gave me a community of inspiring peers, helped me create projects that got me internships at AI research labs and startups while in high school, and made me feel ready to work full-time at a startup in Silicon Valley without university."

Liam Hinzman

TKS 2018

Early cancer detection using genomics at Stanford.

"TKS propelled me into an environment of like-minded individuals where I built projects in cancer research, formed life-long connections, and built mindsets towards innovative success. The people I met in TKS remain my closest friends."

Kevin Zhu

TKS 2019

Brain-Computer Interfaces at Neuralink and Stanford.

"TKS pushed me to build, learn, and invent, alongside the most supportive group of friends I've ever met. During the program I built my first Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) project, and projects in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and gene editing. TKS changed my trajectory."

Ananya Chadha

TKS 2016

Founder, Axiome: biosensors for molecular diagnostics.

"Through TKS, I was strongly encouraged to pursue my curiosities in areas that normally require a deep technical background, and was exposed to frameworks that have been immensely valuable as I've been building my company."

Samarth Athreya

TKS 2017

Managing Director at Nucleate, global biotech leader.

"I got my first exposure to CRISPR-Cas9 and the scientific method during TKS, and I find myself relying on those lessons to this day as I help develop and deploy the next generation of genetic engineering tools here at MIT."

Michael Trinh

TKS 2018

Battery innovation with material science and machine learning.

"I met people at TKS who really get me and enable me to be my most authentic self while pushing for my growth. TKS helped me unlock opportunities, internships, and network connections that were life-changing."

Shagun Maheshwari

TKS 2017

AI startup Tecton raises $100M from a16z and Sequoia.

"I started TKS in 2016 and it was the place where I learned about artificial intelligence and data. I met my mentor Mike during TKS, who later hired me to work at Tecton as an early product manager building advanced AI tools."

Jay Parthasarthy

TKS 2016

Full-ride Morehead-Cain scholarship to UNC pursuing biotech.

“TKS sparked my interest in building real-world change. I’ve worked with scientists in the cultured meat industry, built a maternal public health program in Nigeria, and created a women’s health product (Boob Blurb)."

Isabella Grandic

TKS 2018

Alumni Stories

See more stories

Organizations we've worked with.

A core value we have is “make it real”. We work with companies to help our students learn how to solve real problems, find expert mentors, and earn internships.

Company Spotlights

Karina Fernandez

“When I first met TKS students at Web Summit in Lisbon my jaw literally dropped listening to them articulate real world problems they had broken down and solved. Simply amazing!"

Corporate Innovation

Adam Molnar

"After hosting a hackathon with TKS students at my company's headquarters as well as judging a Moonshot-focused startup competition, I have no doubt that these young adults are change-makers."

Workshops

Piotr Mierzejewski

“It only took a 30min conversation with group of TKS students for me to feel inspired and find renewed faith in our future. What I found unique was their ability to connect advances in bleeding edge technologies to tackle hard problems."

Internships

Sean Khan

"We worked with TKS students to tackle a challenge the UNEP is facing around air pollution. I was absolutely blown away by the recommendations that the students shared with us and I'm excited to implement their ideas."

Corporate Innovation

Lee Jeyes

"Our partnership with TKS enables us to view innovation challenges in a new perspective, collaborating with people whose minds are less constrained than an adult."

Internships

Liran Belenzon

"Working with TKS and mentoring their students has definitely been a highlight of ours this year! We’ve seen firsthand how TKS is changing the face of education and couldn’t be more excited about the future of our partnership!”

Workshops

Develop meaningful friendships for life.

Our community is filled with curious, ambitious, and impact-driven people. Meet your future best friends and co-founders, while having fun and accelerating your personal growth.

Learn about our programs.

Virtual Program

In-Person Program

We help young people

make a dent in the universe.

solve global problems.

impact billions.

create the future.

ROUND 2 APPLICATION DEADLINE:
MARCH 31, 2023

The world’s top global accelerator for teens.

Build real projects within a few months.

Make real impact within a few years.

Organizations we've worked with.

Develop meaningful friendships for life.

Learn about our programs.

We help young people

make a dent in the universe.

solve global problems.

impact billions.

create the future.

ROUND 2 APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2023

The world’s top global accelerator for teens.

Build real projects within a few months.

Make real impact within a few years.

Organizations we've worked with.

Develop meaningful friendships for life.

Learn about our programs.

ROUND 2 APPLICATION DEADLINE:
MARCH 31, 2023