Hey r/StartupsHelp!

I I’m building something that’s never existed before - Arete Preparatory, the first startup accelerator designed exclusively for high school founders (ages 14-18).

What we’re building:

•	8-week intensive accelerator program called “The Straight Road”  
•	Demo Day in NYC on October 27, 2026 with live global investment  
•	Two tracks: Equity path (we take 10%, super competitive) and Cash path (tuition-based, top performers pitch at Demo Day)  
•	30+ investor board including 1517 Fund, Z Fellows, and Forbes 30 Under 30 VCs

Who we’re looking for:

•	High school students (14-18) who are actually building something, not just have an idea  
•	Could be an app, a service, e-commerce, SaaS, hardware - anything with real potential  
•	People who want mentorship, accountability, and access to real investors  
•	Founders who are serious about turning their project into a real business

What you get:

•	Real VC connections and pitch opportunities  
•	Structured curriculum and weekly check-ins  
•	Access to our investor network for funding  
•	Chance to pitch at our Demo Day in front of 30+ investors

We’re currently recruiting our first cohort. If you’re a teen founder or know any ambitious high school entrepreneurs, I’d love to connect!

Applications: aretepreparatory.com
Questions? Comment below or DM me directly.

Let’s build the future together! 🌟

Hey everyone, I’m an NJ-based researcher looking for a Technical Co-Founder to help me build a voice for the nonverbal ASD community.

My sister is nonverbal and autistic. Current wearables use "one-size-fits-all" logic that fails her. I’m building a dual-layer ML architecture (TCN with few-shot adaptation) to create personalized physiological baselines.

The Goal

• Competition: Qualify for ISEF 2027 (BMED) via TNJSF.
• Publication: Submit a first-author manuscript to IEEE JBHI (Impact Factor: 7.7).
• Status: I have the IRB roadmap and a participant pilot network ready.

Who I Need

A "cracked" engineering/CS student who lives in Python (PyTorch) and could physically build all the ideas we come up together If you’re in NJ, somerset county or near would be insane and want to build something that actually solves a clinical gap, not just another "AI for X" project, we need to talk.

The Stack

• Layer 1: Universal Heuristic Model (Random Forest).
• Layer 2: Individualized Adaptive Model (Temporal Convolutional Network).
• Hardware: NiraBand X1 (GSR, HRV, Temp, Accel).

Interested? LMK your background/projects and why this problem matters to you. Let’s win ISEF.

Hey, I'm a junior in high school, and I've been really into marketing lately. I've been trying to figure it out on my own, but there's so much to learn, and I feel like I'm going in circles.

Looking for someone who can help me understand:

• SEO and how to actually rank on Google
• How to get AI tools like ChatGPT to reference a brand
• Social media growth strategies
• Content and digital marketing in general

I know I'm just a high schooler, but I'm genuinely motivated and learn fast. Not asking for a full mentorship — just a 20-30 minute call with someone who knows this stuff and is willing to help a student out.

If you're experienced in any of these areas and don't mind hopping on a quick call please lmk

Hey, I'm a junior in high school, and I've been really into marketing lately. I've been trying to figure it out on my own, but there's so much to learn, and I feel like I'm going in circles.

Looking for someone who can help me understand:

• SEO and how to actually rank on Google
• How to get AI tools like ChatGPT to reference a brand
• Social media growth strategies
• Content and digital marketing in general

I know I'm just a high schooler, but I'm genuinely motivated and learn fast. Not asking for a full mentorship, just a 20-30 minute call with someone who knows this stuff and is willing to help a student out.

If you're experienced in any of these areas and don't mind hopping on a quick call please lmk

Hey everyone, I'm a high school student trying to get better at digital marketing and content creation. I've been doing a lot of reading but feel like I'd learn way faster by actually talking to someone who's doing it.

If there are any other high schoolers here who have experience in marketing, content, or social media growth, I'd love to just hop on a quick call and swap ideas. Not looking for anything formal, just a conversation with someone who's figuring it out too.

doesn't need to be long; even 15 minutes would be helpful.

Hey everyone, I'm a high school student trying to get better at digital marketing and content creation. I've been doing a lot of reading but feel like I'd learn way faster by actually talking to someone who's doing it.

If there are any other high schoolers here who have experience in marketing, content, or social media growth, I'd love to just hop on a quick call and swap ideas. Not looking for anything formal, just a conversation with someone who's figuring it out too.

doesn't need to be long; even 15 minutes would be helpful.

Like what should i study for the test