I'm a “deep tech” engineer and leader whose career spans SpaceX, NASA JPL, and pioneering neurotechnology at Neuralink. I've walked the tower where astronauts embark, presented live to hundreds of thousands, and been awarded a patent for novel micro neurosurgical implantation technology. After studying engineering at Princeton and Oxford and contributing to the world-first orbital rocket landing at SpaceX, I became a member of Neuralink’s leadership team. There I led Surgery Engineering, designing and guiding systems from concept through FDA-approved human trials, which are empowering paralyzed individuals to control computers and robotics by thought alone. I've always enjoyed helping kids succeed, including tutoring as well as mentoring FIRST Robotics high schoolers and Hyperloop competition teams. 

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We generally live in this cultural paradigm of coddling kids and telling them that doing real things is reserved for when they grow up. Like, “Hey kid, why don't you finish your twelve years of mandatory basic schooling, and then, by the way, please spend at least four more years in more school – and oh, after that, don’t forget on-the-job experience – and then you will hopefully be qualified to do something professional!” For people who want to do something useful in this life, this is a long time delay! And it feels like wasted utility. Time is one of the most valuable resources that we have.

I want to help young folks “build things that work”. Not like a contrived student project, but something real. And not coercing every young person in school, but launching the ones who are motivated and have the vision.

As a kid, I was motivated, I was focused, and I think I could have done a lot more with the right ingredients: coaching, funding, a team or at least a similarly motivated co-working group, all imbued with the attitude that there's no need to wait "till I grow up" to make a real useful contribution. This is what I hope Build Guild can help provide.

AI-generated image; can you spot the giveaways?

Maybe  – what you gain from this program is really up to you. You might walk away with a strong addition to your portfolio or college application, or a clearer sense of what you want to study after hearing from guest speakers. The real value is realizing you can already build things that matter. You'll come away with a real project and industry connections. College certainly has value, but in a world where AI is reshaping almost everything, the ability to learn fast and "build things that work" is what sets you apart.

A private group invites more flexibility in location, schedule, and curriculum. Private groups are available throughout the year.

For the standard 5-week curriculum, the cost for a private group is $5500 for a group of two, +$600 per additional person, up to 7 total. Included in this cost is $500 dedicated to funding the student project(s).

If you had a different budget in mind, reach out and see if there's a program that fits your needs!

Teams are strongly encouraged (2-5 people), but not required. 

As stated above, a portion of the program cost goes to a shared fund dedicated to paying for the projects (buying parts, getting things made, etc). It's important that members feel comfortable using up the project budget without worrying about reducing any potential refund. If there’s money left over at the end of the course, it will be used based on the group’s interests, such as making a donation, purchasing something project-related, or ordering a group meal.

For a private group, we can modify this policy, especially if you want to start with a larger project budget.

Like any team effort, being present and contributing matters – but life happens. If you need to miss a day or two for a good reason, that’s okay. As long as you coordinate with your team and catch up on anything you missed, it won’t be a blocker.

We'll work with you to scope your project's "done definition" to fit within the program time frame! The likelihood a project gets finished is inversely proportional to its ambitiousness. A very common lesson is that the last 20% of a project often takes 80% of the time. This is the polishing, the integration, the quality improvements, the unknown unknowns... it's everything needed to put a bow on it and get to "done". So, project completion can't be guaranteed, but we will certainly aim for it and help you chose a "done definition" that best meets your goals.

You should have a laptop (or equivalent). Other than that, you are welcome to use your own tools and supplies, but you don't have to. If something is needed for a project and we don't already have it, the shared project fund can help.