Civic Hall AI Founder Demo Event
See What NYC’s Next Generation of AI Founders Is Building
For four weeks, a group of NYC high school students chose to spend their after-school hours doing something ambitious: identifying problems they see in their communities and using artificial intelligence to build potential solutions.
Through the AI Founder Program, sponsored by Verizon, students have learned how to think like entrepreneurs, moving from an initial idea to customer research, business-model development, structured prompting, product design, prototype building, and pitching. Along the way, they have worked with tools including Claude, Claude Code, GitHub, Vercel, VAPI, and Higgsfield to bring their concepts to life.
Now, the program’s five finalists will take the stage at Civic Hall to present their AI-enabled ventures before a panel of judges and compete for a $5,000 prize pool:
First Place: $2,500
Second Place: $1,500
Third Place: $1,000
The students’ projects are inspired by real challenges affecting New Yorkers - from food access, housing, transportation, and public speaking to environmental conditions, financial stability, education, and community safety.
Join us to see what these young founders have created, hear the stories behind their ideas, and celebrate the commitment they have demonstrated throughout this intensive program.
This is more than a student showcase. It is an opportunity to see what becomes possible when young people are given access to powerful tools, experienced guidance, and the space to build solutions to problems that matter.
Thursday, October 22
4:30 p.m. — Doors Open
5:00 p.m. — Welcome and Program Kickoff
5:10 p.m. — Finalist Pitches and Live Demos
6:00 p.m. — Awards
6:15 p.m. — Celebration, Food & Beverages, and Networking
Come meet NYC’s next generation of builders, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers and help us celebrate everything they have accomplished.
Seating is limited so register now!