Dubai Knowledge Park Unlocks New Entrepreneurial Pathways With Founder Mode Bootcamp for Young Creators

Written By: Ricky Acharjee

Ricky Acharjee

I am travel writer at Travel And Tour World with 3 years of experience covering global tourism, aviation, hospitality, and destination news. Dedicated to accurate reporting and compelling storytelling, Ricky explores the trends, innovations, and developments shaping the international travel industry while delivering engaging insights for travellers and industry professionals.

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September 4, 2026 4:00 PM

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Ankita Garg and Harsh Garg have firsthand experience in building a business from the ground up. Their Kickstarter campaign for the Golchi travel bottle secured over $400,000 in funding from more than 5,000 supporters, making it one of the most successful thermos campaigns on the platform. The achievement earned them a nomination for a Chicago Innovation Award and attracted attention from media outlets in both domestic and international markets. Now, they are bringing their entrepreneurial experience to the next generation of young innovators.

Their new 12-week accelerator programme, Founder Mode Bootcamp, will begin its first cohort at Dubai Knowledge Park on 26 September 2026. The initiative is designed to give teenagers practical startup experience rather than traditional classroom-based learning.

Instead of studying fictional business examples or analysing prepared case studies, participants will develop their own ideas from the beginning. They will engage directly with potential customers, test market demand, create minimum viable products (MVPs), and learn how real founders turn concepts into businesses.

Crowdfunding forms the core of Founder Mode Bootcamp and sets it apart from other youth entrepreneurship programmes. Students will learn how to create compelling product positioning, develop a founder narrative, design reward structures, determine pricing strategies, and build a live crowdfunding campaign page. The programme follows the same approach that helped the Gargs transform Golchi from an initial concept into a highly successful Kickstarter launch.

“Teenagers do not need to wait until university to start building. At Founder Mode Bootcamp, we give them the tools, mentorship, and accountability to test real ideas, build MVPs, and pitch with confidence,” said Ankita Garg, Founder and Program Director of Founder Mode Bootcamp.

Both mentors continue to support and shape the next generation of founders. Garg brings valuable lessons from BauBax, one of the most successful crowdfunding ventures, while remaining actively involved in guiding emerging startups. Harsh Garg, Strategic Mentor and co-founder of Golchi, adds extensive expertise in strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and venture creation gained through work with global companies and consulting firms. Through their guidance, students gain more than advice; they gain access to networks of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, industry operators and potential early customers.

Dubai has been intentionally chosen as the base for the programme rather than simply being a location choice. The city offers young founders exposure to experienced mentors, advanced AI-driven tools and a diverse international consumer market. These three elements form the foundation that Founder Mode Bootcamp believes can help teenagers transform early ideas into real businesses.

To maintain a focused learning environment, each cohort is limited to just 15 to 20 students. Applications for the September 2026 intake will remain open until 20 September, with selected participants preparing to present their ideas during a live pitch event on Demo Day.

“They do not study startups. They build them,” said Garg.

The Founder Mode Bootcamp is now open for applications for its upcoming cohort, scheduled to begin on 26 September 2026 at Dubai Knowledge Park.