MODEL ENTREPRENEUR® COMPETITION
The First Ivy League-Founded Business CompetitionMEC Legacy Tokyo 2026 is open for registration till March 1, 2026
Designed for the Next Generation of Innovators
Built with Columbia Business School’s Venture For All® and IEG Global Association, MEC is designed for students like you who are ready to think bigger!
Growth
Collaboration here pushes you in ways classrooms can’t. You grow by building with peers who challenge your ideas, elevate your thinking, and expand what you believe is possible.
Guidance
Our judging panel brings together Fortune 500 executives and professors from top universities. Every team is given the chance to consult directly with these professors and domain experts.
Recognition
Your work deserves to be seen! Exceptional teams may earn a recommendation letter from the MEC judges, along with an official certificate that gives your achievements lasting weight beyond the competition.
Why They Chose MEC
Through the competition, I have strengthened my business knowledge and developed a stronger entrepreneurial mindset. The experience has helped me improve my problem-solving and communication skills and allowed me to connect with many outstanding peers, gaining new perspectives and valuable friendships along the way.
I felt that MEC was a terrific experience and I would definitely recommend it to my friends, as I was able to meet people from all around the world and network with great instructors in entrepreneurship and business. I really enjoyed the talent show as it really made the environment feel close-knit together.
Past Participants Have Gone To
Logos are shown only to represent institutions attended by past MEC participants and remain the property of their respective owners.
Why MEC Matters for Future Innovators
What Is MEC?
MEC was founded 12 years ago by Columbia Business School’s Venture For All® and IEG Global Association, becoming the first entrepreneurship competition started at an Ivy League institution. Since 2014, MEC has helped over 600 students launch their business ideas and raise more than $8 million in funding, with many alumni continuing their academic journeys at top universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Columbia. Today, MEC continues to empower the next generation of entrepreneurial thinkers.
What makes MEC unique?
MEC is unique because it brings you into a real-world entrepreneurial environment. Your ideas are reviewed by professors, investors, and Fortune-level industry leaders—the same people who evaluate actual ventures every day. Their questions, insights, and expectations push you to think beyond classroom learning and experience what true innovation requires.
What skills will I strengthen at MEC?
You’re already navigating a rapidly developing world where collaboration matters more than ever. MEC gives you a space to work with peers and experts who expand your perspective and help you respond to change with clarity. Through these interactions, you build the mindset and adaptability that support any future you choose to pursue.
What will I take away?
You’ll leave MEC with a more complete business plan and a clearer sense of direction shaped through real discussions with peers and experts. As part of the experience, every participant will receive an official MEC Certificate, while outstanding teams may also earn a recommendation letter from the Harvard Dean and MEC judges.
Impact That Continues to Grow
Join and Become a part of MEC Community!
Participants
Participating Schools
in Funding Raised
Click to view the full list of the participating schools
MEC Annual Schedule
MEC Legacy
MEC Online
MEC Hybrid
MEC Regional
Tokyo
Americas
China
MEC Annual Schedule
Tokyo
Americas
China
A Word from the Judge
“
I’ve watched it happen. It may be just a few days at MEC, yet you can see something shift in the students and know that this experience will have a lasting impact on their lives.
— Dr. Anas Chalah
Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning at Harvard SEAS
A Word from the Judge
“
I’ve watched it happen. It may be just a few days at MEC, yet you can see something shift in the students and know that this experience will have a lasting impact on their lives.
— Dr. Anas Chalah
Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning at Harvard SEAS
The Most Innovative Schools: CEO Ranking
The CEO – Creators of Entrepreneurial Opportunity ranking system, supported by IEG, its partner universities, and domain experts over the past 13 years, recognizes schools for their commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.
This ranking is not just a number—it is a recognition of a school’s dedication to empowering the next generation of leaders and visionaries.
Join the CEO ranking (click to view the full list) today and demonstrate your commitment to excellence!
Ranking in Americas
| School Name | Ranking |
|---|---|
| Monta Vista High School | 1 |
| Cupertino High School | 2 |
| Northfield Mount Hermon School | 3 |
| Phillips Exeter Academy | 4 |
| St. Mark's School, MA | 4 |
| Taft School | 6 |
| Good Hope School | 7 |
| Oaks Christian School | 8 |
| Walnut High School | 9 |
| Lambert High School | 10 |
| Stanford Online High School | 11 |
| Boston Latin School | 12 |
| The Brearley School | 13 |
| Troy High School | 14 |
| California Academy of Mathematics and Science | 15 |
| Westtown School | 16 |
| Army and Navy Academy | 17 |
| Jserra Catholic High School | 17 |
| Lawrence Academy | 17 |
| Mercersburg Academy | 17 |
| Sage Hill School | 17 |
| Villanova Preparatory School | 17 |
Ranking in Asia & EMEA
| School Name | Ranking |
|---|---|
| Chinese International School Hong Kong | 1 |
| Kang Chiao International School Xiugang Campus | 2 |
| Shanghai High School International Division (SHSID) | 3 |
| Taipei Fuhsing Private School | 4 |
| Taipei American School | 5 |
| Shanghai American School Puxi Campus | 6 |
| Jakarta Intercultural School | 7 |
| The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China | 8 |
| Kang Chiao International School Linkou Campus | 9 |
| Shanghai Pinghe School | 10 |
| Shanghai Foreign Language School Affiliated to SISU | 11 |
| Chinese International School Hangzhou | 12 |
| Keystone Academy | 13 |
| Taipei Wego Private High School | 13 |
| Dominican International School | 15 |
| Changshu Lunhua Foreign Language School | 16 |
| NationalHigh Jakarta School | 16 |
| St Paul's School | 18 |
| Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School | 19 |
| Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School | 20 |
Contact
A: 5214F Diamond Heights Blvd #3322, San Francisco, CA 94131
T: +1.800.965.9379
E-mail：mec@ivyedugrp.org
About Us
MEC is a global competition hosted by IEG Global Association. All university-run programs are conducted by each university respectively, and IEG serves as its official representative.