RPI’s Lally School of Management Launches AI Academy for Student Teams to Build and Launch Products in 30 Days
Publish Date: 2026-03-13 15:37:00
Source Domain: news.rpi.edu
The Lally School of Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has launched the Lally AI Academy, a 30-day AI-augmented experiential sprint that enables student teams from across campus to design, build, and launch fully functional AI-powered products. No prior coding or computer science background is required.
Open to students from all five RPI schools, the Academy provides professional grade artificial intelligence tools, cloud computing infrastructure, and hands-on mentorship. Each team additionally receives up to 500 dollars in resources, including makerspace access, to move an idea from concept to deployment.
The program is structured as a focused, repeatable 30-day build sprint. Student teams manage ideation, planning, execution, iteration, and launch. Along the way, they develop practical skills in resource management, technical communication, collaboration, teamwork, leadership, design thinking, and responsible and ethical artificial intelligence use. Students are encouraged to pivot as they turn ideas into working products while learning how to lead and execute in a technology-driven world.
The AI Academy reflects Lally’s commitment to integrating business and technology in ways that prepare students to lead innovation across industries. It is designed to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration across the RPI campus.
Professor Saggi Nevo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems at the Lally School of Management, oversees the initiative.
“The Lally AI Academy reflects the kind of hands-on learning we value,” Nevo said. “We want to expand access to state-of-the-art AI tools, augment them with makerspace usage, and make product development possible for students from any discipline. When students build real products, they gain confidence, strengthen their entrepreneurial thinking, learn how to solve problems, and expand their portfolios.”
Lally Dean Liad Wagman, Ph.D., emphasized that innovation…
