Future of the Business World
Future of the Business World is a dynamic learning experience for exceptional high school students from around the world. It is designed to introduce students to areas of research by Wharton faculty and engage them as the next generation of global business leaders. Students attend live daily online events and work independently. Ultimately, they use all the ideas and insights from the program to create final projects that make predictions about the future of the business world. This program is a chance for students to begin to identify interests and lay the foundation for future education and career goals.
Instructional Team
Program Leader: Scott Romeika
Scott J. Romeika, Psy.D. is a psychologist, educator, and consultant with over twenty years of experience in higher education. He is a lecturer at Wharton, where he teaches WH 1010, “Business and You,” the introductory leadership course for first-year undergraduates. He has also taught teamwork, group dynamics, and positive psychology in various formats and settings. Dr. Romeika previously spent 16 years in academic affairs and advising at Wharton, supporting undergraduates with curricular decisions and professional growth. As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Romeika specializes in assessing and coaching individuals at academic and career crossroads. A proud alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania (College of Arts and Sciences), Dr. Romeika is also a fan of all things Philadelphia, especially its sports teams. In his spare time, he enjoys running, hiking, music, and writing.
Instructor: Sophie Edgar
Sophie is a consultant Product Development Manager living in Inverness, Scotland. She has worked in Research & Development on Medical Devices and Combination Products (pharmaceutical drug delivery) for almost 20 years. Her projects have spanned both exploratory front-end development and later stage product launches across physical and digital products. Sophie’s academic background is multidisciplinary in Product Design and Mechanical Engineering (UPenn ’16) and while she is usually responsible for leading programs and teams, her interests lie in ensuring the user is at the center of the process and bridging the strategic and tactical elements of development. In her spare time Sophie enjoys exploring creative pursuits, from sewing clothes to hand stitching quilts and is currently taking a course in hand embroidery with the Royal School of Needlework. She is also about to embark on her second year growing a dye garden full of flowers to dye fabrics, yarn and threads.
Teaching Assistants
Teaching Assistants consist of both undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Pennsylvania. TAs facilitate small-group discussions, ensure student understanding, assist with final project development, and hold office hours to answer student questions and share their Penn and Wharton experiences.
“…FBW has opened me up to a world that I didn’t even truly know existed… I was even surprised to find out how much I enjoyed the entrepreneurial process in creating a product and selling it and understanding how to target certain demographics. All of the aspects intertwine with each other and form this complex understanding of the way business works in our world today, especially with the prevalence of COVID-19.”– Michael B.
INCLUDED IN ALL SUMMER ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Wharton Global Youth Meetup (GYM)
Wharton Global Youth Meetup (GYM) is a creative, co-curricular community open to summer students as a way to connect to one another — and Wharton — before, during, and after their programs. Featuring both live and independent programming, the GYM is designed to ensure virtual participants don’t miss out on valuable community building and networking.
*The GYM is included in all online summer programs, except Understanding Your Money.
