The eight-week, $699 program relies on HeyGen avatars to critique practice pitches and board meetings.
Harvard Business School’s Foundry bootcamp now uses AI avatars from HeyGen to deliver individual feedback during practice pitches and board meetings. The eight-week program costs $699 and pairs those avatars with live weekly sessions from instructors.
New York Times reporter Sarah Kessler tested the system by pitching an AI-generated copy of Flybridge Capital co-founder Jeff Bussgang. The real Bussgang and his virtual copy rejected her plan for an Uber for bananas, while the avatar held a frozen smile. Project director Katharina Rings originally planned a chatbot, but a trial version pushed the design toward a more guided experience.
Foundry participants told Kessler they like the avatars, which signals demand for structured, avatar-led feedback over free-form chatbots. The frozen smile and skeptical response from the digital Bussgang show that avatar realism still has limits, but learners accepted the format. Builders should note that users prefer guided interactions with clear roles for AI.
Harvard Business School’s push to expand its reach will put the avatar feedback model in front of more entrepreneurs. The trial’s shift from a chatbot to guided avatars shows the program will lean on HeyGen’s technology. Operators should watch whether the model extends beyond the eight-week bootcamp.
What matters
- Harvard Business School’s Foundry bootcamp pairs live instruction with AI avatars from HeyGen for feedback.
- For AI product teams, the trial iteration shows users favor guided avatar feedback over open-ended chatbots.
- Harvard Business School’s expansion plans will test whether avatar feedback holds up at scale.
Why it matters
Harvard Business School’s expansion plans will test whether avatar feedback holds up at scale.
This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by TechCrunch AI. Source reference: https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/22/harvards-699-startup-bootcamp-offers-ai-avatars-of-its-instructors/.
Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.