Vihaan Shah: Leading with Intention

Publish on February 26, 2026 Categories -

As a former Minnesota Business Venture (MBV) student camper, two-time CEO, Operations Associate, and a panelist at the 2025 Educational Forum, Vihaan Shah is certainly no stranger to BestPrep.

Vihaan is currently a freshman at the University of Southern California studying Business Administration (Finance) with a minor in AI Applications, but before he got to where he is today, he credits BestPrep with opening the door to future career possibilities and expanding his skillset. He shares, “BestPrep was my first real exposure to business and professional environments. As a camper at Minnesota Business Venture (MBV), I learned how to build solutions and defend those ideas in high-stakes settings. That experience taught me how to think on my feet and communicate decisions effectively.”

[Vihaan Shah with his company as a CEO in 2023 (left) and 2024 (right).]

Last summer marked Vihaan’s fourth year at MBV. After attending camp as a Edina High School student, he returned two more times as a CEO, then again last year as an Operations Associate. “Coming back to MBV in student staff roles pushed [my] growth even further by placing responsibility on me to support others and lead with intention . . . I wanted to give students the same mentorship and support I had received and pay that forward. Each time, I got to witness a group of students who did not know each other and were often nervous to speak up become more confident over the course of the week, and that experience is what motivated me to keep coming back.”

Additionally, Vihaan was a panelist at the 2025 Educational Forum, sitting alongside Vineeta Sawkar from WCCO Radio, Caitlin Race from 3M, Tracy Byrd from Washburn High School (2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year), and keynote speaker R. David Edelman. The panel discussed the uses of AI and its impact on students, schools, and businesses.

[Vihaan Shah (middle) speaking on the panel at the 2025 Educational Forum.]

“After spending years with BestPrep, being on stage and being trusted to represent the student perspective on AI honestly felt full circle,” he says. “What stood out most was being able to have an open conversation alongside educators and industry leaders and contribute to a discussion that directly affects how students learn and interact with technology. It reinforced how powerful these conversations can be and how grateful I am to be part of a community that values student voices.”

When asked about his future plans, Vihaan says, “After college, I’m planning to start my career in investment banking and continue into high finance on the buy side, ideally staying on the West Coast so I can be close to the AI and tech ecosystem. Long term, I want to be at the intersection of finance and technology, working around innovative companies and ideas as that space continues to grow.”

Lastly, Vihaan left us with some reassuring words of advice for any students who may be unsure of what they want to do after high school: “Don’t worry about having everything figured out. The best thing you can do is explore a few things that genuinely interest you and commit to them seriously . . . Over time, exploring with intention helps you narrow in on one or two paths that are worth going all in on.”