Columbia Entrepreneurship

Columbia Startup Lab Uptown Kickoff Session
2025-09-19 12:00 - 13:30 UTC
Currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students at Columbia and Barnard are welcome to send their Names, UNIs, Anticipated Graduation Year, and School Affiliation (SIPA, Engineering, etc) to cslmorningside(at)gmail.com to join the community.
For those who are interested in entrepreneurship, curious about startups, and/or who may be in the ideation stages or earliest stages of a new venture, and want to learn more about startups, entrepreneurship, the various entrepreneurship events on campus, we have you covered.
This is all about jumping into the community and meeting others, exchanging ideas and building bonds. We will get to know one another, have entrepreneurs and investors give talks from time to time and learn as much as possible about startups, venture capital and using the latest AI tools to get moving.
MEETINGS: NOON – 1:30 PM @ CSL most Fridays (you will receive an email confirming each weekly session, please check before attending).

CSL Uptown Community Session
2025-09-19 12:00 - 13:30, 2025-09-26 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-03 12:00 - 13:30, 2025-10-10 12:00 - 13:30, 2025-10-17 12:00 - 13:30, 2025-10-24 12:00 - 13:30, 2025-10-31 12:00 - 13:30, 2025-11-07 12:00 - 13:30 and 2 more dates

Columbia Healthcare Ventures: Find Your Pitch Team Event
2025-09-22 16:30 - 18:00
​Looking to join the CHV Pitch Competition this fall? Or just want to meet other creative minds in the healthcare innovation space? This is your chance! 💡
RSVP
​Join us for a casual meet-and-greet with fellow CHV members. Midway through the session, we’ll run a team formation activity to help you connect with potential teammates based on shared interests and complementary skills.

Innovation Forum: Welcome Entrepreneurs
2025-09-25 17:00 - 19:00
Join Columbia Engineering to kick off the monthly Innovation Forum for the 2025-2026 school year! The Columbia Innovation Forum provides students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to hear startup ideas, network, form teams, and explore next steps. You’ll hear from Columbia faculty and other experts on ways to engage at Columbia, their experience in startups, and more.
The event will feature Professor Harry West, co-faculty director of IDE, and Ivy Schultz, Director of Entrepreneurship Programs joined by guest speaker Neil Daswani, ENG’96, co-director of the Stanford Advanced Security Certification Program, and an expert in data security. Learn more and register.

Kickoff: Start Me Up Bootcamp
2025-10-03
Join a select group of entrepreneurs for a two-week hybrid program designed to build your successful startup. The bootcamp introduces participants to the Lean Launchpad methodology and techniques to direct customer discovery through field interviews. Participants are required to conduct at least 20 customer interviews; attend online sessions and engage with other bootcamp teams and entrepreneurs. Teams “get out of the building” to learn from potential customers to determine if they are solving a real-world problem with a sizeable market opportunity. In addition to providing entrepreneurial training, this program helps students and researchers identify new ways to apply research to solve global challenges.
Faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate students may apply with a team of one to three people. Enrolled teams are required to attend all short-course sessions. Teams that successfully complete this bootcamp may be eligible to receive conference travel or stipend funding, including eligibility to apply for the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, which includes a $50,000 grant.

Capital for Good Conference
2025-10-03
Join the conversation that reimagines the role of capital in building a more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous society.

This headline event, located in the finance capital of the world, provides a unique opportunity to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, NGO, and social venture and business examples. Social and environmental impact leaders in business, government, nonprofit, and philanthropy will speak to how they are changing the way we think about how capital is sourced and used to generate sustainable solutions to global, systemic challenges. Hear where opportunities exist to pursue future careers of impact on both the financing and implementation sides of capital for good.

Innovation Forum: Business Plans, Pitching and Customer Discovery with Hugh Thomas
2025-10-07 17:00 - 19:00
Join us on October 7 and Hugh Thomas, serial entrepreneur and teacher, with over 30 years’ experience in international technology companies as corporate leader. Hugh has been through all phases of the technology company lifecycle, from company formation, fund raising, product development, sales and marketing, organization growth through to company acquisition. Hugh will be speaking about startups, pitching, and the value of customer discovery.
Hugh is a serial entrepreneur and teacher, he has over 30 years’ experience in international technology companies as corporate leader. Hugh has founded and run 4 startup companies of his own, as a 4x CEO he has raised multiple rounds of investment capital (>$50M in total), grown teams from 1 to over 150 employees, built and sold many successful products (software and semiconductors) and grown revenues from zero to tens of millions of dollars in annual sales.
Open to CUID card holders only.
Davis Auditorium, CEPSR
530 W 120th Street
Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025, 5-7pm

RSVP HERE

Columbia Giving Day 2025 - Support Columbia Entrepreneurs
2025-10-21
Support Entrepreneurs: Columbia’s Builders

Your gift to the Campbell Center is a gift to all Columbia founders of businesses and social enterprises. Because it takes more than grit and brilliance to launch a new venture, we offer financial help through the annual Startup Columbia venture competition, space and mentoring at the Columbia Startup Lab, and support for current students exploring entrepreneurship at the Columbia Startup Lab Uptown. Please support the Campbell Center for Entrepreneurship on Columbia Giving Day!

GIFT LINK

Columbia Startup Celebration, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Photo by Diane Bondareff)

Director of Entrepreneurship Dave Lerner hosts a session of CSL Uptown.
CSL Uptown members visit CSL SoHo and hear from full time Columbia entrepreneurs Nick DeGiacomo and Alexandra Bono, as well as Professor and early stage investor Jeremy Kagan.

Collaboratory Fellows Fund 2025 Information Session
2025-10-30 15:00 - 16:00
The goal of the Collaboratory Fellows Fund is to support innovative curriculum development that meets
the data and computational literacy needs of a given discipline, set of disciplines,
and/or cohort of students at Columbia.
An information session will be held on Thursday, October 30th, 2025 at 3pm at CSL Morningside (Room 430 in the Riverside Church on 120th & Claremont). Please RSVP By October 28th, 2025.
Register for the Info Session
Please send questions or completed applications to collaboratory@columbia.edu using the application template.
Collaboratory Application 2025
2025 Collaboratory RFP

Application Deadline: 2025 SIPA Global Policy Challenge
2025-11-03 00:00 - 23:59
Applications for the annual SIPA Global Policy Challenge are due on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. You have one additional week to finalize and submit your proposals. Compete for $75,000 in seed funding, personalized mentorship, and exposure to a global network of entrepreneurs
Application Deadline: Monday, November 3, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
Apply here.

CBS Startups Week 2025 (Nov 5-14)
2025-11-05 08:00 - 2025-11-14 17:00
CBS Startups Week (Nov 5-14)
Join CBS Startups Week, a dynamic week of panels, tabling events, and networking opportunities! This celebration of entrepreneurship highlights the innovative knowledge and vibrant community that keeps Columbia University at the leading edge of change. Be part of the journey, connect with like-minded individuals, and explore the future of innovation. RSVP here to secure your spots.

Fast Pitch 2025
2025-11-19 17:00 - 20:00
Fast Pitch 2025 – Fast Pitch is Columbia’s longest running pitch competition on campus since 2013. Entrepreneurs pitch in 60 seconds to a panel of judges and win up to $5,000! Fast Pitch is FREE and open to all undergraduate and graduate students across campus.

2025 Columbia Healthcare Ventures Fast-Pitch Competition
2025-11-21 09:30 - 14:30
RSVP Here
Columbia University graduate and undergraduate students in the ideation phase of a startup solution, aimed at a public health and/or healthcare problem should apply to participate in the HPM Healthcare Pitch Competition. To be considered, please fill out the form below by October 15. Eligible submissions will be notified by October 20 and participants must be available to pitch their idea in-person on November 21.
The fast-pitch competition will be held from 9:30am-2:30pm at the Mailman School of Public Health (722 w 168th street, 8th floor auditorium) with a reception to follow.

Please contact Angela Sclafani (as5760@cumc.columbia.edu) with any questions.

Application Deadline: Spring 2026 Columbia Build Lab (CBL)
2025-12-07 00:00 - 23:59
The Spring 2026 CBL Engineering application is open!
Columbia Build Lab (CBL) matches Columbia students pursuing Computer Science (or related degrees) with CBS student-founders of an early-stage startup. Engineers in the Build Lab program gain experience working to solve real-world challenges with teams of peers and CBS founders. This is an excellent opportunity for any engineering or computer science student looking to gain valuable experience this Fall! Submit your application to the Spring 2026 cohort before December 7th!

Rolling Admission Application through Dec 31: Spring 2026 Design for Social Innovation (DFSI)
2025-12-31
Led by TPI Co-Director Sarah Holloway — Spring 2026
Focus: AI for Impact
This 3-credit, project-based course is open to students across Columbia’s undergraduate and graduate schools. In Spring 2026, the class will partner with NYC-based nonprofits and public-sector organizations to explore how artificial intelligence can amplify their mission and impact.
Learn more and apply here.

Overview
Are you interested in tackling complex global problems through tech-enabled solutions?
This experiential course is open to students from across Columbia’s 20 undergraduate and graduate schools. Working in interdisciplinary teams, students will support real clients to address complex global problems through human centered design. Past clients include Warby Parker, NYC Department of Education, Sesame Workshop, Apple, UNDP, and others. In Spring 2026, the course will focus on AI for Impact, partnering with NYC-based nonprofit and public-sector organizations to explore how artificial intelligence can amplify their mission and impact.
Course Details
This 3.0 credit course will take place in-person on Wednesdays from 1:10pm – 3:00pm at the Columbia
Entrepreneurship Design Studio (meeting all but three Wednesdays when teams are “out of the building” interviewing, workshopping and with teaching team in office hours). In addition to class time, there will be one mandatory Design Sprint on Friday, January 30. Please do not apply for the course unless you believe you can attend the Friday session.
Students conduct stakeholder research and interviews, develop insights through human-centered design, iterate
ideas, and create working prototypes and implementation blueprints for their clients.
The application-only course will accept a total of 30 students for the Spring 2026 term.
Application Instructions
To apply for the course, please complete the application form and include a 1-minute video. Detailed instructions can be found in the form. If selected, you will be placed on a team based on your background and interest.

Application Deadline: Collaboratory Fellows Fund
2026-01-09
Are you a Columbia professor interested in developing an interdisciplinary class through the Collaboratory? Learn more about the Collaboratory Fellows Fund.
LEARN MORE
The goal of the Collaboratory Fellows Fund is to support innovative curriculum development that meets
the data and computational literacy needs of a given discipline, set of disciplines,
and/or cohort of students at Columbia.

Innovation Forum: Immigration & Entrepreneurship
2026-01-28 16:30 - 18:30
RSVP Here
Join Columbia Engineering for its monthly Innovation Forum, an open space to listen, share, and learn more about entrepreneurship as well as network with the Columbia University startup community. Each month features a unique guest and theme, and is followed by a set of low-stakes student pitching. Have an announcement or idea to pitch to the group? Contact Ivy Schultz (is2350@columbia.edu) in advance and come prepared to pitch it!
This month’s Innovation Forum features Jonathan Grode, the U.S. Practice Director and Managing Partner for Green and Spiegel, who will lead the forums on all things entrepreneurship, immigration and building a team.
Jonathan has worked continuously in the U.S. business immigration law field since 1999 and has amassed considerable experience obtaining nonimmigrant and immigrant visas for new company start-ups, professional workers, artists and entertainers, athletes, physicians, and scientific researchers. In addition, Jonathan has significant experience dealing with Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security enforcement actions as well as immigration related aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions.
Jonathan has been a panelist and moderator on immigration law topics for numerous organizations, including the American Bar Association, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, French Chamber for Commerce and Industry (Paris, France), and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He also writes regularly for industry publications and academic journals. In addition, Jonathan is an Adjunct Faculty at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law where he teaches Business Immigration Law, Advising Global Corporations, and Law Practice Management. In 2020, Jonathan Grode was named Adjunct Faculty of the Year by Temple University.
Notably, Jonathan has been listed as one of SuperLawyers Rising Stars from 2012-2019 and since 2020 continuously been named a Super Lawyer. He has also been honored with the 2014 Pennsylvania Bar Association Special Achievement Award for “Dedication and Commitment to the High School Mock Trial Competition”, for which he has served as Lead Author since 2007. Jonathan was also the recipient of Lexology’s Client Choice Award in 2019 and was named in the 2020 and 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Jonathan graduated first in his class from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2008.
This event is open to CUID card holders only.

Deadline: 2026 Startup Columbia Venture Competition
2026-02-03
Applications for the 2026 Startup Columbia venture competition are now open! Every year, this competition gives out over $200,000 in cash grants to Columbia entrepreneurs to build and grow their big ideas.

This year, there are 3 choices of tracks to compete in, each with additional prizes available within each track. Read more about the rules, regulations, and eligibility here.

Apply by February 3! Good luck!

Check out last year’s winners here.

AI and Entrepreneurship Talk: Parag Agrawal, Parallel.ai CEO and Cofounder
2026-02-05 11:00 - 12:00
The Columbia Engineering AI Entrepreneurship Series is a bi-weekly speaker series that brings students and faculty at Columbia together with founders, VCs, technologists, and business leaders to learn about the process of transitioning lessons from research and the classroom into products and value.

This week join to hear from:

Parag Agrawal, Parallel.ai CEO and Cofounder
11AM February 05, 2026 Davis Auditorium
Parag Agrawal is the founder of Parallel Web Systems, a company unlocking the web for AI agents. Previously, he spent 11 years at Twitter, where he joined as an engineer before serving as CTO, and then CEO. Parag has a PhD from Stanford University in Computer Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT, Bombay.

Application Deadline: Startup Works
2026-02-06
Startup Works is a practical 6-session workshop series in the spring semester that creates inclusive entrepreneurship opportunities for justice-impacted people forming teams with others with diverse perspectives and experiences, to work together on launching a startup or a small business.
This is your last chance to learn in-person about Startup Works and network to find other team members!
Applications are open and are due on Friday, February 6. Accepted teams and small business founders can expect workshops to take place on Wednesdays at 6 PM beginning on Wednesday, February 18. Justice-impacted community members* and Columbia University affiliates^ are invited to join to learn more and to prepare to apply.

Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change 2026 Annual Reception
2026-02-23 18:00 - 20:00
You are cordially invited to join the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change for an evening of networking and socializing with fellow alumni, faculty members, students, and professionals in social and environmental impact sectors.
At this year’s event, the Tamer Institute will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures. During the evening’s remarks, we will reflect on a decade of pioneering ventures that have driven sustainable innovation and social impact. The program will include remarks from our honorees on their venture and founder journeys.
Reserve your spot →
