Columbia Entrepreneurship

Startup Research for Student Entrepreneurs: Library Resources
2020-09-23 17:00 - 18:00 UTC
Register here.
Are you thinking about launching a startup? Learn about business research resources from Columbia University Libraries. Session will include a 30 minute presentation and 30 minutes of Q&A with Columbia’s Entrepreneurship Librarian. This session is intended for current Columbia students. Please register to receive a Zoom invitation.

Deadline: Almaworks Accelerator Fall 2020 Cohort
2020-09-27
Apply here
Open to Columbia students

Working on a startup or venture? Apply now for the Fall 2020 cohort of Columbia’s Almaworks Accelerator. Almaworks (website here) takes no equity and helps early-stage startups run by Columbia-affiliated entrepreneurs achieve significant, sustainable growth. Our 70+ student startups have collectively raised more than $19M in seed funding, enrolled in programs like TechStars, Y Combinator and Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, and have received numerous Columbia Venture Competition grants and prizes.

Deadline: New York Barclays Accelerator, powered by Techstars
2020-09-28
This program offers fintech startups unprecedented access to the networks of Barclays and Techstars, all from the financial capital of the world.
Find out more and apply here.

Deadline: SIPA Dean's Public Policy Challenge Grant
2020-09-28
Teams must include at least one SIPA student in a substantive role. Apply here
This year, to help facilitate team formation, SIPA is providing a Matching spreadsheet here for teams and individuals to meet virtually.
Applications are now open for the SIPA Dean’s Public Policy Challenge Grant Program. Initial proposals for projects are due on September 28, 2020. The program, which is part of the campus-wide Columbia Venture Competition, invites students to turn their policy passions into entrepreneurial ventures – whether for profit or not for profit – and to design cutting-edge projects or prototypes that use ICT and/or data analytics to advance a public policy objective.
This year SIPA are inviting students to consider a venture that is aimed either at facilitating COVID recovery or focused on an area where our world has been disrupted by COVID-19 and where new ventures in support of public purpose are needed and may thrive. As always, SIPA encourages venture ideas in areas that combine technology and data. Additionally, SIPA will also offer support for projects that address a pressing policy challenge in Brazil. We thank the Lemann Foundation for this opportunity.
A total of $25,000 in prizes will be awarded to the winning teams. Current Columbia students are encouraged to form cross-disciplinary teams with students from across the University to apply for the grants. Teams must include at least one SIPA student in a substantive role. Teams wishing to add members with similar interests or specific skills, or individuals wishing to join a team, may post information in the Dean’s Challenge Grant Matching spreadsheet here. You will need to be signed in to your LionMail account to access.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM DEAN JANOW TO SIPA STUDENTS
Dear Students,
The application for the eighth round of the SIPA Dean’s Public Policy Challenge Grant Program is now open. Initial proposals for projects are due on September 28, 2020. The program, which is part of the campus-wide Columbia Venture Competition, invites students to turn their policy passions into entrepreneurial ventures – whether for profit or not for profit – and to design cutting-edge projects or prototypes that use ICT and/or data analytics to advance a public policy objective.
This year we invite students to address some aspect of COVID-19 in your venture ideas but also encourage consideration, as always, of other topics of interest that combine technology and data. We encourage, for example, ventures that consider areas that have experienced the greatest disruption or transformation as a result of the pandemic and its wide ranging effects—for example with respect to: education, health, cyber security, digital finance, civic engagement, amongst other possible ideas. We invite you to also consider if there are any new data sets that you might want to utilize or develop for your venture ideas. (See for example, The Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub, Academic Data Science Alliance, The COVID-19 Symptom Data Challenge).
Additionally, we will offer support for projects that address a pressing policy challenge in Brazil. We thank the Lemann Foundation for this opportunity.
A total of $25,000 in prizes will be awarded to the winning teams. Current Columbia students are encouraged to form cross-disciplinary teams with students from across the University to apply for the grants. Teams must include at least one SIPA student in a substantive role. To provide support to teams, SIPA provides workshops, mentors, and access to expertise as they refine and test their ideas. In addition, SIPA students are invited to participate in Columbia Venture Competition events. The program seeks to support endeavors with high potential to be implemented, to produce a meaningful impact in a relatively short timeframe, and to be sustainable over time. For complete details, please visit the Challenge Grant website or email SIPA.Challenge.Grant@columbia.edu.
Teams wishing to add members with similar interests or specific skills, or individuals wishing to join a team, may post information in the Dean’s Challenge Grant Matching spreadsheet here. You will need to be signed in to your LionMail account to access.

Open Design Workshop
2020-09-28 18:00 - 19:00
RSVP here
From a newsreader app, to a low-cost infant warmer for developing countries, to simply a more creative team dynamic, human centered design has proven to be a powerful methodology capable of solving challenges of all shapes and sizes. The principles of user research, prototyping, and testing have been used by everyone from product designers, entrepreneurs, humanitarians, among many others, to create innovative, human-centered designed products and solutions.
Please join us as we introduce a framework for practicing human centered design. The session will be virtual, synchronous, and interactive.
The event is co-hosted by The Social Enterprise Club and the Innovation and Design Club with the Design Studio

Deadline: Design Your Future
2020-10-09
Apply here by 11:59pm.
This not-for credit program is available to all students, including Teachers College and Barnard.

The future can feel uncertain, so we’ve created Design Your Future as a three-session program where students learn to apply design to their careers and their life after graduation. The goal of this program is to help you to better navigate your career and life choices in the face of uncertainty. This can be both an exciting and unnerving time.
What if you discover that your new job isn’t for you?
What happens if you start to drift away from the things you feel passionate about?
What trajectory is right for you?
In these interactive, emotive, and highly engaging sessions you will use design principles to prototype potential life trajectories for yourself.
Dates and times:
Friday, October 23rd — 10:30am to 12:30pm ET
Friday, October 30th — 10:30am to 12:30pm ET
Friday, November 6th — 10:30am to 12:30pm ET
If you are interested, please fill out the application below:
https://designstudiocolumbia.typeform.com/to/QpuME7N1
Learn more in this Forbes feature!

19th Annual Social Enterprise Conference, Capital for Good
2020-10-09
Register
Open to the public

The headline event of a series that’s held throughout the academic semester, Capital for Good will bring social impact leaders in business, government, nonprofit, and philanthropy to speak on how they are changing the way we think about how capital is sourced and used to generate sustainable solutions to global, systemic challenges.

Startup Research for Student Entrepreneurs: Library Resources
2020-10-09 12:00 - 13:00
RSVP
Are you thinking about launching a startup? Learn about business research resources from Columbia University Libraries. Session will include a 30 minute presentation and 30 minutes of Q&A with Columbia’s Entrepreneurship Librarian. This session is intended for current Columbia students. Please register to receive a Zoom invitation.

Deadline: Start Me Up Bootcamp Fall 2020
2020-10-12
Apply here.
Join a Lean Launchpad virtual course to test your idea in the market! Participants in this free, two-week course will receive entrepreneurship training and mentor support as they virtually talk with customers to identify the best product-market fit using the lean launchpad methodology. Faculty, staff, postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate student researchers may apply with a team of one to three people. Applicants are expected to be available for all short-course sessions. Teams that successfully complete this bootcamp may become eligible to apply for the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps Teams program, which includes a $50,000 grant. Application Deadline: October 12, 2020
Bootcamp Dates: October 15, 16, 22, 29

Kickoff: Design Thinking | Innovation Strategy for You and Your Organization
2020-10-13 08:00 - 17:00
In this four-day program from CBS’s Executive Education program, participants learn how to apply design thinking — a problem-solving technique that involves exploring and reframing complex challenges in order to generate solutions — to drive customer-focused innovation in their own organizations.

Deadline: Rapid Testing Innovation Competition
2020-10-14
Details here.
To accelerate the development and deployment of rapid tests, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), on behalf of the City, is seeking to identify companies developing innovative molecular or antigen rapid tests that can deliver results quickly, reliably, and at scale. Diagnostic test manufacturers, suppliers, developers, and academics are invited to submit proposals by Oct. 14.

Third Thursday: The Pitch
2020-10-15 13:00 - 14:30
Learn how to pitch your product or business to potential investors. Join Columbia Engineering on October 15th for its monthly Third Thursday forum to hear from alumni entrepreneurs.

NYC Defense Innovation Meetup
2020-10-15 17:00 - 19:00
Register here.
Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Information Directorate (Rome, NY) chief engineer, Karen Roth, will provide an overview of AFRL Rome’s open innovation initiatives, including their public-private partnership Innovare, followed by Q&A, and open community discussion (gives, asks, news).

Now Open: Statements of Interest for Design for Social Innovation (DFSI) Fall 2020
2020-10-16
Express interest here – we will be in touch! The deadline to begin is October 16, but there are two information sessions that we will email interested parties about (Oct 7 and Oct 9).
Open to all Columbia students, including Teachers College and Barnard

The Design for Social Innovation Track is a self-paced, project-based program for Columbia students interested in addressing global problems. Participants will get a basic introduction to Human Centered Design through virtual modules that can be taken synchronously or asynchronously. From there, they will practice these techniques while working on one of three challenges posted by our project partners. We will share the collective insights and ideas with the partners along the way. Students that complete the DFSI Track will be invited to a portfolio building workshop where you will learn how to represent the design work you did in a compelling way.
The DFSI Track is a good fit if you answer “yes” do ANY of the following questions…
Are you interested in learning more about human centered design/design thinking?
Are you looking to develop your existing human centered design practice further?
Do you have no idea what human centered design means but care about working on social challenges?
Do you want to work on a meaningful problem in a creative way?
Heck, do you have a couple hours a week to try infusing more creativity into the way you work?
Did you answer “no” to all of these questions but are still curious?
The DFSI Track will run from early October to early December. To learn more, come to one of our info session:
Wednesday, October 7th from 6pm to 7pm ET
Friday, October 9th from 1pm to 2pm ET
Sign up below and we’ll make sure to give you all the info you need to engage. The deadline to begin is October 16th.
https://designstudiocolumbia.typeform.com/to/gqed9Eq1
If you have any questions, please email designstudio@columbia.edu

Spark Workshop Searies: BlackOakTV | Building Advocacy Through Entertainment
2020-10-16 12:00 - 14:00
RSVP here
About two-thirds of black people in the United States pay for a subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, such as Netflix. But the underwhelming number of shows centered around black stories and characters contributes to the prevention of black viewers, who watch more long-form video content than any other ethnicity, from subscribing to SVODs at higher rates. For instance, of the current original scripted comedies and dramas aired on Netflix, only seven percent have majority black casts.
Not only does this dearth of representation keep potential subscribers from committing to a streaming service, it also negatively affects how black people view themselves and how others in society perceive and interact with black people and black culture.
BlackOakTV is on a mission to super-serve black viewers around the world with entertainment and information reflecting their lives and experiences while eliminating the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of black people in media that promotes antagonism against black people across the globe.
Join this interactive workshop to brainstorm innovative ways to deliver entertainment content that also addresses today’s societal challenges about race and social justice.

Deadline: KP Fellows Program
2020-10-19
Apply
Kleiner Perkins has been at the center of innovation – investing and building companies like Google, Amazon, Square, Slack, Twitter, Uber, Genentech, and many more. An important part of building iconic companies is attracting young talent and that’s why the group started the KP Fellows program. The program is an opportunity for technical students who are interested in pursuing entrepreneurship, technology, and startups.

SBIR/STTR Virtual Workshop
2020-10-21 - 2020-10-22
REGISTER
Columbia Tech Ventures, in partnership with Stony Brook University, is inviting you to join the live Virtual Classroom for an interactive, 1.5 day SBIR/STTR workshop. Led by experts from BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting, the session will review key basics, including program purpose, eligibility, and sources of funding. The general overview will be combined with proposal prep essentials of the NIH and NSF programs.

Deadline: WBENC Cummins Grant for Black Student Female Founders
2020-10-23
APPLY HERE
The WBENC Cummins Grant for Black Student Female Founders is a new funding initiative to invest in the next generation of the fastest growing segment of women-owned businesses – Black female founders. The grant program will provide $2,000 to $6,000 funding awards to Black female entrepreneurs in STEM currently enrolled in college or university, or a recent college or university graduate.
Black women are starting businesses faster than any other segment – in 2019, 1,625 new businesses were started by women of color every single day. Despite this, these businesses experience greater difficulties in securing access to capital and receiving funding to grow their businesses.
WBENC is working to address these disparities through education, opportunities, funding and mentorship programs, including the Student Entrepreneur Program, NextGen Program, and Women of Color Development & Outreach Program. This new grant program, in partnership with Cummins, will help fill a critical funding gap and support emerging Black female entrepreneurs with innovative companies focused on sustainability.
Who Should Apply

Black female entrepreneurs
Collegiate level; undergrad, graduate or doctorate; or recent graduate (within the last 6 months)
Preference will be given to:

Businesses in STEM fields
Businesses that address a sustainable future
A demonstrated need for funds

How it Works

The grant application period are open through Friday, October 23 at 11:59 PM EST.
WBENC and Cummins will review all grant applications and determine awards based on specific scoring criteria and demonstrated need.
Grant awardees will be announced on November 12, 2020.
WBENC and Cummins will host a special webinar event to announce the grant awardees.

Questions?
Contact nextgen@wbenc.org.

Deadline: Fall Preliminary Round, Columbia Venture Competition
2020-10-30
APPLY
Introducing the addition of the Fall Preliminary Round of the Columbia Venture Competition. Details are at StartupColumbia.org where you’ll see format and rules changes designed to improve the experience for everyone and to reward Columbia’s most innovative startups. Teams participating in the Fall Preliminary Round may also compete in any of the other Spring Venture Competition Challenges. Teams will pitch over Zoom to judges during the week of Nov. 16. The deadline for registration is Oct. 30 but please register now, you won’t need your pitch deck!

Deadline: MuckerLab Fellowship Application
2020-11-01
Applications are accepting on a rolling basis, but the final deadline is November 1.
Learn more and apply here.

Fellowship Program:
MuckerLab is seeking students for our fellowship program during the ‘20-’21 school year. Selected fellows will spend ~5 hours/week helping the deal flow team with sourcing and evaluating early-stage software and tech-enabled services companies. This is an opportunity for aspiring venture capitalists to gain insights into the day-to-day of being a junior VC by working close with members of the MuckerLab investment team.

About MuckerLab:
MuckerLab is a different kind of accelerator. No three-month boot camps. No demo days. Just heads down company-building for one year — or however long it takes.
MuckerLab partners with just 12-15 companies each year, working one-on-one with founders on a weekly basis providing hands-on, tactical support. We believe that keeping a selective, targeted portfolio aligns better with founder needs.
Now in our 10th year, alumni companies include Honey (raised $39M and later acquired by PayPal for $4B), ServiceTitan (raised a total $400M to date), and Emailage (raised $15M and later acquired by LexisNexis for $500M). Since inception, MuckerLab portfolio companies have raised a total of over $8 billion in additional outside funding since graduating our program.
This is an equity-based accelerator program, and we look to invest between $100k-$200k with follow-on capital available over the lifespan of our investment. Additional perks include hundreds of thousands of dollars in cloud credits, services, and software discounts.
Applications for MuckerLab are being reviewed year-round, with the next set of applications due by Friday, January 22. If interested in being considered for the program, we encourage companies to apply here.

About the role:
The day-to-day of a fellow is dynamic and tailored to accommodate your busy schedule. You can expect to learn about and put into practice the following:

Sourcing potential MuckerLab applicants
Diligence on companies advancing through MuckerLab’s evaluation process
Community-building activities with the local startup ecosystem
Engaging with MuckerLab fellows at other universities

What we are looking for:

Demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship and venture capital. You are a leader in the entrepreneurial community on campus, have taken classes relating to launching businesses, and have a strong urge to pursue startups after graduation. You are plugged into various entrepreneurial ecosystems within your school, and you know dozens of students working on cool ideas.
Ability to go above and beyond given tasks. Anybody can execute on tasks once given instruction. The best employees are those that can take ideas from conception to shipping with limited overwatch. We like applicants that show an ability to take instructions and produce results beyond what is expected.
Naturally curious. You like to read and challenge your mind with different frameworks and theories. You enjoy having range, and you believe in the ability to be mutlifaceted across different dimensions. Your courseload, extracurriculars, and hobbies demonstrate natural curiosity.
Action over ideas. ****You have the ability to turn nothing into something. You not only produce great ideas, but you have an action plan to turn those ideas into something tangible.

FAQs:

How long will the program be?
When is the application deadline?

Fellowship applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications for the Fall 2020 Fellowship will close on November 1, 2020 at 11:59pm EST.

Where can I find the application?
Who should apply?
How many MuckerLab Fellows will there be?
What is the time commitment for this program?
What is the compensation structure for this fellowship?

Fast Pitch
2020-11-19 08:00 - 17:00
Sign up here.
Sign-ups are now open for our annual campus-wide Fast Pitch 2020 competition in November! Teams will have 60 seconds to sell their business ideas to a panel of judges to win up to $5,000.

Application Deadline: Design for Social Innovation
2020-11-20
APPLY HERE
Are you interested in solving complex global problems through human-centered design?
Design for Social Innovation (DFSI) is a project-based initiative and SIPA course open to students from Columbia’s 20 undergraduate and graduate schools.
The application-only course will accept a total of 35 students for the Spring 2021 term. Selected students will work in teams of 4-5 on real world challenges on behalf of clients from the nonprofit, social enterprise and public sector. This year’s clients and themes include virtual learning, early childhood education, agriculture, the environment, and mental health.
The 3.0 credit SIPA course will take place on Wednesdays from 11:00am – 12:50pm.

Columbia | IBM Launch Accelerator
2020-11-20
APPLY HERE
Are you an early-stage team developing innovative solutions in data transparency, big data, AI/ML, blockchain, or a related field in Deep Tech? Apply now to the 2020-2021 cohort of The Columbia | IBM Launch Accelerator, a pre-seed program for early-stage ventures affiliated with NYC-based academic institutions. This non-dilutive program focuses on building and scaling successful companies through early-stage funding, in-depth education, mentorship, and business model design.

Urban Works India Challenge Kick-Off
2020-12-08 10:00 - 11:30
RSVP here

Urban Works India is part of the Columbia Venture Competition and $50,000 is at stake! The faculty lead this year is Mike Massimino – he will be discussing the view of cities from space (!) and why it is important to design and support sustainable cities. Why join? We’ll start with a meet and greet and quick quiz on urban India. Professor Massimino will share his observations and why we should all be paying more attention to urban India. We’ll also have previous winners join to tell us about their experience in the program. Join on December 8th, 10am EST on zoom.

Third Thursday: LinkedIn Learning
2020-12-10 12:00 - 13:00
RSVP HERE
Third Thursday is a recurring open forum and networking and info session for the Columbia University entrepreneurship community. It provides students, faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to hear ideas from across campus, form teams, and explore career options. You’ll hear from Columbia alumni and other experts on their experiences working in the field, how they’ve applied their Columbia experience in their careers, and more.
Learn how to develop a LinkedIn profile that works to your advantage and helps build your brand.
Have an announcement or idea to pitch to the group? Contact Ivy Schultz (is2350@columbia.edu) in advance and come prepared to pitch it!

Next 1000
2020-12-13
APPLY HERE
Forbes is looking to spotlight bold and inspiring entrepreneurs on their way to great success. The Next 1000 list celebrates the ambitious sole proprietors, self-funded shops and pre-revenue startups who are redefining what it means to build and run a business today, especially in the “new normal.” They are proof-positive that American entrepreneurship remains resilient, vibrant and ever-changing. Forbes is looking for nominations from every industry across the U.S, with a mission to showcase diverse regions and businesses across the country. Let us know if you decide to apply!

Machine Learning in Science and Engineering (MLSE)
2020-12-14 08:00 - 2020-12-15 17:00
Register here.
MLSE will highlight the latest research in artificial intelligence and machine learning that are advancing science and engineering fields at large. This conference will demonstrate how data-driven approaches may help solve emerging challenges, and will showcase new research from a diverse range of disciplines. Representatives from academia, government, and industry will join virtually to explore the future of science and engineering across 11 dedicated tracks.

Deadline: X-Force Fellows
2020-12-31
APPLY HERE
X-Force participants will engage with Department of Defense (DoD) partners for three months of applied problem solving. Participants will work on problems sponsored by their DoD hosts potentially including:
-Technical (e.g. software development, data analytics, mechanical design/prototyping)
-Strategy (e.g. communications and social media strategy)
-Research (e.g. emerging technology scouting) projects.
Participants will be expected to deliver a prototype capability to their military sponsors by the end of the program.
The full-time X-Force Fellows will be paid a stipend of around $2,500 per month and have a small budget for travel, materials, and other expenses related to the delivery of a product to their sponsor.

Applications Open for Lang Center Funding for CBS Alumni Founders
2021-01-05
The first time in its 20+ year history, The Lang Fund is opening up a selection process for early-stage, alumni-founded startups. The Eugene M. Lang Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund (“The Lang Fund”) provides early-stage funding (typically $25-50K) to qualifying startups. The Lang Fund is looking for CBS alumni-founded ventures that fit the following criteria:
– Pre-seed or seed stage companies, ideally post-revenue with 6 months of customer data
– At least one member of the founding team must be a CBS alum
– The founding team must all be working full-time on their venture
– The venture must be raising, or looking to raise a round within the next 12 months
– The Lang Fund is geographically and sector agnostic
Learn more and apply here.
Important Dates

1/05/21 – Alumni Submission Window Opens – Apply Here
2/2/21 – Alumni Submission Window Closes – Companies will be selected on a rolling basis
2/24/21 – Selected Alumni Ventures Pitch to Screening Committee
3/12 – Final Round Pitch, investment decisions are made by Lang Fund Investment Committee

Info Session: Columbia’s Program for Diversity & Inclusion in Commercialization & Entrepreneurship (DICE)
2021-01-06 11:00 - 12:00
RSVP here
Open to graduate students and postdocs who identify as being from traditionally underrepresented groups in life science entrepreneurship and commercialization as defined by the NIH, DICE will provide educational programming, mentorship, networking, and funding opportunities to prepare participants for careers bringing life science innovation to market.
Applications are due January 18, by 5pm.
