Columbia Entrepreneurship

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.

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: 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.

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: Floodgate's Building Breakthroughs Course
2020-09-20
Apply here.
Floodgate is building a community dedicated to bridging the access and equity gap for Black and Latinx startup founders. This is a free bootcamp in October called “Building Breakthroughs,” focused on teaching students and founders how to build legendary startups.
The course will be 9-weeks long starting in October and will cover everything from ideation through blitzscaling. You’ll have access to the full Floodgate team, as well as some amazing guest speakers (Previous guests include Michael Seibel, Heather Fernandez, and Mike Krieger). We’ll also bring in seed-stage founders to pitch the class, and you’ll give feedback and ask questions using course concepts.

Deadline: Fall 2020 OCL Application for CORE
2020-09-19
Apply here
Open to Columbia undergrads

Calling artists, engineers, designers, innovators, and creatives of all backgrounds and interests –– join the undergrad student group Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs (CORE) as an Operating Committee Leader (OCL). OCLs are the primary operating members of CORE, responsible for planning events, running initiatives, and building its presence.

The Greater Good Challenge
2020-09-18
Apply here.
SPS is currently accepting submissions for its first Greater Good Challenge Business Pitch Competition. We’re looking to award more than $20k to ideas in the areas of sustainability, health technology, and supply chain, logistics & coordination. Plus, we have an all-star lineup of judges, including Ashley Hicks Rocha, Co-Founder of Black Girls Run!; Eric Haller, EVP and Global Head of Experian DataLabs; and Grant Son, Sports Management & Entrepreneurship Lecturer and CEO of Greater Good Ventures. Submissions are due on Sept. 18 and the virtual competition is on October 9.

Third Thursday: Pandemics, Pivots, and Entrepreneurs
2020-09-17 12:00 - 13:00
RSVP
Open to the public

What does it take to persevere and navigate a downturn during the global pandemic? Join us for our monthly Third Thursday forum to hear from alumni entrepreneurs.
Third Thursday 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.

Deadline: Almaworks Accelerator Fall 2020 Cohort
2020-09-17
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.
More information, schedule, and applications here. Applications due September 27th at 11:59 PM ET.

Info Session for Student Club Design for America
2020-09-16 20:30 - 21:30
RSVP
Barnard/Columbia Design for America (DFA) is part of a national network of passionate young thinkers and activists revolutionizing the way college students engage with and improve the world around us. Whether virtual or in person, DFA is a community of people from all majors and backgrounds coming together each week to share their love of design and their community.

Data Science Day 2020 | Ethics & Privacy: Terms of Usage
2020-09-14 10:00 - 11:30
RSVP here

As part of the Data Science Institute’s flagship annual event, this virtual session will bring together thought leaders who are driving discussions on ethics and privacy in data science and engineering.
Ethics and Privacy: Terms of Usage will feature lightning talks and presentations from leading Columbia University researchers. Eric Schmidt, former Google Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Schmidt Futures, will join for a discussion with the Institute’s Avanessians Director Jeannette M. Wing.

General Town Hall with Undergrad Student Club CORE
2020-09-11 18:00 - 19:00
RSVP
Open to all students

Hear from CORE: Join the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs (CORE) on Friday, September 11 at 6 PM ET for our General Town Hall, where we will introduce our community, exciting initiatives, and many entrepreneurial resources we offer. Ask any questions, meet current CORE members, and find out how to be involved as an Operating Committee Leader (OCL). CORE is going to look a little different this year, nonetheless, we are really excited to welcome in new faces as we host remote programs accessible from anywhere!

New Student Town Hall with Undergrad Student Club CORE
2020-09-10 18:00 - 19:00
RSVP
Open to New Students

Hear from CORE: Join the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs (CORE) on Thursday, September 10 at 6 PM ET for our New Student Town Hall, where we will introduce our community, exciting initiatives, and many entrepreneurial resources we offer. Ask any questions, meet current CORE members, and find out how to be involved as an Operating Committee Leader (OCL). CORE is going to look a little different this year, nonetheless, we are really excited to welcome in new faces as we host remote programs accessible from anywhere!
Our members have started companies, interned at some of the world’s most exciting startups, interacted with insanely remarkable founders, and have all made a commitment to shaping entrepreneurship at Columbia and beyond. Don’t know what you’re interested in yet or think entrepreneurship is mainly tech/finance? No worries! We’ve hosted events on social change, public policy, biotech, education, digital journalism, fashion, 3D printing, and much more, and have a wide array of interests amongst our members.
If you have even the slightest hint of interest in entrepreneurship, we’d love to see you at our General Town Hall. Please reach out to coreboard@columbia.edu if you have any questions, or if you cannot make it and would like to learn more.

Deadline: Annual Alumni Demo Night and Investor Matching
2020-08-15
Columbia Venture Community‘s application for their Annual Alumni Demo Night and Investor Matching is open again! Besides matching with top-tier VCs, there’s also several acceleration resources available (listed here). Companies whose founders, key employees, or investors are alumni or otherwise affiliated with Columbia can apply here before August 15th.

Deadline: Tamer Fund for Social Ventures
2020-08-15
Application link: https://www.f6s.com/tamersvfund/apply
Email questions to: tamersvfund@gmail.com

The Tamer Fund for Social Ventures provides seed grants to nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid early-stage Columbia University affiliated social and environmental ventures. There are two deadlines for applications for the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures: the fall application deadline is August 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST, and the spring application deadline is March 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Please click here to begin the application process. Funding will be made available to around seven ventures each year (three to four ventures each cycle).

Building and Investing in the Silent Pandemic: The Mental Health Tsunami
2020-07-31 12:00 - 13:00
RSVP
Mental health or addiction issues impact just about every human on the planet. Most people who need help are not getting it due to stigma, cost, quality, and access concerns. The mental health tech startup ecosystem is young but growing fast and full of opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. In this webinar, you will learn where to go build and invest in this market.
Graham Smith (EMBA ’21) is a Partner/Co-Founder of What If Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in mental health and addiction-focused startups. The firm has invested in 5 mental health startups. Co-investors include (Kleiner Perkins, General Catalyst, Founders Fund, TPG, and others).

CSL Talks: Fundraising, with Jean-Pierre Adéchi
2020-07-30 12:30 - 13:30
RSVP
CSL Alum Jean-Pierre Adéchi, cofounder of Wheeli, will talk about about raising capital, building self-sustaining businesses, and offer perspectives for women and minority founders.

Virtual Design Studio Hours
2020-07-28 14:30 - 17:00, 2020-07-21 14:30 - 17:00, 2020-06-30 15:30 - 17:00, 2020-06-09 15:30 - 17:00
Open to the whole Columbia community.
Do you have an idea and want to get personal design thinking feedback from the Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio? During Studio Hours, teams or individuals are invited to discuss their projects or ideas one-on-one with human-centered designers virtually.
Sign up for a specific half-hour time slot here.

Marketing Podcast: Getting your first 100 Customers
2020-07-17 16:00 - 17:00
RSVP here

It’s never been easier to launch a startup. But with the advent of new platforms, increased competition, and shifting consumer demands, it’s still difficult to build effective startup marketing strategies.
In our live podcast series, Marketing A Startup, we speak with Columbia founders who have built and scaled effective marketing. We’ll learn what marketing looked like for their first 100 customers, and their efforts evolved to become a successful startup.
Episodes are recorded in front of a live audience.
On Friday, July 17, we’ll speak with Christine Chang, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Glow Recipe. Glow Recipe is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce Korean beauty brand that’s pivoted their business model to build a better customer experience.
Moderated by Courtland Thomas

CSL Talks: How AR/VR Can Change the World
2020-07-16 17:00 - 18:00
RSVP here

Join us for our next CSL Talk series, the “TED Talks” for the entrepreneurship ecosystem hosted by Alon Grinshpoon (SEAS ’18) founder of EchoAR on July 16 at 5:00PM.
In this talk we will discuss the latest advancements in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) and spatial cloud computing. We will see examples of how these cutting-edge emerging technologies are changing the world, share use cases of 3D applications, and see live demos of AR/VR experiences. We will show how to quickly create AR/VR apps with no technical skills or coding required and scale existing apps by connecting them to the cloud.

Deadline: Start Me Up Bootcamp Summer 2020
2020-07-10
Apply here

Join Columbia Engineering in 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: July 10, 2020
Bootcamp Dates: July 16, 17, 22, 29

Investing during Global Crises, with Jenny Fielding
2020-07-07 18:00 - 19:00
RSVP here

Columbia Venture Community is pleased to invite you to a live discussion with Jenny Fielding on Investing During Global Crises.
Jenny is the Managing Director of Techstars New York Accelerator and General Partner of The Fund. In this talk, we’ll discuss the unique and unforeseen challenges created for our global community over the past several months and provide an overview of investing during crises.
We’ll cover the following topics:

Global pandemic
Economic downturn
Social unrest in response to racism and social injustice

About the Speaker:
Jenny Fielding
Managing Director, Techstars New York
Jenny Fielding is the Managing Director of the Techstars New York City Accelerator, where she leads the program. She is also the founder of The Fund, a first check fund investing in local founders. Her portfolio includes more than 120+ companies. Jenny is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and Kauffman Fellow. Previously, she ran Corporate Venture at BBC Worldwide and has founded several companies including Switch-Mobile (acquired in 2009).
About the Moderator:
Roope Marttila
CVC Venture Engagement Program Lead
Roope is an investor and a 3x founder, currently focusing on his legal AI company. He founded his first company, an online stock brokerage, during the 2008 financial crisis. He has also worked at several VC-backed companies, Big Tech, and (inter)governmental organizations. At Columbia Venture Community, he’s on the Global Board in charge of VC & LP relations. He believes in startup karma and invests in impressive people with a bias toward action.

Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World
2020-06-23 13:00 - 14:00
RSVP HERE
The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise is pleased to host the upcoming fireside chat book talk where Jacqueline Novogratz will discuss her new book, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World, which offers the perspectives necessary for all those — whether ascending the corporate ladder, solving inequity across key systems in the United States, or bringing solar light to rural villages — who seek to leave this world better off than they found it.

Social Impact Webinar Series: "The Show Must Go On"
2020-05-27 18:00 - 19:00
Open to the public
RSVP

“The Show Must Go On”: How to revitalize the arts and creative industries in New York City post-pandemic?
with Cheryl Anhava, program officer, cultural investments at Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, Erika Dilday, ’94BUS ’93JRN, CEO and executive director of Futuro Media Group, and Ty Jones, producing artistic director at Classical Theatre of Harlem; and moderated by Lane Harwell, ’12BUS, program officer, creativity and free expression at Ford Foundation
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
TBD, 6-7 p.m. EDT or 6:30-7:30 p.m. EDT
Webinar details included in RSVP confirmation email.
The coronavirus pandemic has shuttered arts and cultural centers and cut off employment opportunities for creative workers across the globe. Yet in this time of global need, the value of creativity and expression is heightened. Many arts organizations have responded to the crisis by providing free shows, concerts, art tutorials, and performances for stay-at-home viewers. Global Citizen brought together 70 musical acts and performances on Saturday, April 18 to raise $127.9 million to benefit the World Health Organization (WHO) and local and regional responders to COVID-19. How can creative workers and organizations continue to provide services in a time of fiscal uncertainty? Join us for a dynamic panel discussion with New York City Arts arts leaders on how the local sector is responding and what it will take to revitalize the sector post-pandemic.

NSIN's Defense Innovation Accelerator (DIA)
2020-05-22
Launching in late June, the DIA is seeking entrepreneurs for the upcoming DIA cohort. The application can be found here: https://recruiting.fedtech.io/dia
This is a great opportunity for any students or alumni who are interested in pursuing entrepreneurship or founding a company.
As part of the DIA program, teams of entrepreneurs will assess the commercialization potential of Defense technologies hand-in-hand with lab scientists and technologists, and explore forming startups around those technologies to solve the real-world problems of Defense and commercial customers.
Over approximately two months, teams will explore the commercial viability of a cutting-edge technology from a top-tier research and development lab within the DoD and potentially create a company through licensing the technology.
For 2020, the following themes have been prioritized for development and acceleration:

Cybersecurity and secure communications
Autonomous systems
Artificial intelligence
Virtual reality and computer vision
Sensors
Human performance

Learn more about the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) here.

Third Thursday: Mix & Mingle End of Semester Social
2020-05-21 12:00 - 13:00
RSVP
Join Columbia Engineering for Third Thursday on May 21st! They’ll be sharing updates on the entrepreneurship community, summer 2020 events, and have some time for everyone to share announcements and ideas.
CVC winners will join on video to talk about their backgrounds, companies, and experiences at Columbia.

CSL Talks: Restoring Your Productivity in a Post-COVID World with Suchit Tuli
2020-05-14 12:30 - 13:30
Open to the public
RSVP
Join us for our CSL Talk series: our “TED Talks” for the entrepreneurship ecosystem. These sessions will be hosted by CSL founders who will share their expertise, tell their stories, and pay it forward to our community of entrepreneurs across Columbia University and beyond.
First up, resident ‘future of work’ enthusiast Suchit Tuli (Quantime CEO, Columbia MBA, ex-JPMorgan) shares insights from years of studying productivity and from even more years of being unproductive.
In this talk, you’ll hear about specific techniques and tools you can adopt on day 0 to supercharge your work and unlock your productivity.
