📋 Coach's Corner: August 2021
Go for gold with these student startup funding opportunities
Olympic fever is in full swing this August.
There’s no shortage of incredible stories coming out of Tokyo on a daily basis. The US Women’s Soccer Team’s continued international dominance. Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles cementing their places as some of the most decorated Olympians of all time.
But as a South Floridian baseball nerd, my favorite has to be that of Eddy Alvarez.
A Cuban-American, Eddy Alvarez accomplished a lifelong dream to represent the USA in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where he took home a Silver medal in speed skating. Shortly after achieving that dream, he set out on another: become a professional baseball player. After 6 years of grinding in the minor leagues, he accomplished yet another dream by making his MLB debut with his hometown Miami Marlins last year at the age of 30. Now Eddy is once again representing Team USA in their quest to bring home a medal in baseball’s Olympic return. If he does that, he’ll be just the sixth person ever to earn a medal in both the Winter and Summer Olympics.
Bring it home, Eddy!
After these Olympics wind down, summer will soon follow suit. And before we know it, we’ll be back in the academic swing of things. So enjoy summer’s twilight and read on to discover what’s happening in the world of student entrepreneurship this month. The Fall semester is lurking right around the corner.
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Table of Contents
💰 Student Funding Opportunities
📋 Coach’s Content
💠 Community Content
💼 Jobs Board
🌯 Wrap-Up and Feedback (quick link)
💰 Student Funding Opportunities
School’s out for summer - and so are most university-specific funding opportunities. Whether you’re a student or work in academia, now is the time to plan for the academic year ahead.
In addition to the few that are open (or at least soon to be), I’m linking the full alphabetic list of the 59 funding opportunities I’ve curated over the past year. Take a look through the ones that might be most applicable to you and make a mental bookmark.
Many of these opportunities kick off right as the Fall semester begins. Always helps to be ahead of the curve!
C-E-O Global Pitch Competition
Eligibility: Any currently enrolled university or college student (that’s a lot of you)
Grant Funding:
First Place - $7,000
Second Place - $5,000
Third Place - $3,000
Apply Now || Learn MoreVentureWell E-Team Program
Eligibility: Currently-enrolled students working on a science or engineering based venture.
Grant Funding: Up to $25,000 in grant funding between Stage 1 & 2.
Apply Now || Learn MoreSeedocracy Summer Frenzy
Eligibility: Any currently-enrolled college student
Prize Money: 1st = $200, 2nd = $100, 3rd = $50 (and bigger prizes await!)
Apply Now || Learn More📋 Coach’s Content
Did you miss any of my spotlights over this past month?
Don’t worry, they haven’t gone anywhere. Check ‘em out below.
📱 Appdrop is Making Moves
In March, I had the opportunity to chat with Appdrop co-founders Kamar Mack and Adrian Abrams to discuss what made their no-code app development tool so appealing in the world of university entrepreneurship. Since then, they’ve been on a roll! Most notably, they were recently selected as a finalist and prize winner for the inaugural Black Ambition Prize. Check out my feature on them below.
🌱 Seedocracy is Launching its Summer Frenzy (and looking for feedback)
Last Spring, I interviewed Seedocracy co-founder (and FAU Adams Center Asst. Director) Kevin Cox about his impetus for launching the pitch competition platform. Along with FAU student Kevin Figueroa, they iterated on a fun and easy way for anyone to sign up for pitch competitions. You may have already seen Seedocracy’s latest funding opportunity in the section above, but know that they’re gearing up to give out thousands more in the coming weeks. It only takes a few minutes to enter - so sign up today to make sure you don’t miss the even bigger competitions in the not too distant future. You can learn more about Seedocracy below by revisiting my interview with Kevin Cox and Kevin Figueroa below.
📋 The Fall 2021 State of University Entrepreneurship Centers Survey is Coming Soon
Due to popular demand, we will be conducting a follow-up survey for UECs later this Summer/early Fall. If you’re a UEC Director, I want to hear from you! Last year we had 108 responses and this year we’re seeking to break 200+.
No action is needed now - this is just a PSA that I’ll be reaching out in the coming weeks to learn about how your center is operating for the upcoming academic year.
💠 Community Content
Occasionally I get requests to share promotional items that would be a good fit for my audience of university entrepreneurship staff and student startups. If its a beneficial opportunity, I’m happy to spread the word. If you’re interested promoting something in an upcoming newsletter, you can do so through the button below.
Accelerated Launches New Jobs/Internships Board
I’ve often linked to Accelerated - the newsletter run by VC twins Justine & Olivia Moore - for jobs/internships that are great fits for students. And now the Moores have an even more exciting way to sift through startup jobs/internships! They recently launched a filterable jobs board on Pallet which allows use to search by job position, experience level, and location (including remote). And once you’re interested in a position, Accelerated provides info about the startups’ industry, size, and what they’re looking for. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with their new jobs board below.
Two More Weeks for GCEC Early Bird Registration
I’m so excited for the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) Conference to come to my stomping grounds in 2021 - Baltimore, MD (aka The Greatest City in America). Even though we’re a couple months out, some key dates are fast approaching. Keep in mind:
Early Bird Registration Ends on August 15th
GCEC itself (Register Now) takes place from October 13th - 16th
You don’t want to miss the in-person reunion of one of the premiere annual collegiate entrepreneurship events! Hope to see many of you there.
💼 Jobs Board
Take a look through a (non-exhaustive) list of jobs available in the university entrepreneurship ecosystem. So if you - or a friend - happen to be looking to make the leap into a new position soon, you may find a future landing spot below.
💨 Associate Director, Entrepreneurship Programs and Engagement
University: University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
🐦 Director, Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship
University: St. Louis University
Location: St. Louis, MO
📕 Associate Director, Alumni Programs, Rock Center for Entrepreneurship
University: Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, MA
🌲 Executive Director - Stanford Technology Ventures Program
University: Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA
🦅 Richard A. Forsythe Chair in Entrepreneurship
University: Miami University
Location: Oxford, OH
🐎 Program Director, Ciocca Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
University: Santa Clara University
Location: Santa Clara, CA
🌯 And that’s a wrap
Thank you to everyone who made it to the not-so-bitter end of this newsletter. I’d love to know what you think of it. If you feel so inclined, please take a minute to submit a (very brief) feedback form to help this take shape.
Till next time.
- Kevin “Coach” Carter