Helping Students Build Businesses
Are you a student looking for entrepreneurial opportunities?
Find resources to get your business off the ground here.
Entrepreneurship is an exercise of continuous learning.
As a student entrepreneur, you’ll be wearing a lot of hats. You need to be an expert on your product, but also, need to have a grasp on everything from “Go to Market” (marketing and sales), to HR. We’ve compiled the following resources to help point you in the right direction.
Failure is an essential part of entrepreneurship. If you work hard, you can get an ‘A’ pretty much guaranteed, but in entrepreneurship, that’s not how it works.”
— Eric Ries, Author of The Lean Startup
Entrepreneurial Education Resources
How to Build a Startup Course
Presented by Udacity
This course is a great starting point for any budding entrepreneur. You’ll learn the basics of rapid product development, testing, and collecting market feedback. Learn how to build products that meet the unmet needs of customers and establish a viable business model.
Kauffman Foundation
For people growing ideas
The Kauffman Foundation helps grow entrepreneurial communities in cities across the US. They have programs to help young entrepreneurs, including a weekly meetup called 1 Million Cups that helps connect local entrepreneurs and workshop their big ideas.
The Lean Startup
By Eric Reis
The Lean Startup is a great read to get you started in the world of entrepreuership. More than that, Eric Reis has developed a whole host of resources to help startups succeed, including meetups, educational opportunities and speaking events.
Local Entrepreneurial Resources
Nevada Research & Innovation Corporation sometimes makes University technologies available to students entering Nevada business plan competitions on terms that are normally reserved for inventors and research faculty.
If you’re looking for funding outside of competitions, there are options such as venture capitalist funding and government grants. Here are a few:
Business Plan Competitions & Opportunities
Sontag Entrepreneurship Competition
The Sontag Entrepreneurship Award Competition was established by the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs, leading to the creation of new businesses in Nevada.
The Sontag Entrepreneurship Award was funded with a major gift from alumnus Rick Sontag to the University of Nevada in 2011. The endowment created by the gift funds the award in perpetuity. The Award is a single prize of $50,000, given at the end of each spring semester to the winner of the competition, which takes place throughout the academic school year.
BMC Global
The Business Model Competition Global is the first and largest student venture validation competition in the world. Each year thousands of student teams from hundreds of schools across the globe participate in qualifier competitions, striving to reach the top 40 and compete in the global final. Each of the 40 teams that advance to the final are awarded a minimum of $2,500 with the potential to win up to $20,000.
E-Team Program
VentureWell’s E-Team Program provides early-stage support and funding for student and faculty innovators and entrepreneurs working on market-based technology inventions. In addition to funding, the program includes training, venture coaching and access to potential investment opportunities—all with the goal of moving innovations to market. Teams are selected through a competitive process for their promising technology, commercial potential, positive social impact and strong commitment.
Student Ambassadors
VentureWell’s University Innovation Fellows work to create networks and events that:
- inspire University entrepreneurs
- encourage involvement in VentureWell programs and activities
- support the creation of inventions and innovations that have a social benefit
Governor’s Cup Nevada
Since 2004, entrepreneurial spirits have been fostered among an elite sector of innovative college students, courtesy of the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup in Nevada. Started by Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET), this esteemed business plan competition focuses on encouraging young minds to tap into their talents and share resources with a team of fellow students as they work toward a shared goal. When stepping out of the classroom to act on their know-how and passions, participants lay the groundwork for being instrumental in creating businesses of tomorrow.
Battle Born Venture
The Battle Born Venture Program (“Battle Born”) is a state venture capital program overseen by the Nevada Governor’s Office of EconomicDevelopment (GOED) under the auspices of the US Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Battle Born makes equity and equity-like investments in early stage, high-growth Nevadan enterprises in the following industries: aerospace & defense, agriculture, energy, healthcare, IT, logistics & operations, manufacturing, mining, tourism & gaming, water. It seeks an economic return on investment, and any proceeds from investments are reinvested into the program for the benefit of the citizens of the State of Nevada.
Biomedical Engineering Competition
VentureWell organizes two annual biomedical engineering competitions for University students. The objectives of these competitions are to identify and recognize innovative, commercially promising medical devices and technologies developed by entrepreneurial student teams.
Entrepreneur’s Organization Global Student Entrepreneur Awards
If you are an undergraduate student running your own business, the EO GSEA is a great way to boost your company further by winning a national competition.
Hult Prize
The Hult Prize is an international student competition to find innovative solutions for the world’s toughest challenges. Student teams compete for one million dollars in seed capital and mentorship from the international business community.
Nevada Research & Innovation Corporation sometimes makes University technologies available to students entering Nevada business plan competitions on terms that are normally reserved for inventors and research faculty.