Institute for Entrepreneurship: Programs

Stage 1: Test Your Idea

Venture Validator

The Venture Validator (VV) is the starting point for turning an idea into a viable business. Offered each fall and spring, this 5-week, 5-session virtual cohort program takes learners through all the steps to get your venture off the ground and determine if there’s a real opportunity there. The VV is free and open to all, where aspiring entrepreneurs meet once a week to conduct customer discovery and market research, create a business model, analyze the competitive landscape, and prototype products with the goal of launching successful ventures.

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Stage 2: Pitch Your Venture

I4E Startup Showcase

The I4E Startup Showcase is the Institute for Entrepreneurship's premier event. Every April, CSU student entrepreneurs pitch their ventures to a panel of judges and an audience made up of the Northern Colorado business community. The showcase is designed to help students build their confidence, get real-time feedback, and develop their presentation and pitch skills.

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I4E Startup Spotlight

Held every December, the the I4E Startup Spotlight invites CSU students to deliver a two-minute pitch to faculty, staff, entrepreneurs, business experts, and community members for a chance to win a $500 prize.

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Stage 3: Build Your Business

Petersen Family Student Venture Accelerator

The Petersen Family Student Venture Accelerator (SVA) is built to move ideas from the design stages to a ready-for-market product in just three months. This immersive summer program helps students develop their ventures for sustainable growth, even beyond the program.

Selected venture teams have the chance to receive up to $5,000 in funding to support the initial startup of their operations and their marketing efforts.

The Venture Accelerator is open to all current CSU undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent alumni. Learn more about the Student Venture Accelerator.

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I-Corps

NSF I-Corps is an experiential training program offered to CSU faculty, graduate students, and post-docs interested in translating scientific research into startups. By participating in a handful of virtual workshops, developing an initial business hypothesis, and conducting a few dozen customer discovery interviews, scientists and engineers learn to develop, test, and fine-tune their startup idea. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation and CSU is one of several universities participating in the I-Corps Hub West.

Learn more about I-Corps