TIA Summer Accelerator participants and staff enjoy an outing to the Salt City Market and a Mets game in Syracuse.
On June 7, 2023, five exceptional teams kicked off seven weeks of full-time work on building and scaling their ventures in the TIA Summer Accelerator. This year’s program begins with a two-week, on-campus bootcamp led by entrepreneur-in-residence Travis Millman and culminates in a three-day capstone in New York City.
The two-week bootcamp focuses on assessing progress to-date and goal setting for the summer. Teams will work with Travis to evaluate the current state of their venture and develop goals for the accelerator and beyond. Travis will lead hands-on sessions focused on customer discovery — teams have a goal of 50 customer discovery interviews in seven weeks — as well as project management and business development. Master classes led by alumni mentors and local subject matter experts will cover financial modeling, marketing and public relations, business communications, and fundraising. Interspersed throughout are team building activities, including a trip to Syracuse for a Mets game, a visit to the farmers’ market, and an evening at the boathouse.
Teams will then disperse for five weeks of field work, with some remaining in Hamilton and others heading to different locations. During that time, teams will regularly sync up with Travis and designated mentors to continue their progress toward goals. Biweekly pitch and feedback sessions with past summer accelerator participants will give them feedback and advice from entrepreneurs who were in the exact same spot.
The program will culminate with a three-day capstone in New York City from July 26 to 28. The cohort will have workspace at the Gotham, generously arranged by trustee Jeff Sharp ’89, where Travis will lead culminating sessions to recap the program and look ahead to the future. Ventures will have customized itineraries that will include customer meetings, market research, fundraising meetings, and more. Alumni, family, and friends are invited to meet the teams and hear their pitches at a networking reception on Thursday, July 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Fair Harbor Clothing’s flagship store in Soho. More information and RSVP to come.
Meet This Year’s Teams
Cha’Gate
Vivian Jiang ’26, Bill Luo ’26
Cha’Gate brings bubble tea and other Asian drinks to Colgate’s campus.
Everlasting Technology
Macdonald Chirara ’25, Honorine Kwizera ’26
Everlasting Technology is a social enterprise that creates green communities by providing innovative renewable energy solutions and introducing technologies that positively impact a cleaner environment.
Geeckon
Chris Cherniakov ’24
Geeckon is a short video social platform for creators to express and monetize their opinions through wagers, polls, and predictions.
RUDE Strength
Riley Decker ’23, Emily Untermeyer ’23
RUDE Strength creates functional strength apparel using innovative materials inspired by gym culture to meet the unique needs of female strength athletes.
Super G
Webster Lehmann ’22
Super G is an outdoor provisions brand that provides organic, ready-to-eat cereals to fuel your next adventure.