Webster Lehmann ’22, founder of the outdoor provisions brand The Better Breakfast Co., was recorded during the 2023 Summer Accelerator Capstone in New York City to discuss his experience as a sole founder.
Whether you have in mind a local business, a scalable venture, or a social enterprise/nonprofit, the TIA Summer Accelerator can provide you with “an amazing opportunity to focus full-time on (your) venture, with connections to the resources (that you) need to successfully get it off the ground.”
That assessment comes from Webster Lehmann ’22, founder of the outdoor provisions brand The Better Breakfast Co.
The application for the 2024 Summer Accelerator is now open.
This year, current Colgate students and recent alumni awardees will receive $10,000 in non-dilutive grant funding, the flexibility of provided on-campus housing or remote participation, hands-on mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs, unrivaled connections from the Colgate network, and more.
More than 50 teams have participated since the program’s inception in 2013, representing a wide range of industries and venture stages — from emerging to well-ingrained. The accelerator is a springboard for entrepreneurs who are working on their venture and want to go full-time. Between seed grants and follow-on investment capital raised since their participation in the accelerator, several of these entrepreneurs have created market-changing ventures and full-time jobs that endure.
Read about how a pair of graduates rebranded their venture to women’s supplements
Read about the expansive efforts of one venture to facilitate cooking in African communities
The TIA Summer Accelerator is led by Colgate’s entrepreneur in residence, Travis Millman. Last year, Millman redesigned the Summer Accelerator into a distinct three-part experience, beginning with a two-week bootcamp followed by six weeks working full-time on building and scaling their ventures, and celebrating the culmination of their work during a three-day capstone in New York City.
This year will follow a similar trek:
- Bootcamp: During this two-week intensive, participants will be led through masterclasses – invited speakers will cover a myriad of topics including professional communications, business development, financial modeling, marketing automation, customer acquisition, and fundraising. Millman will also provide hands-on advising and facilitate connections to others in the Colgate community.
- Field Work: Participants will be self-directed as they set up customer meetings, participate in pitch and feedback sessions, perform market research, host fundraising meetings, advance prototyping, and more. Founders will connect regularly with Millman and their assigned mentors to chart their progress toward goals, seek guidance, and resolve questions.
- Capstone: This excursion – this year to Boston – will give participants itineraries tailored to their venture. Customer meetings, market research, and fundraising meetings will help these ventures further their mission. The accelerator will close with two key events: A culminating session to recap the program and look ahead to the future, and an invitation-only event with alumni, family, and friends to meet the accelerator teams and hear their pitches at a networking reception. More information and RSVP to be announced in the spring.
One of the biggest benefits for Summer Accelerator participants is working alongside others who are also in the trenches building their ventures. During a session in the 2023-2024 TIA Incubator, keynote speaker Frank Jackson discussed the unique challenges that the entrepreneurship path has on an individual’s well-being.
About the benefit to entrepreneurs of having a community – the bonds forged during the accelerator: “Rarely are we talking about some of the risks and some of the hardships of entrepreneurship, and if we do, we’re talking about it on an individual level. I think the elixir to that is community,” Jackson said. “Entrepreneurship as a communal aspect” is the key. Whether a founder is working in Hamilton this summer or remote, there is strength and camaraderie in knowing that they are working alongside a group of like-minded entrepreneurs at similar stages – sharing best practices, celebrating milestones, and leaning on each other in difficult moments.
The accelerator is capped at four ventures. This year’s program will run from June 10 to July 27. Applications are due Feb. 15. For more information about the accelerator, prospective participants are encouraged to attend a virtual info session at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1. Click here to register.