Our Partners

In 2010, the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced its Entrepreneurship Initiative, a global commitment to advance entrepreneurial thought and activity in the United States and abroad. Through Blackstone LaunchPad, Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network, Blackstone Inclusive Entrepreneurship Challenge, and Blackstone Innovation Grants, the Foundation encourages and empowers the entrepreneurs who create jobs and stimulate economic growth. The Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University received seed funding from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, and is one of 46 LaunchPads at universities around the world. The Blackstone Charitable Foundation was founded at the time of Blackstone’s IPO in 2007 with substantial commitments from the Firm’s employees. Influenced by the enterprising heritage of the firm and its founders, The Blackstone Charitable Foundation is directing its resources and applying the intellectual capital of the firm to foster entrepreneurship in areas nationwide and globally.

Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, collaborates with the Blackstone LaunchPad on special programs, invitations to signature events, and access to world-renowned content and startup services. Techstars helps entrepreneurs succeed. Through the Techstars Worldwide Entrepreneur Network, founders connect with other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders, and corporations to grow their companies. Techstars operates four divisions: Techstars Startup Programs, Techstars Mentorship-Driven Accelerator Programs, Techstars Corporate Innovation Partnerships, and the Techstars Venture Capital Fund. LaunchPad student ventures are encouraged to apply to Techstars programs and accelerators. Three Syracuse University teams have graduated from Techstars programs: Josh Aviv, founder of SparkCharge - Boston Techstars: AJ Damiano and Michael Paris co-founders of Power Spike - Atlanta Techstars; and Kelsey Davis and Brendan O'Keeffe, co-founders of CLLCTVE - Los Angeles Techstars. Syracuse University LaunchPad alumni have gone to work for Techstars.

The LaunchPad network partners with Future Founders, a national nonprofit organization immersing young founders in experiences that inspire and empower them on their entrepreneurial journey. The organization’s multiple accelerator programs are offered free of charge, and focus on pairing a strong peer community of like-minded founders with intensive coaching from seasoned entrepreneurs. Future Founders is a non profit organization that helps 18 to 30-year-old entrepreneurs create and scale ventures across all industries. The organization’s multiple accelerator programs are offered free of charge, and focus on pairing a strong peer community of like-minded founders with intensive coaching from seasoned entrepreneurs. Over the last four years alone, Future Founders has helped hundreds of companies collectively generate over $33 million in revenue, raise $36 million in capital, and create 543 jobs.

The Dorm Room Fund will provide mentoring to the most promising student startups at Syracuse University’s Blackstone LaunchPad, as well as consider seed funding as part of the Dorm Room Fund’s Campus Organization Network (DRFCON), backed by First Round Capital. A San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2002 that provided seed-stage funding to technology companies such as Uber, Square and Warby Parker, First Round provides seed-stage funding and focuses on portfolio companies’ growth during their first 18 months. It has offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York. The company publishes First Round Review, a blog with industry experts on management and operations best practices. Fortune Magazine dubbed it the most connected venture network in the Silicon Valley. In 2012, the firm launched and funded Dorm Room Fund for college startups. Since launching, DRF has invested in 150 startups where at least one person on the founding team is a student (undergraduate or graduate). Those ventures have gone to raise $300 million from partner funds. DRF will work with the Blackstone LaunchPad to offer "How To Start A Startup Guide" with resources on getting started, starting up, launch and beyond. DRFCON-hosted sessions for Syracuse startups, with a schedule established in conjunction with the Blackstone LaunchPad and its Dorm Room Fund student ambassador. The format will be 20-minute calls with a DRCONF partner to provide feedback.