Student entrepreneurs working with the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University will benefit from a new partnership between the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and Techstars, a global startup accelerator and entrepreneurial network.
The new partnership was just announced at SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas.
As one of just 20 Blackstone LaunchPads across the globe, the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University boasts more than 2,500 student and community entrepreneurs and their mentors in its membership. The organization helps students, faculty, staff and alumni explore innovation and entrepreneurship in a cross campus interdisciplinary hub located in Bird Library. The program is the connector for Syracuse University’s innovation ecosystem, and offers co-working, mentoring, training, and access to regional, national and global resources.
Blackstone-aided entrepreneurs at Syracuse University will now have access to the Techstars network of more than 10,000 mentors, global entrepreneurial events, and world-renowned content and startup services, including tools for fundraising, job placement and recruitment.
Since opening its doors in April 2016, 2,500 program participants at Syracuse University’s LaunchPad are now working on 422 venture ideas, of which 45 have incorporated. They have raised more than $3 million in outside investment and won $390,000 in business plan competitions. More than 4,000 faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members attended Syracuse Blackstone University affiliated entrepreneurship events in 2017.
Program participants are diverse, with 50% male and 50% female, and students from 47 countries, representing all academic areas.
This new partnership will enable Syracuse University to leverage Techstars’ proven success to create a competitive advantage for campus entrepreneurs on a global level. “Our goal is to help launch ventures, but also to build critical thinking and skills that will make our students better global citizens, innovators and leaders in an entrepreneurial world,” said Linda Dickerson Hartsock, executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University.
Read a Syracuse University Blackstone LaunchPad Overview and see Blackstone LaunchPad quick metrics – March 2018.
Photo: Linda Dickerson Hartsock and Josh Aviv at the LaunchPad. Linda chairs the SparkCharge advisory team.