CREATE Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
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Any idea can be a great one. Whether you’ve got an idea on a napkin, a business plan, or already have a startup in the works, we want to help fund your idea and grow it into the next successful venture. No equity, no debt, just a team of dedicated professionals to help you validate and grow your business. 

MUST BE A TCU STUDENT

CREATE is a cross-campus accelerator program that provides small amounts of capital and mentorship to help our students get their businesses off the ground.

CREATE includes teams that represent every college on campus with ideas that range from advanced technologies to service-based solutions. No idea is too small or too big for our team at the Institute.

CREATE starts in Fall Semester when students from each college join the program. You will attend informational sessions and workshops together which culminate in an internal pitch event at each school where a winner is selected to represent their college and compete against winners from every other college for $50,000 in funding.

Through CREATE, students can take advantage of workshops, mentors, advice, grants and legal assistance. Any idea at any stage is welcome. Open to ALL TCU students.

Rules and Schedule:

MUST BE A TCU STUDENT

How it Works:

Fall:

- Within the first 2 weeks, Interested students can attend an information session to learn about the program and determine if they’d like to compete.

- Students wanting to participate, will then submit their application through the link above.

- Once your application has been approved, you’ll be added to the CREATE D2L course where all significant dates and materials will be available to you.

- Participating teams will attend mandatory workshops throughout Fall semester that will help prepare them for their college’s internal pitch competition.

- Teams will also have access to the Shaddock Market where they can table and sell to students, faculty, parents and community members on campus.

- On their college’s specific date, teams will compete in a pitch competition to determine that college’s winner.

Spring:

- The winner will be accepted into our inaugural Spring accelerator class along with the winner from every other college on campus.

- We will have a total of 10 teams, one from each college.

- These teams will take part in workshops, one-on-one mentor meetings, legal and accounting sessions, etc.

- We will work with each team to prepare them for the final pitch day which will occur at the end of Spring Semester.

- These teams will compete for access to $50,000.

Workshops:

- Workshops are mandatory. Experienced professors and professionals share their entrepreneurial knowledge to help you get your idea off the ground. Workshops include:

      - Identifying the Problem

      - Solution Development, Testing & Validation

      - Marketing in a Digital Age

      - Building and Understanding Financial Projections

      - Storytelling & Pitching

Mentors:

- In the Spring, all our student teams will be matched with mentors.

- Our mentors volunteer to share their entrepreneurial experience and knowledge directly with you. We match you according to industry, experience and stage of your idea.

- At the beginning of Spring, we will hold a meet-and-greet reception for all teams to meet and mingle with our mentors.