Category: Events of Interest

Remote – Pear- $25K Competition

March 17, 2021 / Olivia Reneau

Calling all entrepreneurs! The application deadline for Pear $25K Competition is on Monday, March 22nd 11:59 PST. APPLY HERE

Pear $25K Competition

Winning teams will each be awarded a $25K uncapped SAFE and 20 student teams will win. No idea is too early to be considered and the application is quick. Winners will be decided through two interviews with the Pear team. Email me or Danielle (danielle@pear.vc) with any questions.

Pear Accelerator & Seed

Pear also hosts an exclusive Accelerator and leads Seed rounds up to $3M. Watch this video to hear about Pear’s hands-on support for product, growth, recruiting, and fundraising. You can apply through Pear Competition and opt into Accelerator.

More about Pear

The Pear VC team has built 8 startups and partnered early with companies now worth over $80 Billion, including Doordash, Branch, Guardant Health, and Gusto. They believe strongly in student founders – 49% of their portfolio companies are student-founded!

Remote – Duke UNICEF Innovation Accelerator – Marketing Internship

January 25, 2021 / Olivia Reneau

Duke-UNICEF Innovation Accelerator Marketing Project – Spring 2021

This short-term, project-based, non-paid internship is offered by the Duke-UNICEF Innovation Accelerator (DUIA) at the Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative (Duke I&E) in partnership with Lily Health, a DUIA supported organization in Kenya, as an appointment from February 1 – April 30, 2021. The appointment may be shorter depending on the needs of Lily Health and the availability of the student/students.

This DUIA intern(s) will work with Lily Health to improve customer acquisition. Lily Health receives 1000’s of expressions of interest (leads) from potential customers each week. The intern(s) will design an efficient retargeting campaign across digital channels to convert these leads into customers (Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Facebook groups, Pinterest, Instagram, Google Ad Networks, Email, and SMS). This project is ideal for someone that wants hands-on experience with results-driven digital marketing, is comfortable using data, and has marketing experience or training.

COMPENSATION

This internship is unpaid but offers access to the resources at Duke I&E and DUIA.

APPOINTMENT TIMELINE

This appointment is flexible but preferred from February 1 – April 30, 2021. This project will require a minimum of 8 hours per week.

QUALIFICATIONS

This internship is intended to support any Duke University students. Students must be enrolled full time, but may be in any program.

Candidates must have a demonstrated proficiency in digital marketing. Preference will be given to candidates with an interest in social entrepreneurship and/or MHH.

APPLICATION

Please submit a 1 paragraph statement of interest, alongside resume/CV for consideration to Madison Alexander at madison.alexander@duke.edu.

Remote – Battery Ventures & More – Venture Capital Night

September 29, 2020 / Olivia Reneau

Venture Capital Night will be held on Tuesday, October 6th at 6 PM MT / 8 PM ET remote via Zoom. The evening will include panel participants from Battery Ventures, Accel Partners, Summit Partners, Spectrum Equity, Accel-KKR, and Bessemer Venture Partners. This is a panel-led discussion for undergraduate students interested in tech-focused venture capital, growth equity, and private equity. Topics that will be covered include: current market conditions, how students can break into VC/PE, and what students can do now to differentiate themselves. Capacity is limited so please register for the event here: https://battery.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vrYKzoCrQxOw8Y9xNotU0g

RTP – Triangle Impact Challenge 2021: FlyRDU – Design Challenge

September 10, 2020 / Olivia Reneau

TRIANGLE PARTNERS KICK OFF IMPACT CHALLENGE 2021: FlyRDU

Cash Prizes Offered For Ideas That Make Air Travel Safer During a Pandemic

RDU AIRPORT N.C. — Airline travel has taken a huge hit from the coronavirus shutdown, yet it has always been a vital part of the global and regional economy.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is already helping passengers fly with confidence by increasing its cleaning and disinfecting practices, requiring that masks be worn in the airport, encouraging physical distancing and using touchless technology. Now RDU wants to identify additional ways to make air travel safe and welcoming by tapping into the talents of local universities and research institutes.

RDU is working with Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill and RTI International to improve the air travel experience by finding more ways to keep passengers safe and healthy during the parking, ticketing, screening, waiting, shopping, dining and boarding processes.

They’ve launched the Triangle Impact Challenge 2021: FlyRDU with $120,000 in prizes to look for these solutions by tapping into the region’s most innovative minds.

For example, is it possible to make the journey from a person’s car to their seat on board the aircraft completely touchless? Can passengers be screened and processed without standing in line? What incentives might help passengers behave more safely?

“RDU is committed to protecting the health of everyone who visits the airport and safely welcoming passengers back to air travel,” said Michael J. Landguth, president & CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “This challenge is an opportunity for local students, faculty and employees of the consortium to design and develop innovative solutions that redefine the future of safe travel.”

Participants will be allowed to examine any aspect of the airport’s operation, from cleaning and disinfecting protocols to queuing procedures and building design. The submissions could range from new technologies to proposed health screenings, operational adjustments or any other advancement that could improve the travel experience by limiting the spread of illness.

The FlyRDU Challenge kicks off this month with a broad appeal inviting students, faculty and staff and university-affiliated startups at Duke, N.C. Central, N.C. State, UNC and RTI International to consider submitting proposals. The first round of projects are due Nov. 16 and will be judged by a panel of experts before finalists are announced the week of Dec. 21, 2020.

The finalists will pitch their projects during an event on the week of Jan. 18, 2021 and the winners will be announced the following week. Challenge organizers also plan to involve angel investors and startup company expertise in the region to help some of these ideas rapidly achieve marketability.

“Times of crisis like this can inspire great leaps forward in innovation and technology, we’ve seen that before,” said Lawrence Carin, vice president for research at Duke University. “I think it’s a terrific idea to call on this region’s creative and entrepreneurial spirit to try to improve the air travel we all depend on so much.”

“Innovation thrives and accelerates when people who have diverse sets of expertise come together to solve problems that are pressing and complex,” said Judith Cone, vice chancellor for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development at UNC-Chapel Hill. “Launching this challenge is a smart way to coalesce inventive minds around air-travel challenges. This collaboration will engage innovators from universities in our region who bring the ingenuity, scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to make an immediate economic and health impact at RDU and create a model of innovation for the entire industry.”

“NC State University is excited to be a part of this critically important innovation challenge,” said Tom Miller, senior vice provost and executive director of NC State Entrepreneurship. “Recently ranked by the Bush Institute among the top 20 U.S. universities for innovation impact, we are eager to help solve these problems created by the pandemic.”

“This area has world-class expertise in public health, virology, engineering and human factors design,” said James Gibson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, RTI International. “Surely we can apply what we know to the challenges now being faced by the air travel industry and come up with solutions that will help everyone, not just in the Piedmont of NC, but around the world.”

To learn more about the Triangle Impact Challenge 2021: FlyRDU please visit https://bit.ly/FlyRDU, sponsored by Agorize.

# # #

WEBSITE: https://duke.agorize-platform.com/en/challenges/triangleimpact-flyrdu/agreements?lang=en

Home from College

May 6, 2020 / Anna Jacobs

From Duke student Ginger del Real:

I am working as a Campus Lead for a startup called Home From College that I believe will greatly benefit my peers. HFC is a digital platform providing access to mentorships and enhanced learning during this time of isolation. The purpose of this platform is to provide students with engaging content through an interactive speaker series from business leaders, innovators and trendsetters across different industries. Students have the opportunity to ask questions, be placed in mentorship programs and have Zoom coffee chats with speakers of their choice.

Reach out to Ginger (virginia.del.real@duke.edu) with any questions.

Durham, NC – Momentum – Coding Bootcamp

April 1, 2020 / Olivia Reneau

Intro to Momentum

Momentum is a coding bootcamp located in Durham, North Carolina. We are the launch pad for your tech career journey, whether you’re just starting out or already work as a developer. We collaboratively provide relevant skills training focused on the needs of the technology industry and the modern workplace. Our full-time Software Engineering Immersive course is designed to teach you the skills you need to work as a professional web developer.

Marketing Intern

Join Momentum’s marketing team for a challenging and rewarding marketing internship! In this role, you’ll work collaboratively with the marketing team to help in the development of the Momentum brand through a variety of channels, leveraging copy-writing and tech/engineering skills. Here you’ll work with the industry’s best to evolve the coding bootcamp industry and discover the impact of technology and learning how to code.

Role & Responsibilities

Develop creative website, blog, and social content, leveraging copy-writing skills, social media experience, and understanding of coding and technology
Assist in developing creative solutions for the brand website, present to internal teams and implement updates leveraging coding/technology skills
Explore, evaluate and present emerging marketing, technology and coding bootcamp tools and trends and recommend actions to maximize opportunities for Momentum
Work closely with the Marketing Specialist, internal teams and vendors to strategize for a premier event at a major tech industry conference to support brand awareness goals
Responsible for tracking performance metrics, organizing data, and implementing optimization plans to ensure weekly goals are met

If interested, please contact: Sieda@momentumlearn.com

San Francisco – Contrary – Accelerator

March 5, 2020 / Olivia Reneau

Please check out this message from Contrary!

Hello,
My name is Thomas Williford, and I’m a team member at Contrary – we’re a university-focused venture fund backed by founders of Facebook, Tesla, Reddit, and many others. I wanted to send you a note to let you know that we released applications for our summer accelerator earlier this month.

For the past three years, we’ve spent every summer building alongside 12 of the top companies across the country in San Francisco. 90% of our teams raise follow-on rounds, with the vast majority coming from top-tier funds like Sequoia and Founders Fund. If you’d be open to sharing the blurb listed below the line with any relevant founders or channels you know in your network, we’d appreciate it. We hope it’s a great opportunity for anyone growing a venture at Duke!

Let me know if you have any questions – thanks!

Best,
Thomas Williford
______________________________

Contrary is a network-driven venture fund backed by the founders of Tesla, Reddit, Facebook, and many more. We run a summer accelerator for recent grads and current students from June 15th – early September. Apply today to be considered for a summer accelerator that provides…

Up to $500k in funding
Office hours and workshops with top entrepreneurs like Ryan Hoover (ProductHunt), Leah Busque (TaskRabbit), and Andrew Chen (a16z)
An end-of-summer Demo Day that last year resulted in 90% of teams raising capital, with most raising from top-tier funds including Sequoia, Founders Fund, Kleiner Perkins, and more.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until April 1st. The earlier you apply, the better.

Apply at contrarycap.com/accelerator or reach out to will@contrarycap.com for more info.

Remote – 2020 Worker and Student Financial Health Challenge – Competition

December 13, 2019 / Olivia Reneau

About the competition

Workers and students of the future face challenging trends that may jeopardize their financial health. Rapid technology changes are requiring workers to train and reskill for career advancement, yet costs of education and training programs are rising steadily. The gig economy is growing rapidly, but offers inconsistent income and is an insufficient replacement for traditional jobs.

There is a need for fintech products, services, and partnerships that help people prepare for the economies of the future by addressing the barriers to affordable training, education, and opportunity.

On October 24, the Financial Solutions Lab launched its sixth challenge, to advance the financial health of workers and students who are developing in-demand skills that prepare them for the future of work. The challenge will cultivate, support and scale fintech solutions that benefit people who face persistent financial health challenges.

Who should appy?

This Challenge aims to identify and develop fintech solutions and partnerships that are advancing the financial health of workers and students who are developing in-demand skills to prepare them for the future of work.

We are looking for innovative start-ups and nonprofits who are:

Providing fintech solutions to the currently employed, either full-time or as a participant in the gig economy.
Addressing the challenges of building the workforce of the future, including helping workers access training or seek higher education to either enter, rejoin, or advance their careers.

What do selected companies recieve?

Fintech organizations will receive:

Up to $125,000 in capital.
Professional services assistance from industry leaders.
Mentorship from the Financial Health Network and JPMorgan Chase employees.

How do I apply?

Follow this link! Applications are accepted through January 6th, 2020.

Remote – Sullivan Foundation Award School – Grant Matching Program

December 3, 2019 / Olivia Reneau

Sullivan Foundation Award School Matching Grant Programs

$5,000 Matching Grant

1. There are a limited number of these matching grants available and these are only open to Sullivan Award Schools and not Sullivan Schools with Endowments.

2. Sullivan will match an amount of at least $5,000. This fund may be used by your students, faculty or staff for Sullivan Programming including Ignite Retreats, Field Trips, Faculty Summits, Study Abroad and any future programming offered by the Sullivan Foundation.

3. Funds may be used for registration fees for the above indicated events only. The funds may not be used for travel costs or third-party expenses.

4. Because we want to encourage many students and faculty/staff to engage in our study abroad programming, only $1,000 per student may be used from the Fund for Study Abroad registration expenses. Matching funds may be used to pay 100% of registration fees for Sullivan Ignite Retreats, Field Trips, Faculty Summits or Gatherings. Additional programming may be added.

5. Each participating campus will be asked to appoint a campus liaison or point of contact for the Foundation. This liaison will verify the students and faculty/staff that may use the matching grant funds for their school. The liaison will also share information about Sullivan programming opportunities with students and faculty on their campus.

6. For schools that fund their match from sponsors, the Foundation will produce a professional video about the event, in which the sponsored students participate. The video will include interviews with the school’s students. The school may provide this video to the sponsor and the sponsor may use it to share their involvement in helping students and the school.

$500 Matching Grant

1. Sullivan is offering a $500 matching grant to Sullivan Award schools for students, faculty or staff that attend Sullivan programming. The student, faculty or staff match should come from a local sponsor from the business community. The goal of this matching grant initiative is to engage the school’s community in social impact giving. The funds may be applied to any Sullivan programming.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to Kevin Seddon by email at kevin.seddon@sullivanfdn.org or by calling him directly at 662.816.5964. The matching funds provided by the Foundation are limited, so the Foundation will approve participants on a first-come, first-served basis until the available matching funds are exhausted.