The 2020 Tufts Venture Accelerator, hosted by the Tufts Entrepreneurship Center, is underway, held virtually for the first time in its history. Generously supported by Tufts Entrepreneurship Center advisory board members and Tufts University alumni, the 10-week program kicked off on June 1st and includes 78 students from across the globe.
Students bring to the program both early-stage and advanced business ideas. Startup ideas for this year’s cohort include medically tailored home-delivered meals, green dentistry, and a platform that predicts tasks based on goals - to name a few.
Ideas generated by entrepreneurial-minded innovators participating in the LEGO Ventures ideation workshops, hosted by the Tufts Gordon Institute, have also joined the program this summer.
While the business ideas vary, all participants share one common thread: a mission to make their idea a reality and propel their business to success. These students are not relaxing on the beach this summer - instead, they are soaking in knowledge by participating in virtual workshops and taking advantage of exclusive access to coaches offering their expertise in design thinking, the lean startup methodology, marketing, legal topics, fundraising, and pitching.
The program's tailored curriculum is designed to help participants overcome obstacles, achieve specific business goals, and take their startup to the next level. This summer participants are tackling challenges such as fundraising during COVID-19, identifying customers to test prototypes, and building a successful team.
In addition to accelerating their startup, the Tufts Venture Accelerator offers participants the opportunity to recruit new team members, join a startup team, and network with like-minded entrepreneurs.
The summer-long program will culminate with a Demo Week at the beginning of August where teams will pitch their business to a panel of judges for a chance to win prizes.