A new partnership between the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and Techstars, a global entrepreneurial network and start-up accelerator, will offer additional mentorship, start-up support and networking opportunities for students at the 鶹ӳý. The two companies announced the affiliation with the College of Business on March 7 at SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas.

Through this partnership, the 鶹ӳý Blackstone LaunchPad will gain access to Techstars’ network of more than 10,000 mentors, worldwide entrepreneurial events, and content and startup services. 鶹ӳý Blackstone LaunchPad director Cameron Ford called the partnership a game-changing opportunity for 鶹ӳý.

“Techstars has built a global community of innovators, entrepreneurs and investors that has achieved remarkable success launching companies and enriching communities,” Ford said. “Our partnerships with Blackstone and Techstars will offer 鶹ӳý students unrivaled access to expert advising, startup resources, and experiential learning opportunities to support their personal development and the development of their new venture ideas.”

The 鶹ӳý Blackstone LaunchPad welcomes hundreds of students from across campus each year, accepting more than 3,000 appointments and launching dozens of start-ups annually. 鶹ӳý student and Capacitech Energy CEO Joe Sleppy advises other students at the Blackstone LaunchPad and used its resources to launch his business.

“This partnership with Techstars is a major added value to 鶹ӳý’s ecosystem and the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership,” said Sleppy, who won 鶹ӳý’s version of Shark Tank – the Joust New Venture Competition with his business idea in 2016. “The resources that will be shared are internationally desired, will give 鶹ӳý students a major advantage, and will help them execute their visions.”