March 17, 2015

Brilliant ideas for businesses, products, and social enterprises need development and resources. Applications will soon open for the second annual Summer Program for Entrepreneurs, where Drexel students and recent alumni can spend six immersive weeks developing their ideas under the mentorship of industry leaders. With the goal of launching preliminary ideas to their next level, program participants receive meaningful financial stipends of up to $3,000 per participant/team, while engaging in an intensive boot camp and curriculum that ranges in topics from branding and growth strategy to proposal writing, marketing, non-profit development, web design and more. Westphal has also partnered with the Close School for the URBN-Close Entrepreneurship Co-op and Fellowship program, which offers students and recent alumni the opportunity to develop and launch their own businesses through a funded co-op or fellowship.

The summer program is supported by the Knight Foundation and was launched last year through a partnership between Westphal College, Drexel’s Close School of Entrepreneurship, and the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy at the University of the Arts. The intensive program is designed with weekly lectures, special workshops, and one-on-one sessions that take place in the URBN Center (3501 Market Street), covering principles of entrepreneurship, business planning, marketing, and budgets with a diverse range of field experts. At the end of the summer program the most promising projects will receive grants totaling up to $10,000. Visit the Corzo Center website for more information about the program and application criteria, and to sign up for the Corzo email list in order to receive upcoming details about applying to the program.

The URBN-Close Entrepreneurship Co-op and Fellowship program provides co-ops for current undergraduate students and fellowships for graduate students and alumni who have graduated in the past two years, as either three- or six-month experiences. An interdisciplinary approach provides participants—whether individuals or teams—with the necessary resources and expertise to ensure maximum success in pursuing their projects, including incubation workspace in the Baiada Center and mentorship from industry advisors. Click here to apply, or please contact Music Industry Professor Rob Weitzner at row27@drexel.edu for more information.