At the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center, our dedicated focus is on fostering the growth of entrepreneurial skills and empowering Longhorns to embrace this mindset in their careers, whether through starting their own businesses or driving innovation within established industries. UT founders can tap into the HKEC’s wealth of entrepreneurial resources through our networking and funding opportunities, interactive speaker events, one-on-one mentorship, pitch competitions, and our semester-long practicum, the Forty Acres Founders Program.

Founded in 2010, the Texas Venture Labs Accelerator is a zero-cost, zero equity program that connects Texas startups with multi-disciplinary graduate student teams. These students provide up to 200 hours of high impact business consulting each spring and fall semester. We accept applications from both early stage and growth stage startups who can clearly define meaningful projects to help accelerate growth and are committed to engaging with the student team.

Texas Venture Labs (TVL) Startup Fellows gain experience in a variety of industries and roles while simultaneously building their expertise and networks. They work on projects that reinforce classroom learning, allowing them to bridge the gap between their career aspirations and their current skill set. TVL offers the following five tracks: TVL Venture Capital Fellow, TVL Social Impact Fellow, TVL Commercialization Fellow, TVL Founder in Residence Fellow, and TVL Ecosystem Fellow.

Texas Venture Mentoring Service (TEXVMS) has assembled over 100 expert mentors to support startups in the many entrepreneurship programs at UT Austin. TEXVMS's intensive team mentoring methodology surrounds startups with diverse expertise tailored to each company's unique needs. Mentors provide practical, actionable advice with a focus on developing the entrepreneur. Startups with any UT Austin connection may apply: university IP, faculty/student founder, or participation in another UT program.