Annual grant for one faculty member to explore an industry related to their area of research with the goal of discovering near-term commercialization opportunities. Over a 12-month period, the faculty member receives a $30,000+ grant to lead a team consisting of a graduate student, undergraduate researchers / market analysts, and paired with an Industry Guide to support their efforts.

DisrupTexas is an annual pitch competition for undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin. Hosted by the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center, DisrupTexas is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for experiential learning and a chance for student teams to walk away with some serious cash.

The Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center believes entrepreneurship should be accessible to all Longhorns. We recognize that there are many groups underrepresented in entrepreneurship that may find it difficult to connect with, and navigate, the entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus. At this summit, role models from diverse backgrounds share the ways in which an entrepreneurial education can increase professional opportunities.

The KS WEL Institute hosts monthly EmpowHER Hours for the UT community. EmpowHER hours help equip and empower our students through 1-hour presentations presented by UT Austin Alumnae. In the past, EmpowHER Hour topics ranged from Picking a Team, Interview Tips, Women in Consulting, Finding a Mentor, Investing Basics, Personal Branding, etc. You can sign up to attend EmpowHER Hours by visiting KS WEL Institute website!

Our 4-module bootcamp helps undergraduate students learn an entrepreneurial approach to work and life. Topics include "Information Overload: How to Make Effective Decisions in Complex Environments," "Ideation: How Entrepreneurs Generate Compelling Ideas," "Customer Discovery: How to Pressure Test Your Ideas," and "Present Like an Entrepreneur: How to Pitch Yourself & Your Ideas."

The Entrepreneurship Live! speaker series features entrepreneurs from across different industries, enabling students and the community to experience live insights into how to launch an idea into a startup. Recent speakers include Tim League, Co-founder of Alamo Drafthouse, Vanessa Ogle, Founder and CEO of Enseo, and Julia Cheek, Founder of Everlywell.

The Entrepreneurship Minor teaches students how to become innovative leaders and make meaningful impact in their communities. Our curriculum requires students to learn fundamental skills in ideation creation, business plans, marketing, pitching, and product development. In summary, students learn how to plan and launch new projects, products and startups.

Faculty-led education abroad programs provide faculty with the opportunity to connect course content through experiential learning objectives. These programs contribute to UT’s internationalization of the curriculum and Texas Global’s goal of providing affordable international experiences to our students. Students earn credit towards their degree program and have the opportunity to build strong connections with UT faculty. Programs focused on entrepreneurship and innovation are invited to apply.

The KS WEL Institute empowers and spotlights female-owned startups monthly through their application-based Featured Female Founders program. The Featured Female Founders program provides resources and exposure to the Austin startup community for these founders. Come stop by the KS WEL Institute or apply online if you're interested in becoming a Featured Female Founder!

The Forty Acres Founders Pre-Accelerator Program at the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center offers undergraduate student founders the opportunity to study potential customers, improve their product, establish product-market fit, and position their product for success within the marketplace. Students will learn to vet their ideas, develop skills for researching and understanding customer needs, and develop tools for building a product/service that appropriately fits a market need.