The Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KS WELI) supports creatives, founders, leaders, and allies by redefining leadership and entrepreneurship. KS WELI equips and empowers students of all backgrounds through engaging programming and events, spotlighting women-led businesses through the FoundHER Program, and sponsoring interdisciplinary courses within the McCombs Entrepreneurship Minor. Since its founding, KS WELI has become a force on UT’s campus to grow and support the number of women-owned and women-led businesses.

The LaunchPad at UT Austin is a resource hub that helps all undergraduate and graduate students explore entrepreneurship at UT. We help students identify where they are in their entrepreneurial journey – Explore, Ideate, Create, or Scale – then educate and connect them to resources across campus and in Austin. LaunchPad resources include events, coworking space, funding, bootcamps, accelerators, and other programs. We are a proud member of the global Blackstone LaunchPad Network of 46+ campuses.

One of the fastest growing minors in the Moody College of Communication, the Media and Entertainment Industries minor encourages students to critically assess and analyze the media and technology sectors from industrial and entrepreneurial perspectives. Our students are trained to think like entrepreneurs—to learn from the innovative thinking of historical media magnates and digital content creators alike—as well as apply those skills in a variety of experiential learning courses and assignments.

The Moffett Family Summer Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA) is an in-person, 8-week summer program for UT Austin undergraduates. SEA participants will complete 4 of 5 required courses for the Entrepreneurship Minor. Students will develop a foundational understanding of entrepreneurship, through terminology, case-based learning, key theories, and empirical-based practices, while working with local startups, corporate sponsors, McCombs alumni, and entrepreneurial mentors.

The Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) program offers $50,000 grants for Faculty and Grad Student/Postdoc researchers to reduce the time and risk associated with translating technologies from lab to market, quickly assessing the market potential of inventions developed from fundamental discoveries in science and engineering. Teams work directly with leadership from the Southwest I-Corps Node (SWICORPS) at UT Austin to gain eligibility and prepare for the NSF grant program through regional activities.

The Office of Undergraduate Research supports student engagement in the research and creative activity of the university. The Office of Undergraduate Research acts as a hub for resources and activities that help undergraduates 1) connect with faculty mentors to become involved in research, 2) obtain funding to carry out their projects, and 3) share their results with internal and external audiences.

The Product Prodigy Institute at UT Austin is an innovative hub for engaging students that identify as first generation or low-income in startup methodologies and product management with a focus on social and environmental impact. The 2 year program equips students with cutting-edge skills in design, technology, and entrepreneurship, creating pathways to high demand careers and wealth creation. 

The Social Entrepreneurship & Non-profits Certificate brings together students who are interested in pursuing a career in the public service sector and expanding their involvement in the community. Students have the opportunity to take coursework from a variety of disciplines that provide skills and knowledge in non-profit management, community engagement, and development. Students also gain hands-on experience through internships and research.

A 9-week summer accelerator program that picks the most promising emerging UT startups (undergrad, grad, and faculty teams) and helps them confront their next market-driven milestone. In its 13th year, alumni companies have collectively raised $100M and generated over $400M in valuation.

The Sustainability Education and Enterprise Development (SEED) program is more than just a competition. Unlike other challenges that occur over a shorter period, we provide mentorship, curriculum, and networking opportunities for students over two semesters. Our goal is to train future problem solvers to address root problems through a sustainability lens – not just to give a great pitch. SEED’s long-term mission is to create a collaborative network of educational institutions, impact businesses, and community programs to train youth to become sustainability innovation leaders in any career through education and experiential learning.