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Accelerator Program

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The Stanford Emergence Accelerator Program

By Application (application period is closed)

  • Eligibility: Graduate level students who are working towards impact driven ventures that address societal and planetary health challenges (applications from highly qualified undergraduate students will also be considered). We seek students who are knowledgeable about the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, who bring deep knowledge of the issues they are working to address, and who offer diverse perspectives and backgrounds to the cohort. 
  • Application Period: Currently Closed - Next Cycle will open Oct. 1st 2024
  • Program Dates: Jan. - June, 2025

About 

The Emergence Accelerator Program supports a cohort of highly driven social and environmental student entrepreneurs and ventures each year from across campus. Through key impact entrepreneurship workshops, coaching from successful founders, one-on-one mentorship from industry professionals, and facilitated networking and connections to prospective funders, students are supported to ideate, develop, and launch purpose driven ventures that address our most pressing challenges. The Emergence Accelerator includes the following key components: 

  • Impact Entrepreneurship Curriculum: Students learn the fundamentals of impact entrepreneurship and are supported to incorporate them into their venture via the following focused workshops:
    • Fundamentals of Impact Entrepreneurship
    • Transformational Leadership 
    • Incorporating Equity & Sustainability in Innovation
    • Aligning Business Models with Impact
    • Culture & Team Building
    • Ownership & Governance Structures
    • Raising Mission Aligned Capital
  • Coaching from a Successful Founder: Each student is paired with a successful founder who serves as their coach for the duration of the program. Through regular meetings and continued support students receive tailored guidance to troubleshoot areas of venture development and personal leadership. 
  • Industry Mentorship: Throughout the duration of the program, students are connected to industry professionals, relevant to their specific needs and focus areas, to gain feedback as they refine/scale their ventures for success.
  • Funding Partnerships: Student entrepreneurs receive facilitated connections to aligned prospective funders (VC's, Corporations, Angel Investors, Foundations etc.) within the Emergence network to support the launch and scaling of their innovations. In addition, ventures chosen to pitch at the annual Emergence Summit are eligible to receive a small seed award. 
  • Peer-to-Peer Connections: Through a cohort of like-minded impact-driven student entrepreneurs, participants are able to lean into a community of support and knowledge sharing. 
  • Networking & Exposure: Students are connected to a network of private and public sector partners and gain visibility via convenings, an annual Summit, conferences, and investor pitch events.

Graduates of the Accelerator Program receive a Certificate of Completion from Emergence in Impact Entrepreneurship.

Application Process

  • Application opens: Oct. 1st, 2024 
  • Application deadline: Nov. 15th, 2024
  • Award notifications: Dec. 15th, 2024

Resources

Contact

 For any additional questions please contact sgillett@stanford.edu. If you are interested in being an Industry Mentor for the Stanford Emergence Accelerator Program please reach out to us via this form to learn more.  

Student Testimonials

2024 Accelerator Cohort

2023 Accelerator Cohort

Coaches & Industry Mentors

 

Student

 

Major/Program

 

Topic

Navami Jain

Biology & Mathematical and Computational Science

Designing a zero-waste healthcare supply chain

Divya Agarwal

Health Policy

Plant-based alternatives to traditional treatments for anxiety and depression

Ali Kight

Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering Design better and more accessible daily living products, starting with menstruation

Anton Molina

Materials Science and Engineering Consumer facing 3D print/recycling farms to realize a circular economy in small plastic objects

Summer Shaw

JD & MBA Net zero and minimal waste products

Axel Peytavin

Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering Social Platform for addressing Misinformation

Dhruv Suri

Energy Resource Engineering Last mile delivery of products in remote areas to increase social equity

Xiaofan Liu

Environmental Engineering Carbon Capture Products

Taimur Ahmad

International Policy (Energy and the Environment) Expanding access to clean, cheap electricity for underserved communities through sustainable business models