The Spartan Accelerator and Incubator program is designed to help current students, recent alums and early-stage community businesses grow their business ideas.
The Spartan Incubator
The Spartan Incubator - Big dreams begin with an idea that needs developing. This is why we meet our founders at all points along the entrepreneurial path. The Spartan Incubator hosts a live lab for early-stage community businesses. Unlike many similar programs, the Spartan Incubator program places a focus on the personal growth, skill development and transformation of the founder as well as the company.
Benefits of the program:
- Access to expert guidance from UT faculty
- Participation in an incubator that is associated with the 17th highest ranked entrepreneurship program, according to the Princeton Review
- Intensive and customized coaching and mentoring through one-on-one work with the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center entrepreneur-in-residence
- Expansion of your entrepreneurial mindset and perfect your pitch in front of highly successful entrepreneurs
The Spartan Accelerator
The Spartan Accelerator is a robust, applied program for students across all disciplines. The program pairs students with mentors, industry leading experts, and a launch team to help them formulate successful business plans and pitch deck presentations. The goal of this opportunity is to help build the student entrepreneurs' skills and equip them with the tools necessary to be successful entrepreneurs.
The program, backed by the AACSB-accredited Sykes College of Business, builds the Tampa Bay entrepreneurial ecosystem to support the development and launch of new ventures. Participants attend weekly peer meetings, practice applied techniques, hear from guest speakers and participate in pitch competitions and a New Venture Expo.
We base our philosophy around the lean startup business model. A huge benefit from the Accelerator program is the Spartan Accelerator Seed Fund, which has been awarded $100,000 since Fall 2015. The Lowth Entrepreneurship Center features four large rooms reserved for accelerator teams and their mentors.
Benefits of the Program:
- Expansion of your entrepreneurial mindset and perfect your pitch in front of highly successful entrepreneurs
- Connect with students in other disciplines and different grade levels
- Opportunity to win competitions to fund and grow your business
- Access into the Tampa Bay entrepreneurial ecosystem