What comes to mind when you hear the term “mid-summer festival?”
It may evoke imagery of a midway, complete with rides, carnival music, and funnel cake.
On AU’s campus, though, festivities of a different sort take shape each year when the calendar flips to July—one befitting the university’s rich culture of entrepreneurship.
A tradition that began in 2020 amid the all-virtual world of the pandemic, students from across campus came together again over 16 days this summer to connect, learn, and compete as part of the Fifth Annual Startup and Standout event, AU’s all-virtual summer extravaganza celebrating all things entrepreneurship.
The event blends networking, hands-on learning opportunities, and a pitch competition—all against a backdrop of finding new, innovative ways to enact change.
This year, 158 participants, ranging from current students to incoming first-years and recent graduates, took part in the event, which was hosted by the Kogod School of Business and Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship, the university’s cross-campus catalyst for promoting the entrepreneurial mindset.
“Startup and Standout engages incoming first-year students in AU's entrepreneurship community and provides an opportunity for continuing students to remain engaged between semesters,” said Danielle Vogel, Kogod professor and assistant director of the Veloric Center. “It brings student entrepreneurs together with the entrepreneurially-curious to take some risks, make new friends, and build their public speaking and presentation confidence along the way.”
Throughout the event, participants learn and collaborate through discussions, workshops, and ultimately, a team-based showdown dubbed the “Solution Slam,” where participants develop an idea for a new product or service centered around making a meaningful social impact.
On the line: $10,000 in prize money.
For some students, Startup and Standout is a way to keep their networking and entrepreneurial skills sharp during the summer months.
“As an international student from Ghana, the festival breathed life into my creative abilities as an emerging entrepreneur,” said Joseph Atchulo, part of the winning team in the Solution Slam, which proposed new ways to improve the eye care sector in Africa.
For others, the event is a way to upskill and, in some cases, wade into entrepreneurship for the first time.