VentureLaunch | Grove City College Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation

The Grove City College VentureLaunch program, sponsored by the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation, affords student run businesses the opportunity to grow and explore new opportunities with the support of coaches, mentors, and pre-approved expense reimbursements. VentureLaunch is the perfect program to help small, student-run businesses scale and reach their fullest potential.

Once accepted to VentureLaunch, student-led companies can remain in the program through graduation, as long as they remain in good standing with the program.

Training, Coaching, and Mentoring

VentureLaunch:

Connects teams to resources within Grove City College such as classes and/or students to assist with research and project work and professors who may be able to provide advice that may assist in furthering the team’s goals

Helps to identify industry-specific mentors as necessary so that the team members can seek first-hand advice from experts with background and knowledge respective to their venture

Works with Grove City College Alumni & College Relations Office to reach out to GCC Alumni and Friends around the world to participate as mentors and advisors as needed

Arranges for access to regional professionals for support as needed. These professionals may include attorneys, accountants, sales and marketing professionals, HR professionals, etc.

Facilitates finding competitions, events, and programs outside of GCC that might be of interest to teams in order to further their ideas, obtain external feedback, and win funding.

Pre-Approved Expense Reimbursement

Students accepted into the VentureLaunch program have the full support of the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation, which includes the reimbursing of pre-approved expenses. Examples of reimbursable expenses include market research, registration at trade shows or industry conferences, contract labor, purchase of hardware or software specifically for use in the venture, marketing expenses, prototype components, etc.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policy

Grove City College wishes to encourage robust startup activity through the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation. As such, students who wish to start commercial ventures may work with Professor English to apply to the Provost for an Intellectual Property Policy waiver which releases them from the school’s current Intellectual Property Policy.

Entrance Criteria

All applicants to the VentureLaunch will be required to submit an application (see below). Teams will be accepted on a rolling admission basis.

Student-led companies must have a legal entity formed (or be ready to form an entity) to be admitted to the program.

Although students, faculty, staff, recent graduates, and outside individuals may participate in the venture, it is preferred that the Team Lead of the venture be a Grove City College student.