What happens when you mix business school students and startups?
Enter IDEAcorps, a competition designed for MBA students to help build early-stage startups over the period of a few days. Students oftentimes lack real world experience, and startups need support when starting out.
The program is currently seeking applications from MBA student leaders. Team leaders can apply directly here by October 1.
Jon Atkinson, Founding Director of the Loyola University Center for Entrepreneurship, said they are looking to expand the program nationally and are hoping to get MBAs excited about building a team at their school.
Teams will be paired with startups for four days during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week in March 2017.
“All great journeys start with a first step,” said Atkinson “IDEAcorps is a window to the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and challenges MBAs to bring order and strategy to the firehose of opportunity that the entrepreneur faces each day.”
IDEAcorps was launched a decade ago by The Idea Village, a hub for entrepreneurs in and around New Orleans. Loyola partnered with the organization last year as the new host of the MBA competition.
Schools and startups that participated last year included:
- Louisiana State University, paired with founder Tim Kappel and Echo, an app that lets you rediscover and share your musical past;
- Loyola University, paired with founder Karynn Verrett and TOURED, an app that provides curated and personalized travel experiences; and
- Tulane University, paired with founder Marco Altamirano and GradSquare, an online employment hub for people with advanced degrees.
For more information about the IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge, click here.