Student entrepreneurs in the BASE Camp classroom
On Aug. 1, seven teams began their journey through BASE Camp, Entrepreneurship@DU’s summer accelerator program. Over six weeks, they’ll take advantage of opportunities to grow their businesses and find a market fit.
The five teams that participated in this year’s program range from sole proprietors to co-founding duos with various areas of expertise. These teams are: ChaiGo, GoodLove Foods, Illegal Oats, JunkBags/Solve and Sports Relationships.
Read more about this year’s teams
Under the direction of DU staff and business mentors, these teams will work together every day at the Entrepreneurship@DU Garage to accelerate their businesses. BASE Camp is designed so each team will meet individually with business mentors, subject matter experts and University professors to focus on the specifics of their venture, while also learning fundamental entrepreneurial skills such as product fit, cash flow statements, marketing techniques, legality issues and more.
Chennelle Diong, founder of GoodLove Foods, speaks to BASE Camp students
Each team entering the program has unique goals and motivation to take their business to the next level. Some teams already have established startups and want to take that next step; others just have an idea and need guidance on how to perfect their pitch and turn their idea into a viable business model.
For instance, Clare Whetzel, founder of mealworm-based granola company Illegal Oats, has been running her business at local farmers markets around Colorado since last summer. She wants to grow her business and reach a broader audience. Whetzel said her goals for this 6-week session are to “expand the company’s customer base, cut down on costs and increase brand awareness.”
Emily Lloyd, on the other hand, has a concrete idea but needs these six weeks to turn her idea into something more tangible. Lloyd hopes to start her own athletic non-profit consulting firm where she works with teams and coaches on creating healthy relationships and positive team atmospheres. Lloyd is excited to get “specific with it,” she said. “Having the opportunity to learn from so many people, with three professors and two mentors, along with my cohort of students with their ideas, will be so helpful—especially when it comes to the specific intensities of starting your own company. Often, I am doing it on my own or in a class, so having individual attention is what I am most excited about.”
If you want to keep up with these companies and their progress, follow them on social media—and stay tuned to E@DU’s channels too.
And for you students and entrepreneurs reading this, make sure to keep up to date on when BASE Camp runs again next year, and be on the lookout for application deadlines. All the information is on the DU Entrepreneurship website.