Crews Center for Entrepreneurship
program overview
The ImagineU Summer Entrepreneurship Accelerator program is a unique, immersive and intensive 8-week entrepreneurial experience in which students learn and live the early-stages of their entrepreneurship journey. This program emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and teamwork.
During the program, students will identify problems at the intersections of their passion, experience and knowledge, and will start a company with other students around the most compelling and feasible opportunities identified in the early stages of the program.
what will i learn?
ImagineU students are trained in:
• Opportunity recognition
• Lean entrepreneurship techniques for problem-solution fit and product-market fit
• Financial projections
• Capital formation
• Investor pitching
what will i gain from this experience?
This intensive program is a crash course in innovation and entrepreneurship. The rapid professional development gives you a competitive advantage in the post-college job market. Whether you continue on with the startup you create in the program or the enter an industry, the ImagineU experience sets you apart from other candidates, especially with companies that value innovation and initiative. After learning and using your newly acquired entrepreneurial mindset, you will look, sound and feel more experienced and knowledgeable.
Past ImagineU graduates consistently refer to this program as "a transformational experience." Many freely admit that it changed the trajectory of their professional lives. What might it do for you?
dates and deadlines
- Application Close: April 5, 2026*
- Interview Invitations Sent: March 1- April 7, 2026
- Interview Window: April 6 – April 10, 2026
- Final Decisions: Friday, April 15, 2026
- Participant Commitment Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026
- Orientation (Virtual): Monday, May 18, 2026
- Program Start Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
- Program End Date: Friday, July 24, 2026
*Applications are due by April 5, 2026, at 11:59PM CST. The program is competitive; we don't recommend waiting until the last minute to apply. We're not looking for people that want a backup plan. We are looking for motivated students that are serious about experiencing real-world entrepreneurship and understand they are going to start a viable business venture during this program.
eligibility
The ImagineU Summer Accelerator is an interdisciplinary program. To be eligible for this program, you must be a University of Memphis student within a qualifying major and be pursuing one of the following three academic paths for Summer 2026. Students must be graduating in December 2026 or later. Transfer students are accepted based on acceptance to the University of Memphis. Incoming graduate students accepted based on their acceptance into a University of Memphis graduate program.
what if i have questions before applying?
You have a couple of options! You can book a meeting to speak directly with the Crews Center Director about the program, or you can reach out to one of our Student Ambassadors to talk more about the ImagineU program. We highly encourage you to ask questions about the program, so don't be shy! We are very proud of the program and love to talk about it!
how do i apply?
Please review the Sample Application before clicking the link below.