ImagineU Summer Entrepreneurship Accelerator

The ImagineU Summer Entrepreneurship Accelerator program is a unique, immersive and intensive 12-week entrepreneurial experience in which students learn and live the early-stages of their entrepreneurship journey. This program emphasizes diversity and inclusion. In order to make the experience accessible to all, the program pays participating students a $3,000 stipend. The number of stipends available year-to-year depends on funding available. 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?

The stipend is the least valuable thing you will receive from this program. 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?

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!

When are the Dates for ImagineU?

The program begins on May 20, 2024 and runs through August 9, 2024. There generally is an orientation event (with food afterward!) 1-2 weeks prior to the start of the program to give everyone an opportunity to get to know each other, and to provide details on some things you'll need to do to prepare for Day 1. 

Applications are due by March 1, 2024. 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 a real-world entrepreneurship and understand they are going to start a company during this program.

How Do I Apply?

Applications for the Summer 2024 ImagineU program are currently open for UofM students and are due my March 1, 2024. Applications for students at other Memphis-area colleges are still being accepted and will be considered based on available funding from those institutions.