FSU Entrepreneur Launch & Accelerator Program
The FSU Entrepreneur Launch & Accelerator Program is a 10-week hybrid entrepreneurship accelerator where student and community entrepreneurs apply customer discovery, AI-enabled entrepreneurship, venture development, commercialization planning, mentoring, and ecosystem resources directly to their own ventures.
Through the Real Venture Studio, AI Entrepreneurship Academy, Venture Launch Portfolio, and Entrepreneur Success Network, founders build evidence, strengthen business decisions, and develop clearer pathways toward venture launch and growth.
The program is funded by Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Program At A Glance
BUILD YOUR VENTURE. NOT JUST YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
This is an applied entrepreneurship experience built around founders working on real ideas, business opportunities, and early-stage ventures.
10 Weeks
A focused accelerator experience with a structured weekly progression.
Hybrid Experience
A combination of accessible learning and applied venture-development activities.
Real Venture Building
Participants apply each module directly to their own venture.
AI + Technology Adoption
Founders learn how AI-enabled tools and technology can support research, decisions, operations, commercialization, and growth.
Mentoring + Specialist Support
Participants engage with entrepreneurship faculty, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, specialists, and other program resources.
Regional Connections
The Entrepreneur Success Network helps founders identify and connect with relevant business-support resources.
The program will deliver four 10-week cohorts across the two-year project period, creating multiple opportunities for founders to participate.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
FOUR ELEMENTS. ONE FOUNDER JOURNEY.
REAL VENTURE STUDIO
Learn by building.
Participants work on their own ideas and ventures throughout the accelerator. Weekly learning is connected to real founder decisions, customer evidence, business-model development, operations, financial readiness, commercialization, market entry and venture communication.
AI ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACADEMY
Use emerging technology with purpose.
The AI Entrepreneurship Academy helps founders use AI-enabled business tools for areas such as customer discovery, market research, business planning, financial forecasting, commercialization planning, marketing, operational efficiency and venture growth.
VENTURE LAUNCH PORTFOLIO
Turn weekly work into a venture-building record.
Instead of completing disconnected assignments, founders progressively build a Venture Launch Portfolio that captures the evidence, decisions and next steps behind their venture.
The Portfolio may include customer-discovery findings, business-model development, financial readiness, commercialization planning, market-entry strategy and venture-launch preparation.
ENTREPRENEUR SUCCESS NETWORK
Find the right resource for the next step.
The Entrepreneur Success Network, or ESN, connects founders with regional entrepreneurship, commercialization, procurement, workforce, capital-readiness, mentoring and business-support resources based on venture needs and stage.
The ESN uses coordinated referrals, warm introductions and resource navigation rather than simply giving founders a directory of organizations.
YOUR 10-WEEK FOUNDER JOURNEY
FROM CUSTOMER DISCOVERY TO DEMO DAY
01 - CUSTOMER DISCOVERY & PROBLEM VALIDATION
Test customer needs, market opportunities, customer segments and competitive assumptions while beginning to identify useful ecosystem resources.
02 - AI ENTREPRENEURSHIP & TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
Explore how AI and technology can improve research, productivity, decisions, technology adoption and founder readiness.
03 - BUSINESS MODEL DEVELOPMENT
Develop value propositions, revenue strategies, business-model assumptions and a more sustainable pathway for the venture.
04 - BUSINESS FORMATION & OPERATIONS
Build the operational and organizational foundation for the venture, including registration, licensing, basic compliance and operating needs.
05 - FINANCIAL READINESS
Strengthen budgeting, pricing, forecasting, bookkeeping awareness, tax readiness and funding strategy.
06 - TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER & COMMERCIALIZATION
Explore commercialization pathways, intellectual-property considerations, prototype validation, technology transfer and research-to-market opportunities.
07 - GROWTH & OPPORTUNITY PATHWAYS
Explore procurement, certification pathways, strategic relationships, sales pipelines, negotiation, contracting readiness and growth strategies.
08 - MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY
Build customer-acquisition, branding, go-to-market and outreach strategies.
09 - PITCH DEVELOPMENT
Learn to communicate venture value, commercialization readiness, growth potential and the opportunity ahead.
10 - DEMO DAY & ESN ENGAGEMENT
Present venture progress and connect with mentoring, commercialization, capital-readiness, procurement, professional-service and entrepreneurship resources.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER THE PROGRAM?
BUILT FOR FOUNDERS ACROSS OUR REGION
The FSU Entrepreneur Launch & Accelerator Program serves student entrepreneurs and community entrepreneurs, including:
- aspiring founders
- early-stage business owners
- veterans
- military spouses
- women entrepreneurs
- minority entrepreneurs
- founders throughout Cumberland County, Fayetteville and the Fort Bragg military-connected region
Final Cohort 1 eligibility and application requirements will be published before applications open.
SUPPORT BUILT AROUND THE FOUNDER
YOU ARE NOT BUILDING ALONE.
Founders move at different speeds and face different barriers. The program combines instruction with access to targeted support so participants can continue learning while addressing venture-specific needs.
Possible support includes:
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Venture coaching, customer discovery, business-model development, growth strategy, pitch preparation and mentoring.
Subject-Matter Experts
Specialized instruction and guidance in areas such as financing, procurement, intellectual property, legal/regulatory topics, marketing, cybersecurity, exporting and commercialization.
AI and Technology Expertise
Guidance related to AI-enabled entrepreneurship, technology adoption and commercialization.
Community Navigators
Help identifying founder needs and connecting participants with appropriate Entrepreneur Success Network resources.
Faculty and Program Team
Entrepreneurship, technology, commercialization, leadership and venture-development expertise.
Regional Entrepreneurial Resources
Stage-appropriate connections through the Entrepreneur Success Network.
WHAT YOU'LL BUILD
YOUR WORK SHOULD ADD UP TO SOMETHING.
Throughout the accelerator, participants develop a Venture Launch Portfolio that brings together the evidence, decisions, strategies and next steps developed across the 10 weeks.
Depending on the venture and its stage, Portfolio work may include:
- Customer-discovery evidence
- Business-model development
- Commercialization planning
- Financial-readiness work
- Technology or AI adoption planning
- Market-entry strategy
- Venture communication materials
- Next-Step action planning
WHAT PARTICIPATION REQUIRES
AN ACCELERATOR WORKS WHEN FOUNDERS PARTICIPATE.
The FSU Entrepreneur Launch & Accelerator Program includes live and applied components. Participants are expected to engage consistently in the learning, venture-development and support activities that make up the accelerator.
For program completion, the submitted model requires:
- At least 80% attendance at required instructional sessions and program activities
- Participation in required mentoring, coaching, venture-development, ESN and technology-adoption activities
- Completion of major assignments and milestone-based deliverables
- A completed Venture Launch Portfolio
- Participation in the final Demo Day venture showcase
Detailed Cohort 1 dates, weekly schedule, delivery format and participation instructions will be published before participants are asked to commit to the cohort.
COHORT 1 INFORMATION
Cohort 1 planning is underway.
FSU is finalizing Cohort 1 scheduling, application procedures, delivery resources and program operations.
Applications are not currently open.
Program dates, eligibility requirements, application instructions and participation information will be posted here when confirmed.
No. The program is designed to serve both student and community entrepreneurs. The submitted program specifically supports hybrid participation by entrepreneurs regardless of university enrollment status.
Not necessarily. The program is designed for aspiring founders as well as early-stage business owners. Final Cohort 1 eligibility and selection requirements will be published before applications open.
The program is hybrid. Exact Cohort 1 session locations, virtual access and weekly schedule will be published soon.
Each cohort is a 10-week accelerator experience. Four cohorts are planned across the two-year project period, providing multiple opportunities to apply as future cohort applications become available.
It is the working record founders build throughout the accelerator. It captures venture-development work such as customer discovery, business-model development, commercialization planning, financial readiness, market-entry strategy and venture-launch preparation.
The ESN is the program's coordinated resource-navigation network. It helps connect founders with relevant entrepreneurship, commercialization, procurement, mentoring, workforce, capital-readiness and business-support resources based on their needs and venture stage.
The program includes financial and capital-readiness education and may connect founders with relevant ecosystem resources. Participation does not guarantee funding, investment, contracts or other business outcomes.
Demo Day is the final Week 10 venture showcase and ESN-engagement experience, giving participants an opportunity to communicate their venture progress and engage with relevant ecosystem resources.
CONTACT
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM?
For questions about the FSU Entrepreneur Launch & Accelerator Program, Cohorts or future application information:
FSU Entrepreneur Launch & Accelerator Program
Broadwell College of Business and Economics
Fayetteville State University
1200 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, NC 28301
Program contact: entrepreneurlaunchTeam@uncfsu.edu
PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
PI and Director of AI Entrepreneurship & Technology Adoption
Dr. Meysam Manesh
Project Director
Dr. Assad Tavakoli
Program Coordinator
Ronteesha Booker, MBA