NEW ORLEANS – Applications are now open for the BizTech Fellows Program, a summer entrepreneurship program geared towards full-time students at Louisiana historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that emphasizes two core aspects: team-based customer discovery process and professional development mentorship.
Details were shared in a press release.
New in 2019, the program is designed for HBCU students with a high desire for a career in entrepreneurship and innovation who want to spend their summers on an entrepreneurial journey. The program connects HBCU students with industry professionals and experienced mentors who will help guide the students through the process of creating a business and conducting customer discovery.
BizTech Fellows will run from June 3 to Aug. 2 and will include one in-person beginning workshop session, six web conferences and an in-person closing session and presentation. All in-person meetings will be held at the Louisiana Technology Park in Baton Rouge.
Students are encouraged to apply in three to four-person teams, preferably made up of at least one business or entrepreneurship student and at least one student seeking a STEM degree. The other members can come from any discipline. Students who do not apply as part of a team are still welcome to apply, as attempts will be made to match them with other Fellows and include them in a team if possible.
There is no application fee, and the program is completely free of cost for those who are selected. Teams can also get reimbursed up to $1,750 for travel expenses incurred during the customer discovery process.
Throughout the program, each team will be tasked with designing a business model and determining its prospective market success through potential customer interviews, peer feedback and self-evaluation. Each team will also be assigned an established member of the Louisiana business community as its mentor.
There are no specific prerequisites for applicants, but the ideal candidate demonstrates integrity, commitment, drive, follow-through, adaptability, flexibility, perseverance, commitment to inclusion and collaboration, empathy for others and a high level of self-awareness.
Applications are open now through April 30 and can be found at www.biztechchallenge.com/about-biztech-fellows-2019.