RIT Student Accelerator

Entrepreneurial Co-op Opportunities

Due to an increased need for co-op opportunities, the Simone Center, working with the Office of Career Services & Co-op, is expanding access to its entrepreneurship and innovation programs. If you're part of a team seeking entrance into the Spring 2022 Accelerator Program, please click here to apply now.

If you are an individual, who lost their co-op opportunity or has been unable to locate one, please contact Evan Vershay ([email protected]). The Simone Center will seek to identify an existing team to employ your expertise.

Start Your Business at RIT

Do you have an intriguing business concept with an early-stage business plan? Are you looking to work on this during the academic year and earn a stipend to do so?

The Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is pleased to host the RIT Student Accelerator Program. This initiative is a full-time intense semester-long program aimed at assisting entrepreneurs and innovators in developing their business concepts to a point where they are ready to begin to seek angel investment. The program offers instruction across a range of subjects relevant to startups, including:

Customer discovery
Prototyping
Leadership and interpersonal skills
Protecting intellectual property
Seeking investment capital

Applications for the next term are now open! Please use the following link to apply.

More about the RIT Student Accelerator Program

In addition, each team will receive a stipend, mentoring and coaching, and working space for your team. The program will culminate in a Demo Night where each student team will have an opportunity to pitch their business to a group of real investors.

The SSA program is for teams and does not accept single person applications. Each team must be well rounded and multi-disciplinary in order to have the skills necessary to accomplish the program goals.

Students are required to be in Rochester on campus to participate. It is a full-time intensive program. You should expect to work significantly more than 40 hours per week. Students in the past have worked upwards of 50-60 hours because they were driven to make their idea a reality. You are not allowed to take classes during this program.

The RIT Student Accelerator Program is for teams and does not accept single person applications. Each team must be well rounded and multi-disciplinary in order to have the skills necessary to accomplish the program goals. All students participating must work on this full-time and are not allowed to take classes in conjunction with this program. This program may also be considered for co-op credit, pending department approval.

Funding is available for teams with a max of 3 students. Each student will receive a $4000 stipend and have access to a small prototyping fund (based on pre-approval). All students who receive funding must agree to work on their business full-time for the semester and are not allowed to take classes at the same time. Co-op credit may be earned, based on home department approval.

The application process will be done on a rolling basis and starts with a written application. Teams will be reviewed as applications are received so it is to your advantage to apply early. The program committee will invite selected teams to interview with us.

RIT Student Accelerator - Summer 2016

RIT Student Accelerator Application

RIT Student Accelerator Application Link

Applications for the next term are now open. Please use the following link to apply.

RIT Student Accelerator Application Questions

What will your company do or make? What is the basic idea? Reel us in. (You may include a 3-4 minute video of your idea, if you like)
What stage is your business in: raw idea, developed concept, developed prototype, beta testing, earning revenue?
Who are your customers?
What is new or different about your company/idea that isn’t already out in the world?
Who do you see as your competitors? How are they similar or different than you?
Explain how your company will make money.
Why should we choose you? Sell yourself to us!