No matter where you are in your innovation journey, CU Boulder has the resources available. Search ongoing programs and events below. Upcoming opportunities and events can be found here
Explore On-Campus Programs
BS + Minor in Creative Technology and Design (CTD)
Prepare for tech careers in a wide range of creative fields.
Business Minor
A 12-credit minor designed to help CU Boulder students gain business fundamentals. Option to add on the Entrepreneurial Studies Certificate.
Engineering Entrepreneurship Minor
Prepares students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to essential entrepreneurship in a start up venture or within a larger corporation.
Entrepreneurial Studies Certificate
Allows Leeds students to study theory and research, and meet and learn from experienced business leaders.
MA in Strategic Communication Design (STCM)
Transforming students into professionals who will lead us into the future by leveraging the power of design to solve problems.
MS + PhD in Creative Technology & Design (CTD)
Explore technology for creative industries and social impact. Explore interdisciplinary research.
Music Entrepreneurship Certificate
Administered by the Entrepreneurship Center for Music. Open to music majors.
Social Innovation Certificate
Prepares students for working in fields that seek to improve the lives of society’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged.
MS in Technology, Cybersecurity & Policy
Graduate program combining tech, policy and business with hands-on experience.
Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator
4-month accelerator program for deep tech startups (engineering and science) coming out of CU Boulder, UCCS and CU Denver.
ASSETT Innovation Incubator
Integrates technology with pedagogy to promote impactful learning.
Catalyze CU
A summer startup accelerator designed for CU Boulder students and faculty. Combines world class mentorship and equity-free grants.
ATLAS Institute
An interdisciplinary institute for radical creativity and invention.
BioFrontiers
Undaunted exploration of the greatest challenges in human health and welfare.
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)
A partnership of NOAA and CU Boulder where environmental scientists work to understand the dynamic Earth system.
CU Environmental Center
Nation’s largest and most accomplished student-led center of its kind.
Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Equips grads to think like entrepreneurs, act as social innovators and deliver as successful business leaders.
Entrepreneurship Center for Music
Equips today’s music students with the skills and tools they need to create sustainable careers in the arts.
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR)
CU Boulder’s oldest institute, with a long history of responding to pressing environmental issues.
JILA
A partnership of NIST and CU Boulder. One of the nation’s leading research institutes in the physical sciences.
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
The world’s only research institute to have sent instruments to all eight planets and Pluto.
Mortenson Center in Global Engineering
Training engineers to work in partnership with organizations in developing communities worldwide.
National Center for Women & Information Technology
A non-profit community of more than 850 organizations nationwide.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)
A joint institute between CU Boulder and NREL addressing complex problems in energy.
Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship
Propelling the future of technology policy and innovation.
Venture Partners at CU Boulder
Translates groundbreaking solutions into economic and social impact by building new ventures from world-leading research and creative works.
HackCU
Designers, writers, computer scientists or anyone interested in hackathons are welcome to attend.
Impact Design Initiative's Social Impact Design Sprint
Using design thinking to tackle the country’s toughest challenges, hosted by CU Boulder's Idea Forge.
Map The System
A competition is to promote a systems-thinking approach to tackling social and/or environmental challenges.
New Venture Challenge
Connects the CU Boulder campus with the Boulder community to develop and fund entrepreneurial ideas.
Startup Summer
Interns at innovative companies across the Front Range come together for a 10-week entrepreneurial program.
College of Media, Communication & Information
Course examples: Entrepreneurial Adventures in New Media, Fundamentals of UX, Design Sprints
College of Music
Course examples: The Entrepreneurial Artist, Building Your Music Career, Writing a Venture Plan, Arts Administration & Management
Colorado Law
Course examples: Entrepreneurial Innovation & Public Policy, Philosophy of Entrepreneurship, Deals Labs: Venture Capital, Entrepreneurial Law Clinic
Engineering & Applied Science
Course examples: Introduction to Entrepreneurship for Engineers, Business Methods and Economics for Engineers, Tech and Entrepreneurship in the Developing World
Global Seminars
Course examples: Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Panama, Entrepreneurship & Empowerment in South Africa
Leeds School of Business
Course examples: Biotechnology Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Environments, Entrepreneurial Finance, Environmental Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship and the Venture Capital Process, Global Entrepreneurship
Demystifying Entrepreneurship
Work with experts in the field on everything from prototyping to marketing.
Entrepreneurs Unplugged
Where faculty, students and community members learn about and get involved in entrepreneurship.
Impact Design Initiative
Supports students through co-curricular workshops, introductory events and student-led design, with an emphasis on empathizing with users and understanding the broader context in which design solutions are implemented.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Campus Kickoff
CU Boulder’s largest event for introducing students to entrepreneurship, hosted during the fall semester.
New Venture Challenge
Connects the CU Boulder campus with the Boulder community to develop and fund entrepreneurial ideas.
Now What?
1:1 office hours with legal or business experts.
Startups2Students Job Fair
Pitch event to connect students with the startup community. Stay tuned for upcoming events in Spring 2021.
Startup Summer
Interns at innovative companies across the Front Range come together for a 10-week entrepreneurial program.
T9 Hacks
A women and nonbinary hackathon.
TEDxCU
Showcases innovative Coloradans who each give the “talk of their life.”
Venture Partners at CU Boulder
Provides entrepreneurship and commercialization tools to faculty, research staff and grad students at CU Boulder.
Boulder Crowdfunding
An online fundraising platform for the CU Boulder community.
Destination Startup®
Showcases the best companies from the region’s innovation ecosystem.
Get Seed Funding
A micro-funding opportunity for CU Boulder undergrads and grads that provides up to $500 in funding for entrepreneurial ideas in the making.
Deming Center Venture Fund
Supports emerging companies in Boulder and surrounding communities.
Engineering Excellence Fund
Funds and supports engineering innovations.
New Venture Challenge
Connects the CU Boulder campus with the Boulder community to develop and fund entrepreneurial ideas.
BTU Lab
We blow things up.
Creative Labs Center
The environmental design program offers its students access to specialized workshop and study facilities.
Idea Forge
Imagine, design, create and test products and solutions.
Innovation Station
Includes coworking space and a small maker space at CU Boulder’s Williams Village Center.
Integrated Teaching & Learning Laboratory
Where students integrate engineering theory with practice and learn through doing.
CESR Fellows
For all CU undergraduates who have a passion for values-driven business.
CU Advertising Club
Connects students with industry by hosting pro who visit the campus, touring local ad agencies and making annual networking trips nationwide.
Design for America
An award-winning, nationwide network of university students using design innovation for social good.
Engineers Without Borders
Goal of creating positive change for developing communities through combined efforts.
Entrepreneurial Solutions
A highly-respected CU MBA operated consulting firm.
Impact Design Fellows
Students who believe in the power of collaboration and human-centered design to address social challenges.
Innovation Action Team
CU Boulder undergrad and grad students who are eager to support and lead innovation across campus.
Leeds Entrepreneurs and Partners (LEAP)
Connecting new talent with the Colorado startup community.
Leeds Social Impact Consultants
An MBA studentrun consulting service for social enterprises and local Boulder/Denver companies.
Multicultural Business Students Association
Supports the career development of students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Music Industry Club
Guest speakers, visits to music businesses, job opportunities and more.
Society of Women Engineers
A non-profit organization for both students and professionals.
Startup Club
A cross-campus club for entrepreneurship.
Women in Science and Engineering
Coaching, mentorship, networking and discussion to support women in STEM fields.
Discover Off-Campus Programs
Black Lab Sports
A distribution center, creative collective, sports performance laboratory and sports accelerator.
Boomtown
Strives to be the world’s most innovative and effective startup accelerator.
Canopy Boulder
A seed-stage cannabis investment fund and business accelerator.
Catalyst HTI
A community of health-tech pros and businesses working to quicken the pace of healthcare advancement.
Cleantech Open (CTO)
Fosters entrepreneurs with ideas to solve our greatest environmental and energy challenges.
Exponential Impact
An accelerator for tech startups.
Fitzsimons Innovation Community
Unrivaled opportunities to life science research and development of companies at all stages.
Founder Institute
World’s premier idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program.
Innosphere
Supports entrepreneurs building high-growth companies in health innovation, life sciences, software and hardware, and energy and advanced materials.
madelife
Focuses on individuals looking to launch a career in Graphic Design, Music, Video & Film, Photography and other creative pursuits.
Moonshot edVentures
Building the pipeline of diverse leaders to design and launch the schools of tomorrow in Metro Denver.
Northern Colorado Food Incubator
Provides support, guidance and assistance to food-related businesses and entrepreneurs in Northern Colorado.
Propel Accelerator
Designed to build relationships and prepare entrepreneurs for the world of funding.
SecureSet
Learn to hack with SecureSet’s cybersecurity bootcamp.
Techstars Boulder
Welcomes savvy entrepreneurs and product innovators.
Traxion
Brings local governments, corporations, educational institutions and individuals together.
Uncharted
Connects people best positioned to solve specific problems and gives them access to what they need.
UpRamp
A next-gen startup accelerator focused on helping you find product/market fit inside the global cable industry.
Watson Institute
A reimagined model of education for innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs.
Boulder Chamber Esprit Business Challenge
Showcases the next generation of risk-taking Boulderpreneurs.
Denver Startup Week Pitch Challenge
By the community, for the community.
Go Code Colorado
Taking a lead in the worldwide Open Data movement so its potential can be realized.
Oil & Gas Cleantech Challenge
Connects clean technology solutions to the oil and natural gas industry.
Prime Health Innovation Challenge
Accelerates the adoption of emerging healthcare technologies that address community and safety net needs.
Techstars Startup Weekends
Build an amazing startup in Boulder, all over the course of one weekend.
Alchemy Creative Workspace
Coworking, shared offices.
Creative Density
Denver’s friendliest cowrking spaces in Uptown and Capitol Hill.
Expansive
Fully furnished, amenity-rich workspaces with direct fiber internet and WiFi in prime locations.
Galvanize
A home base for individuals, startups and establishd companies looking to increase productivity and innovation.
Industry
An ecosystem of constant evolution where people, places, ideas and invention converge.
Industrious
Work in the heart of downtown Boulder.
Modworks
Over 25K square feet of coworking space in downtown Denver.
Shift Workspaces
Flexible coworking, desk, virtual and private office services.
The Hive
A boutique coworking space in the heart of downtown Denver.
The Studio
Creative collaborative workspace and industrial chic venue.
Thrive
Cultivated sophisticated share workspaces in Denver.
Tradecraft Industries
Bringing coworking to the construction industry.
WeWork
Premium office amenities, flexible memberships and utilities included.
Boulder Startup Week
Brings all walks of the startup world together to imagine and bring to life exciting, valuable and successful companies.
Denver Startup Week
The summit of entrepreneurial energy, innovation and connection in Denver.
Fckup Nights Denver
A global movement to publicly share business failure stories.
Ignite Boulder
Short five-minute talks about geeky passions hosted every few months.
Longmont Startup Week
An annual gathering of entrepreneurs, intrepreneurs, investors and talent.
NewCo Boulder
Welcomes attendees into the offices of innovative organizations.
NREL Industry Growth Forum
The nation’s premier clean energy investment event.
TEDxBoulder
Showcases innovative Coloradans who each give the “talk of their life.”
TEDxMile High
Showcases innovative Coloradans who each give the “talk of their life.”
Institute for Telecommunications Science
Research to inform spectrum policy and develop capabilities to solve emerging telecomm issues.
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Devoted to service, research, and education in the atmospheric and related sciences.
National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
Open data to understand how our aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are changing.
National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
Advancing measurement science, standards and technology.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Supports economic vitality and affects more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
The nation’s primary lab for renewable energy research and development.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
A gateway to cutting-edge resources and services in Earth system sciences.
UNAVCO
A non-profit university-governed consortium facilitating geoscience research and education using geodesy.
U.S. Geological Survey
Develops new methods and tools to supply timely, relevant and useful info about the Earth and its processes.