Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship

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Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship

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As the nation’s first freestanding school of entrepreneurship, we teach students to think and act We don’t just teach entrepreneurship.

The Close School of Entrepreneurship is the first freestanding school of entrepreneurship in the nation to offer degrees in entrepreneurship. Our interdisciplinary programs and curricula, which serve students of all academic disciplines and career ambitions, represent a bold new approach to entrepreneurship education. We teach students to think and act like entrepreneurs. In addition, the Close School is home to Drexel's Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship. The Institute bridges education and entrepreneurship by linking research, coursework, experiential learning, and entrepreneurial thinking with practical guidance for budding entrepreneurs. The Institute's mission - underscored by a deep interdisciplinary nature - to develop entrepreneurial leaders and foster the creation of successful technology ventures within the Drexel community distinguishes it as one of the nation's leading entrepreneurship programs. The Institute focuses on Entrepreneurship in Action, offering Mentoring Programs, Business Incubation, Student Clubs, and unique opportunities that advance entrepreneurs, such as Seminars in Entrepreneurial Excellence. Students from every academic discipline are encouraged to participate through interactive workshops, entrepreneurial courses, conferences and competitions. Visit us at http://drexel.edu/close/

10/30/2026

The wait is over: the official schedule for Startup Fest ’26 has arrived! 🗓️

Join the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship on Friday, November 6 as we bring together founders, students, investors and regional leaders under this year’s theme: Tap Into the Philly Ecosystem.

From morning coffee chats and student vendor markets to high-stakes pitch competitions, here is your roadmap for the day:

☕ 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM I Coffee & Conversations with Morgan Berman (GHALL 122, Student Living Room): Join Baiada Institute Managing Director Chuck Sacco for a quick-fire Q&A with Morgan Berman, founder of Glitter.

🛍️ 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM I Proving Ground Expo (GHALL Atrium, 1st Floor): Discover and shop one-of-a-kind products from Drexel student and alumni entrepreneurs.

⏱️ 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM I Fast Pitch Competition (GHALL 109): Student founders deliver high-energy, 2-minute pitches to win a $500 prize.

🍕 12:30 PM I Pizza Lunch (PEARL 101)

📣 12:45 PM – 2:00 PM | Keynote Panel: Entrepreneurship on Tap (Pearlstein Lobby): Industry leaders Mark Kramer (Kramer Beverage), Doug Bellenger (Well Crafted B**r Co.), and Paula & Jonathan Busser (2 Black Dogs Distillery) unpack regional market trends and craft brand innovation.
RSVP: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/event/2026/11/06/entrepreneurship-tap-startup-fest-26-keynote-panel-discussion

📘 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM I Masterclass Session 1:
-Karen Jehanian: "Networking with Intention" (PEARL 302)
RSVP: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/event/2026/11/06/masterclass-networking-intention
-Allison Blanda: "Pitch Your Way into a Startup" (PEARL 303)
RSVP: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/event/2026/11/06/masterclass-pitch-your-way-startup

📘 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Masterclass Session 2:
-Garrett Gillian: "Market Testing and Validation for Startups" (PEARL 303)
RSVP: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/event/2026/11/06/masterclass-market-testing-validation-startups
-Skyler Logsdon: "The 'Get-It-Done' Tech Stack for AI Startups" (PEARL 302)
RSVP: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/event/2026/11/06/masterclass-get-it-done-tech-stack-ai-startups

🏆 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM I Startups Fund Competition (PEARL 101): Finalists pitch for non-dilutive alumni-backed grant funding.

🎖️ 6:00 PM I Award Presentations (Pearlstein Lobby): Presented by Drexel University President Antonio Merlo, PhD.

🎊 6:15 PM – 7:30 PM I Networking Reception & Celebration (Pearlstein, 4th Floor): Connect with mentors, alumni and ecosystem partners.

Whether you attend one session or spend the entire day with us, you won't want to miss Drexel's biggest entrepreneurial celebration of the year.

Plan your day and register now: https://baiada.startuptree.org/events/1219

10/26/2026

Hailing from nearby Cheltenham in Montgomery County, Wyatt L. joined the Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp to learn how to translate his lifelong love for fashion and textile design into a viable business model.

"I’ve been interested in fashion and textile design since forever and I’d love to eventually start my own brand, so taking this camp gave me insight into the business side of fashion... My group’s fashion brand was named Fuku, it was a denim company that customizes your jeans with your design using high-quality materials. It was aimed to target creative minds who cannot find clothes to express themselves." — Wyatt L.

Throughout the week, Wyatt and his team tackled market research, material quality considerations and target audience alignment to build Fuku - a custom denim concept designed for self-expression.👖

At the Close School, we are proud to empower the next generation of Greater Philadelphia founders by equipping local high school students with the tools to turn their passion into action.

Tap the link in our bio to learn about the Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp
Explore future pre-college programs at Drexel: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/academics/pre-college-programs/entrepreneurship-bootcamps

Drexel Westphal College of Media Arts & DesignLeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel University DrexelOne

10/22/2026

Do you have ambition, but don’t know where to put it?

Startup Fest 2026 is the perfect place to begin. At Drexel, we value nourishing our students by not only providing them a well-rounded education, but giving them places to put their skills to use in order to build them a brighter future. Where academic rigor meets entrepreneurial drive. Startup Fest is a place you can go to culminate new ideas, test your pitch skills, and search for your next mentor or co-founder.

Stop dreaming, start building. Stay tuned for the full programming reveal.

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University DrexelOne

10/21/2026

"You have to get out there and build it."

Isaac breaks down the heart of the Forging Founders documentary series - taking your raw ideas, putting them to the test, and leveraging the Drexel ecosystem to turn passion into impact.

Stop waiting for the "perfect" time. The best launchpad is right here.

Read the full story of the documentary series he created during his co-op with Dr. John H. Wilson on our blog.

10/19/2026

If you’re preparing to pitch at Startup Fest ’26 - or just want to master the art of concise pitch messaging - join us for our next Close Conversations session: Pitch Perfect Pitch Clinic!

Get hands-on tips and real-time feedback from experts like Associate Teaching Professor Dr. John Wilson and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Don Milley. Learn how to structure your hook and communicate your value in a winning 2-minute pitch.

🍕 Bonus: Free pizza and salad will be served!

📍 Where: The Baiada Conference Room (Pearlstein Building, 4th Floor I 3230 Market Street)

📅 When: Wednesday, October 20 I 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

RSVP, link in bio!

10/16/2026

New partnerships. Bigger platforms. Unmatched opportunities.

Startup Fest 2026 is coming, presented in collaboration with the LeBow College of Business. Whether you're launching a venture or eager to learn from those who have, this is an event you cannot afford to miss. Follow along as we prepare to release our full event lineup.

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University DrexelOne

10/15/2026

Attention Drexel Founders: Up to $25,000 in startup awards is up for grabs this term!

The Drexel Startups Fund offers more than just capital - it provides the runway your startup idea needs to scale. Supported by the Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship and funded by alumni, this twice-yearly competition offers non-dilutive grants, expert mentorship, and access to investor networks.

The Fall 2026 Timeline:

📥 Oct 18 (11:59 p.m. ET): Applications Close

📣 Oct 27: Finalists Announced

🏆 Nov 6: Final Presentations at Drexel Startup Fest

Whether you’re in engineering, computing, health sciences, design, or business - if you are a student founder or recent graduate (within 1 year), you are eligible to apply.

Submit your application on StartupTree before Sunday's deadline! https://baiada.startuptree.org/competitions/462

DrexelOne LeBow College of Business - Drexel University

10/07/2026

When rising high school senior María O. came to Philadelphia from Tampico, Mexico, she was looking to explore career paths in the fashion business. What she learned was a crash course in real-world venture creation!

"Standing up to speak in front of people you've never seen before was nerve-wracking, but as the days went on, we became this tiny little family. For our project, my team and I created a sustainable, affordable and inclusive jewelry brand called Helumana... We created prices based on how much we spent on labor and materials while still gaining enough revenue. This project felt very realistic, including prices, yearly gains and an ask to the sharks at the end." - María O.

Working alongside her teammates, María helped design, cost and pitch Helumana, a sustainable, affordable jewelry line complete with material research, labor cost breakdowns and revenue projections for a live shark-tank style pitch. 🦈

Our pre-college programs empower young minds to step outside their comfort zones, master collaborative teamwork and build real confidence before making their college decisions.

Tap the link in our bio to learn about the Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp
Explore future pre-college programs at Drexel: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/academics/pre-college-programs/entrepreneurship-bootcamps

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel Westphal College of Media Arts & Design Drexel University DrexelOne

10/02/2026

Looking to scale your startup? 📈 From global accelerators to massive investor networking events, these major funding and pitch opportunities have application windows open through the fall.

Swipe to see what's coming and start prepping your application:
🌟National AI Healthcare Competition - A national healthcare innovation competition for students, clinicians, engineers and self-taught builders. [Apply by Nov 1]
🌟Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) Winter 2027 Cohort - A four-month NYC-based accelerator. [Apply by Nov 2]
🌟Y Combinator Winter 2027 Batch - $125K for 7% equity plus a $375K SAFE. Free. [Apply by Nov 2]
🌟TigerLaunch 2026 - The world's largest student-run entrepreneurship competition, organized by students at Princeton. [Apply by Nov 9]

Click the link in our bio to grab the application details and give your venture the edge it needs!

Drexel University DrexelOne LeBow College of Business - Drexel University

09/24/2026

The Close School is proud to join the LeBow College of Business in bringing you Startup Fest 2026. Join us for a gathering of student founders, industry leaders, and forward-thinkers shaping the next generation of enterprise. Mark your calendars and prepare to step into the world of change. More details arriving soon.

Register now: https://baiada.startuptree.org/events/1219

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel University

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3230 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
19104

Website

http://drexel.edu/close/

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