Michael McGuire, Columbia University lecturer, serial entrepreneur and former Co-Founder & CEO of Symbridge has begun a new venture in the entrepreneurial education and mentoring community.

Ivy Entrepreneurs is the first education meets accelerator program that brings students from the ideation stage to the funding and investor stage. “You do not need an idea to start at Ivy Entrepreneurs, you just need to be passionate about identifying problems, developing solutions and creating ways to monetize the solution in the market” Ivy Entrepreneurs was built to educate and mentor startup entrepreneurs and early-stage teams. It is also committed to seeding the best startup ideas with up to $10,000. But most importantly, Ivy Entrepreneurs, sets aside 25% of the seats in each cohort for need-based scholarship covering 100% of the tuition and offers free mentoring to those students during and after the program completion. “Entrepreneurship is an economic mobilizer and equalizer and we want to create that opportunity for underserved students.”, said McGuire.

Ivy Entrepreneurs has been designed to make entrepreneurship accessible to entrepreneurs who are not in the position to study the subject in a degree granting program and want live, discussion based teaching and peer learning. The target demographic is 18-45 and focuses on those at transition points in their career/life/education and necessity driven entrepreneurs.

The first cohort of students came together in November 2022, bringing 14 students from across the globe including Paris, London, LA and NYC, into a cohesive and productive cohort. The first cohort was a success with many new business ventures including Greenwich local, Elizabeth Buffone, who launched Be Seen Strategies, a social media strategy and production agency and Rent Club Paris (an early stage company) co-founded by Freja Settergren.

Buffone said about her experience; "For me, Ivy Entrepreneurs was life changing. It gave me the confidence, knowledge and community needed in order to launch my social media strategy business. Michael is an incredible professor who truly cares about the success of his students. I am grateful to have found this impactful community to launch my business with!"

Applications for Cohort II are now open and scholarships are available. Cohort II is set to begin on March 14 and will run in a hybrid fashion with 7 live online sessions and 1 in-person session, over 8 consecutive weeks of education. In week 9, there is an option to develop a prototype for the business and in week 10, students pitch to investors. Applicants do not need to have an idea or team to apply. Learn more on our website www.goivye.com