HERB KELLEHER ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER

Making entrepreneurship accessible to all 
students
faculty
alumni
Longhorns

HERB KELLEHER
ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER

Empowering Longhorns to Change the World
Through Innovative Ideas and Entrepreneurial Skills put into Action

The Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center is dedicated to igniting world-changing ideas. We do this by promoting the development of entrepreneurial skills and supporting exploration of the ways these skills can be applied to careers as founders or innovators within established firms. Tap into our wealth of inspiration, resources, and opportunities to get started.

Empowering Longhorns to Change the World

The Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center is dedicated to igniting world-changing ideas. We do this by promoting the development of entrepreneurial skills and supporting exploration of the ways these skills can be applied to careers as founders or innovators within established firms. Tap into our wealth of inspiration, resources, and opportunities to get started.

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Undergraduate Entrepreneurship
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Graduate Entrepreneurship
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Awarded Annually
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Students Mentored
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"Our tagline here at The University of Texas is 'What Starts Here Changes the World.' I can't think of a better way to change the world than through innovation and entrepreneurship."

LUIS MARTINS
DIRECTOR

"Our tagline here at The University of Texas is 'What Starts Here Changes the World.' I can't think of a better way to change the world than through innovation and entrepreneurship."

LUIS MARTINS
DIRECTOR

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INSPIRATION

Start here to attend events designed to foster an innovative spirit in all UT students. Get your entry into the UT Startup Scene at a Startup Coffee Connect or meet startup founders at Entrepreneurship Live!

RESOURCES

Start here for immersive and experiential resources for any stage of business development. Get to know our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Or, orient yourself in the UT Startup Ecosystem.

OPPORTUNITIES

Start here for programming built to empower student entrepreneurs. Validate your idea with the Forty Acres Founders Pre-Accelerator, secure funding at DisrupTexas Pitch Competition, + more!

Upcoming Events

Check back at the beginning of the Spring Semester for more information on upcoming events!

Intro to the UT/Austin Startup Ecosystem Presentation & Trade Show

Mon, 9.19.22 | 4:30-6:30 PM | WCP Ballroom

Immerse yourself in the Austin startup scene at the 7th annual UT/Austin Startup Ecosystem Tradeshow! Don't miss the opportunity to network with fellow entrepreneurial-minded students and potential mentors from 25+ UT and Austin based resources.

DisrupTexas Undergrad Pitch Competition Finals

Thu, 10.27.22 | 3-7 PM | RRH 4.402

Join us for the 2022 DisrupTexas Undergrad Pitch Competition Finals to watch student founders who aren't afraid to push boundaries pitch their ideas. Don’t miss the reception hour after awards announcements to network with the future of startups!

March Startup Coffee Connect

Wed, 3.22.23 | 10-11 AM | Kendra Scott Center

Start your day off right with coffee, breakfast tacos, and innovative conversations! Come join the HKEC and the Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute for a casual networking event for all Longhorn entrepreneurs.

Forty Acres Founders Pitch Competition

Thu, 4.20.23 | 2-6 PM | Crum Auditorium

It’s a battle to the top! Join the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center on 4/20 at 2PM for the 2023 Forty Acres Founders Pitch Competition to watch four UT student founders pitch their ideas to an elite judge's panel for funding and top industry feedback. Don’t miss the reception hour after awards announcements to network with the future of startups!

Ignite Startup Workshops Fall 2022 Series

11.2.22 - 11.16.22| 12-1 PM | Virtual

These interactive and experiential workshops feature entrepreneurs from various industries and on-campus experts. Ignite Startup Workshops enable the startup community to gain usable skills and insights in how to launch an idea into a startup. The Fall 2022 Series focuses on Strategic Startup Growth.

Entrepreneurship Live! with Brian Cruver

11.15.22| 5-7 PM | RRH Special Events Room

Join us on Nov 15th for a conversation with AlertMedia founder and fellow Longhorn Brian Cruver! At this fireside chat and live Q&A, we'll tackle how founders can establish a healthy and safe company culture, create a positive impact through entrepreneurship, and provide effective leadership during times of uncertainty.

Open Applications

DisrupTexas Undergraduate Pitch Competition

Application Deadline: Fri, 9.16.22 at 11:59 PM

Are you ready to DisrupTexas? The Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center is looking for undergraduate student founders with game changing ideas to compete in the DisrupTexas Undergrad Pitch Competition! The competition offers a chance to hone your business strategy and opens the door for professional feedback and lasting relationships with mentors. Apply today to pitch your startup in competition for $35k in cash and prizes!

Forty Acres Founders Program Spring 2023 Cohort

Application Deadline: Fri, 10.14.22 at 11:59 PM

Take you startup to the next level and apply for the Forty Acres Founders Program! This semester long program is designed to educate you on the skills needed to vet an idea, confirm product-market fit, and develop a Minimum Viable Product that addresses market needs. Every student is also provided $1000 in grant funding and the chance to win up to $10k in competitive funding!

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Center News & Highlights

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FOUNDER STORIES: David Willson
Meet David Willson, a third-year undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin studying Pre-Medical Neuroscience and Entrepreneurship and the founder of Cornerstone, a SaaS startup focused on streamlining project management for residential construction. David describes Cornerstone’s operating goal as “ensuring frictionless home building” by creating a shared platform that unites home builders with home owners, streamlining project management, communication, and payment.
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Forty Acres Founders 2022 WInners and Judges
Recap Rewind: Forty Acres Founders Program 2022 Final Pitch Competition
On Thursday, April 28th, 2022, five students of The University of Texas at Austin gathered to pitch their entrepreneurial startup concepts to a panel of judges to take home funding from the collective $20,000 prize pool. Each of the students is a participating member of the 3rd annual Forty Acres Founders Pre-Accelerator Program cohort, an application-based program of up to 20 students provided by the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center, housed within the McCombs School of Business.
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EcosystemTradeshow_F22_Square
Recap Rewind: Startup Ecosystem Tradeshow
With all the resources available to The University of Texas at Austin student entrepreneurs, both on and around campus, it can sometimes be an overwhelming feat to navigate the robust entrepreneurial ecosystem. On Monday, September 19, 2022 the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center brought together 25 entrepreneurial focused organizations from within UT and the Austin area to host the seventh annual Intro to the UT/Austin Startup Ecosystem Tradeshow. The event offered the over 250 attendees the opportunity to immerse themselves in all things entrepreneurship and get informed on all the resources at their disposal.
Read More

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