NEWS & EVENTS
Below is a selection of recent events and news from CIED and the UCSC startups we support.
To get access to our news and events in real time, please join CruzX.
2025 Blackstone LaunchPad’s Summer Internship Opportunities:
Paid Roles at Blackstone and its Portfolio Companies!
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Blackstone LaunchPad invites you apply for paid summer internships – check out the recently posted roles with Blackstone and its portfolio companies across finance, tech, public affairs, human resources, and more by visiting LaunchPad’s Handshake page – which you can follow to hear about future opportunities as soon as they arise! When applying for roles, don’t forget to note that you were referred by Blackstone LaunchPad.
Note: Students must log in or create a free Handshake account using a school address (.edu).
Blackstone LaunchPad offers programs, mentorship, and other resources to help students launch their startups, sharpen their entrepreneurial skills, and access paid internships.
UCSC's CIED & SCEE are Thrilled to Announce the
1st Entrepreneurial Event of the 2024/25 School Year: Our Annual Ideathon!
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Join us for an unforgettable 3-day event kicking off at 4 pm on Friday, October 18th, and running through Sunday, October 20th. Open to both graduate and undergraduate students, this is your chance to brainstorm, innovate, and bring your big ideas to life. Compete for a share of $30,000 in prizes while collaborating with like-minded peers and gaining invaluable startup experience. Don't miss out on the opportunity to transform your vision into reality.
Jumpstart Your Startup Journey!
Join us for an intensive startup experience designed for both undergraduate and graduate students eager to tackle today’s most pressing challenges—from hydroponic energy systems to AI-driven apps and one-click rental platforms.
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Got a groundbreaking idea?
Pitch it, refine it, and compete for cash prizes as we help you take your concept to the next level!
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Foods on us!
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​​​​Tentative Core Tracks:
1) Make UCSC Better Ideas
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Division of Students Success - Open-ended to benefit campus experience
2) QB3 - BioTech
3) CITRIS Interdisciplinary Research
4) Waste 2 Value
Supplemental Awards
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CROSS - Open Source Group
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Climate Action
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University IP
Big Thanks to our Sponsors:
UC LAUNCH Startup Accelerator Fall 2024 Cohort Application is Open!
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Apply by Sunday, September 8th, 11:59 PM
More Information:
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This is the perfect opportunity for students, faculty, and researchers who are ready to bring their entrepreneurial ideas to life. Secure up to $25,000 in non-dilutive funding, access top-notch mentors, and join a dynamic founder network. Don’t miss out on this transformative opportunity and APPLY NOW:
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LAUNCH is the University of California's leading accelerator focused on transforming promising startups into scalable businesses. The program is focused on accelerating companies with the potential to solve major challenges and unmet customer needs by preparing them for funding, incubation, or independent, sustainable growth. The program utilizes the immense resources of the University of California system and the proven Lean Launchpad Curriculum to deliver a transformative experience for startups. Notable alumni businesses and entrepreneurs are TubeMogul (Nasdaq: TUBE, $420 mm market cap), World of Good (acquired by eBay), and Revolution Foods.
Exciting News! Sri Rao Joins
CIED Entrepreneur in the Classroom Initiative
With experience across academia, venture capital, startups, and corporate innovation, Sri Rao brings a unique and invaluable perspective to our program.
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As part of our CIED Team and Entrepreneur in the Classroom initiative, Sri will contribute to our efforts by bringing:
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Hands-on learning through real-world projects and case studies
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Mentorship from an industry leader with a proven track record
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Exposure to innovation and
commercialization strategies for technology companies
By partnering with Sri, our students will gain valuable experience, network opportunities, and professional growth.
We are excited to have his involvement in inspiring and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators!
Need help raising your first round of investment from Silicon Valley VCs?
SkyDeck virtual info sessions:
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August 5, 4:30PM-5:30PM — Batch 19 Info Session: Global & US Founder Info Session #1 — https://us05web.zoom.us/j/9351545234
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August 8, 8:30AM-9:30AM — Batch 19 Info Session: Global & US Founder Info Session #2 — https://us05web.zoom.us/j/9351545234
“SkyDeck is a leading global accelerator, dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship worldwide. Come to SkyDeck, where visionaries take flight, and join the ranks of SkyDeck alums like MindsDB, Hayden AI, and Loft Labs.
There are countless reasons to come to SkyDeck, here are 5:
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Intensive programming to set your company up for long-term success
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Access to an unparalleled pool of 700+ advisors/mentors
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Expand your network to learn and grow alongside dozens of other top-tier founders
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Introductions to VC firms to fund your company
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$200K from Berkeley SkyDeck Fund or €145K investment from the Lombardy Region and the Cariplo Foundation”
The Center for Research in Open Source Software (CROSS) and the Open Source Program Office (OSPO) are excited to be holding our first Open Source SlugFest on May 23 starting at 5pm.
This event brings UCSC Open Source communities together to socialize and learn about the different projects and activities on campus. It is also a great opportunity for those new to Open Source to come here about ways of getting involved in exciting, innovative projects.
Anyone from the UCSC community is invited!
We ask you to register so we know how many to expect. Food (Falafel of Santa Cruz) will be provided.
Do you want do a lightning talk about what you are working on? We have set aside time to hear from those already working on Open Source projects on campus – let us know if you want a slot when you register. Anyone who does a lightning talk will get a CROSS t-shirt and other cool swag.
We will have representatives from the UCSC OSPO plus other campus offices available to talk with you about how we can support and promote your Open Source work. We will end the evening with a raffle for those in attendance! More on that and the updated event schedule can be found on their website.
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Blackstone LaunchPad x Basta's Discovery Program:
Career Coaching Sessions for All UCSC Students
Blackstone LaunchPad has partnered with Basta to offer career coaching sessions to all UCSC students. These sessions will be available with coaches and career experts until early June 2024.
If you’re exploring potential career paths, or if you’re preparing to apply for internships or jobs and need assistance with your resume, cover letter, or LinkedIn profile, consider participating in a Discovery session. By doing so, you’ll gain access to career coaching sessions through the end of the Spring quarter.
Join Discovery by filling out this form.
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Blackstone Launchpad Summer 2024 Internship Program
Looking for a PAID summer 2024 internship? Blackstone LaunchPad can help! LaunchPad's employer partners are offering 300+ internships. Take your first steps now to make sure you don’t miss this opportunity! Applications will be accepted from late February to the end of March 2024.
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Step 1: Submit the internship program interest form
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Step 2: Access and explore the open positions here.
Step 3. Click the “Apply Now” button next to a position to begin your application.
Roles will close on a rolling basis, so don’t wait to apply!
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Engage in 1 or more virtual sessions with coaches and career experts, and you will get access to even more resources:
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a) Career Readiness Workshops (Jan. 17, 24, 30 at 1pm Pacific time) on Resumes, Interview Skills, and Personal Branding;
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b) Sign up for Discovery (available until early June 2024) to have access to one-on-one, free virtual sessions with expert career coaches. These sessions will help you discuss your career, internship applications and interviews, results-oriented resumes, cover letters, and how to optimize your LinkedIn profile.
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Inaugural Demo Day
November 29, 2023
(SCEE), successfully hosted its first-ever Demo Day on November 29, 2023. The event showcased the innovative prowess of five student teams to a closed audience of Venture Capitalists, Serial Entrepreneurs, and UCSC Faculty. The spotlight of the event was on five early-stage projects, each led by a team of passionate and ambitious students. These teams presented their ideas,
backed by extensive customer discovery, creation of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), and some even boasting Beta Users and waitlist pipelines. The projects cover a spectrum of industries, showcasing the versatility and creativity of UCSC students.
The 5 teams : Astral , MotorMates, Helperly, Studio 310, Cito Solutions
My Journey Press Event
November 15, 2023
The Sikh Foundation is set to host a groundbreaking quarterly startup series aimed at fostering knowledge exchange and empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds—students to professionals— and connecting with audiences in California, Europe and Asia. The series will provide invaluable insights into the uncharted territories of entrepreneurship, delving into the personal and emotional aspects often overshadowed in typical discussions.
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SlugLoop MAKES FINAL ROUND IN GOOGLE APP CHALLENGE
July 26, 2023
A group of UCSC students that developed a bus tracking app, known as SlugLoop, are one of the top 10 finalists in the Google Solutions Challenge and the only U.S-based team to reach the competition's final round. The group formed at the CruzHacks hackathon. (Credit: SlugLoop Team)
SANTA CRUZ LAUNCHPAD 2023
May 25th
Santa Cruz Launchpad 2023: a networking, job fair, and pitch competition event open to the public! $50,000 in cash prizes available for student pitch contest competitors.
BLACKSTONE LAUNCHPAD FELLOWSHIP
Open until April 2, 2023
Ready to spend your summer focused on your startup? The Blackstone LaunchPad Fellowship provides eight weeks of programming and a $5,000 stipend to help fast track your startup's launch and/or growth this summer.
Apply by April 2nd, 9pm PT at https://bit.ly/BLPSU23.
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ECO-ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN COSTA RICA
July 12, 2023
CIED is excited to share an opportunity to earn UC credit while studying abroad in Costa Rica this summer through the UCSC Global Seminar: Eco-Entrepreneurship in Costa Rica.
This program is facilitated through UC Santa Cruz Global Learning and open to all eligible undergraduate students from related majors.
Program Dates: July 30 - September 1, 2023
Location: West coast of Costa Rica
Courses:
Crown 92: Social Entrepreneurship (fulfills PE-H GE) (5 units)
CRWN 94: Environmental Entrepreneurship Applications (fulfills PR-S GE) (5 units)
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CROWN 100 OFFERING WINTER 2023
July 12, 2023
CIED is excited to be offering Crown 100: Fundamentals of Starting and Scaling an Organization, for the first time this upcoming Winter 2023 quarter.
This class is the Core of our I&E Certificate. Sign up and be a part of the first cohort in our CIED's newest program.
January 15, 2023
The startup world is full of stories of entrepreneurs who have worked hard, pivoted multiple times, and finally found success. One such story is that of Forward, a startup team that recently got admitted into Y Combinator, the world's top startup accelerator.
The PinPoint startup team was selected among the most investment-worthy startups in the UC system and is going to pitch their venture to investors at Born in California.
