Our Programs
Since its inception, 350+ ventures have emerged through OIE programming and over $1 billion in follow-on funding has been raised by these companies. In the Washington metro area, 60 ventures are still operating, providing an estimated $165 million in added income to the local economy. Over 3,000 GW students, faculty, and staff have participated in NVC yielding 1600+ teams since 2009.
GW students continue their entrepreneurial spirit post-graduation. GW is on the top 25 list of universities in the United States that have graduated the highest number of billion-dollar start-ups.
Mentors-In-Residence
Our Mentors-In-Residence guide teams through the customer discovery journey - meeting innovators before they even have a finalized idea, and continuing with them throughout commercialization, as part of a long-term relationship. Mentors provide consistent oversight and direction, evaluating progress milestones and assisting in interpreting market signals
They help teams develop strong, validated business models, minimum viable products and go-to-market strategies, preparing them for acceleration and investment. Meet with an experienced entrepreneur about your startup.
GW I+E Lab
The GW Innovation+Entrepreneurship Lab (I+E Lab) in Western market provides all the physical and intellectual resources current GW students and faculty need to develop and grow, including one-to-on advising, office hours with industry experts, workshops, and events.
The I+E Lab is open by appointment only. Appointments can only be made for Monday-Friday between the hours of 10 am - 4 pm. Max appointment time is 3 hours to work in the space.
New Venture Competition
The GW New Venture Competition (NVC)–the largest collegiate entrepreneurship competition in the country–provides GW students, faculty, and alumni with real-world experiences in entrepreneurship that can’t be replicated anywhere else.
Students have the opportunity to bring an idea to the table and compete in multiple tracks for different business types. Students work with mentors to craft and pitch their idea, and vie for cash and non-cash prizes totaling up to $500,000.
I-Corps™ at GW
GW’s two-week NSF Regional I-Corps Short Course:
- Prepares researchers for commercialization.
- Increases the potential for researcher success in the next phase of development.
- Helps researchers identify their first customers.
- Helps researchers build the right product initially, with limited funding, based on market feedback.
- Introduces teams to a community of fellow I-Corps participants.
Entrepreneur Development Network DC
The George Washington University (GW) and Howard University (HU) have come together to establish the Entrepreneur Development Network DC (EDNDC), powered by Wells Fargo.
Built on the premise that strong partnerships across the District of Columbia will pay dividends to entrepreneurs and the economy alike, this program is grant-funded and therefore free to all participants thanks to our sponsors.