Free Startup Resources Hiding in Plain Sight on Campus

Happy Olympics Kick Off! 

If you are like me, you may be glued to the TV and learning the rules to sports you have never thought of before. (Yes, definitely watching luge and curling, because why not?!)

With all these medals, this got me thinking: there is also a hidden goldmine you have access to on campus and as an alumni. 

So, let’s talk about how you probably have thousands of dollars worth of resources in this week’s edition!

Universities, from small liberal arts colleges to international hubs of innovation, usually all have student startup support, and more often than not, these are right under our noses:

Your Email Address

This is an unspoken golden ticket. Being able to reach out to people on Linkedin with your affiliation as a student or email with your university email address is so much more helpful than a startup email address, especially if you are in early days–say idea/customer discovery. Utilize this in your early days!

University Innovation Centers

Oftentimes, colleges have programmes for their students and alumni. These can range from formal incubators and accelerators to workshops and hackathons. These are fantastic for you get both general startup advice and specific support with 1:1 clinics. As a student or alumni, you often can access these for free–so take advantage of them footing the cost for your extracurricular knowledge!

Money- Yes, Cold Hard $$

There are often pockets of money on campus that no one sees. And, this can take place in a few formats, like:

• Startup competitions - As someone who has taught and judged student startup competitions, there are internal pitches that can win you $1,000- $20,000. This is the best ‘free’ money I can recommend. (When I was a student, I think we got roughly 20K+ of competition funding starting out through various pitching and award competitions!)

• Research, tech transfer and commercialization grants- Which may be departmental or university wide, but something to dive into if your venture is research/tech heavy

• Student government innovation funds- Some student govs have earmarked funding for student grants and support. If you don’t ask, you don’t know!

• Summer internship funding- Check out to see if your school has a stipend, grant, or internship programme that allows you to work on your idea over the summer (and get paid or supported for it.)

Student Societies

Much like with innovation centers, almost every school I have worked with also has a student group, society, or extracurricular meet up. This may not feel like a ‘free’ resource–but they often have internal competitions, great guest speakers (because there is currency in your network), hackathons, and opportunities for skill swaps.

Free Services and Providers

There are various avenues to support you as a benefit being a student.

• IP and Legal Supports - If your school offers free consultations with university legal clinics, tech transfer offices, or legal partners, take them! This is a great way to get answers quickly without a crazy price tag.

• Market reports and insights on trademarking - Speak to your library or librarians (they are the sweetest people!) to get support in accessing marketing, industry, or academic reports, because these can cost hundreds or thousands in the wild. Or check out to see if they help with trademarking support too.

• Software licenses and perk packages with your student ID - Always look for discounts or freebies when it comes to tech, not limited to programmes with Microsoft or Google, design software like CAD or Adobe, cloud credits, and even productivity tools. 

• Makerspaces and equipment rental - Check in to see if you can 3D print, laser cut, high end cameras, large scale printing facilities, you name it! These hidden resources can save you $$ on prototyping, photoshoots, and marketing. 

• Tutoring - Feel free to take up university tutoring and support. This is a great way to stay ahead of your studies and also give you back some more time on the weekends to work on your idea.

Experts and Mentorship

Universities naturally attract talent… both in terms of students and academics. Utilize this hub of activity (and reputation!) to get insights. 

Research to see if your school has:

• Business school consulting projects - These are usually projects sourced from the community, from corporates to startups, that allow business students or MBAs to gain real world knowledge as part of their course. 

• Entrepreneurs in Residence - They have firsthand experience and office hours to support your next steps

• Professors and faculty - Dig into  who is the expert in your field who may be willing to have a coffee or even advise you on next steps. These experts can cost money and equity once they are formal advisors, so take them up on their insights now!

• Alumni - See if your school has an alumni network, alumni mentoring, or even alumni angels network. Having that commonality of your college is a great conversation starter, whether they are an industry expert or a potential cofounder a few years older than you.

Space

Have you ever tried renting space— It is expensive, so why not see what you can use at your school? These can be things like the library or cafes, but also investigate to see if you can have access to meeting rooms in your startup incubator or innovation center. They are perfect for pop ups, customer interviews, and quiet space for partnership calls.

Awards and Press

Universities love sharing the good news about their students and alumni, so lean into it! If you have a good news story to share, a story of your business, or success in your venture, then reach out to your department marketing team or innovation or enterprise marketing or comms department. Having a backlink tied to a university is the chef’s kiss for SEO.

Another item to look into is if there are any awards, certifications, or honors as well tied to your school. These can build credibility in your own personal and professional achievements, and can look great on a slide deck.

Okay, So Now What?

If I was in your shoes, now that we are still in the beginning of the calendar year, start making a list mapping out your university’s resources. What is coming down the pipeline, and are there any applications you need to be thinking about? (Activities in the summer are often live now!) 

And, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Drop an email, show up to your innovation hub, ask a fellow founder or upperclassman, and just stay curious.

You never know what support you will find!

If this has been useful to you or if you have feedback to improve, please drop me a quick line. Or share with a friend!