One Epic Summer: What to expect from Owls who have been there!
Built on years of refinement, but uniquely crafted each summer, the 12-week accelerator meets founders exactly where they are on their journey with the tools they need for their unique milestones—activating the game-changing potential of Rice founders. Here's what founders who have been through the programs had to say:
It was exactly the support system we needed during that early phase. Being part of a cohort of fellow startup founders who are facing, or have faced, similar problems as yours, and being able to leverage their experiences is a fantastic way to learn. The mentors and resources we got access to have been instrumental in our journey so far....We learned so much during those 3 months, but our biggest takeaway was something that all startups need to understand as early as possible: It's all about the customer! WellWorth aside, OwlSpark means a lot to me personally. It was a big part of my Rice MBA experience.
OwlSpark is just unparalleled to anything else I've been in....I was able to actually secure my first LOI based on introductions that I originally met in OwlSpark.
With summer break coming up, I want to recommend anybody interested in building a venture to apply to the OwlSpark accelerator. I went through it last year and had a phenomenal experience! It was during the accelerator that my startup, Sapling Jobs, bagged its first paying customer! Thank you Jessica Fleenor, Cheyenna Mitchell & Simone Fernau for the constant & continued support!
I would highly recommend that you spend time thinking about what your specific goals are...Because the leadership team will make every effort to cater the material and the resources that they're providing to help support you and in reaching that goal.
My very first internship in college at Rice was at our university accelerator...which is Owl Spark. We'd bring in angel investors, we'd bring in serial entrepreneurs, we'd bring in tech leaders, and they would talk to our cohort about go-to-market strategies, of building out a pitch deck, and how to AB test with your customers—and what these things were."
Some of you who have known me for a while might remember that my own entrepreneurial journey started at Rice University when my previous startup went through the OwlSpark accelerator as part of Class 4.
To any Rice students or alums in my network looking to start their own journey into entrepreneurship, I really recommend taking a look.
was a member of BlueLaunch Class 1 with the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship last summer and I can't emphasize enough how great it was! Cheyenna, Jessica, and the whole team including Liana, Kelly, and other collaborators at University of Houston RED Launch are experts in entrepreneurship and running this accelerator.
They helped me and many other amazing entrepreneurs take our ventures to the next level all while having an unforgettable and fun personal experience as well. I was introduced to helpful mentors and given a number of resources to champion my journey through this challenging and rewarding program.
RICE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ON OWLSPARK AND BLUELAUNCH
"When I first arrived at Rice University in 2017 as Dean of Engineering, I was excited to see the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of our students and community. Now, five years later as President, I am more energized than ever before in the potential of our Rice community, which has been ignited by the OwlSpark and BlueLaunch accelerators, hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. This year marks the 10th year the OwlSpark Accelerator has been providing an experiential learning opportunity for Rice University students, faculty, staff and alumni who are building and growing remarkable companies....To all of the entrepreneurs who have been working hard this summer to grow your ventures: cheers to you! I’m inspired by your determination, resilience and ideas that will change the world and we’re excited to see where you go next!"