Eligibility

Participants must be currently enrolled in a recognized 4-year university program. You do not need a team to apply. If you are accepted into the program, you will be assigned to an international startup team. This is an English-based program; however, if you are not confident in your English level, please let us know and we will assess your language competency.

Program

Through a series of online workshops, lectures, and mentor sessions, startup teams will learn how to form, test, and validate (or invalidate) a business model or concept. The program culminates in our Virtual Congress where teams will showcase (not pitch!) their Proof Of Concept in VR to an audience of corporate sponsors, university partners, volunteers, and mentors.

Cost

There is no cost to apply. The majority of our program cost is covered by our generous sponsors. However, to show a commitment that each member will complete our program and participate in the virtual showcase event, we ask for an entry fee should you be selected. Your university may cover this fee through a grant.

Program Tenets

Long-term > Short-term: We aim to deliver obsessive value to our participants, stakeholders, and partners for the long term.

Input > Output: We live in a complex world. We set high goals that define the input of our work. More often than not (though sometimes in unexpected ways) this produces high results.

Earn Trust: We treat others with respect but speak candidly when appropriate. We are reflective and listen twice as much as we speak.

Invent and Simplify: As we do new things, we may be misunderstood. We invent much like a sculptor: starting with a block of clay and carving, cutting, and shaping until we reach beauty.

Don’t be an A**hole: We assume good intentions amongst one another and choose humility over arrogance. Though we are a community of creatives and misfits, unkind people will find no home here. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Thanks to many friends and mentors, from Amazon to Unreasonable, for the inspiration and guidance of some of these tenets.