Calling All UC Alumni Entrepreneurs: Get Ready to LAUNCH with the Lester Center!

launchAre you a current or aspiring entrepreneur?  And are you (or one of your core startup team) an alumnus of the UC educational system?  Then listen up – there are changes happening to the long-established startup competition sponsored by the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship that have widened the scope to include alumni from all of the UCs, not just the home campus, UC Berkeley.

The LAUNCH startup categories are very broad, not just focused on healthcare, however, the UC system in general provides a plethora of resources for healthcare startups, and they are well represented in this competition as well as across many other programs on UC campuses.

The structured, four-month program in its 17th year – it is formerly known as the Business Plan Competition, which then became the Bplan Competition, and now LAUNCH.  (Most of us have realized that the traditional business plan from one or two decades ago is now obsolete, as is the old name of this competition).  Winners of the competition receive more than $25,000 in prizes.  Since 1999, nearly $1,000,000 in prizes have been awarded to outstanding startup teams.

The new LAUNCH competition requirements state that your startup is required to have at least one member who is a current student, faculty, staff or alumnus of a University of California campus.  Teams must include two to five members and must apply to the competition as a team; all team members must attend all sessions, and should expect to spend 15-20 hours per week working on their business.

So are you ready to apply (or at least learn more)?  Click here.  And best of luck – here’s to the future LAUNCH winners!

Hilary Weber, founder, Opportu Startup Leadership.  http://opportu.com/

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