91�鶹��Ʒ launches second annual Entrepreneurs Fund for students and alumni

Recipients of the Entrepreneurs Fund will work on developing their small businesses with the assistance of 91�鶹��Ʒ entrepreneur mentorship and shared workspace. (Photo by Andy Daddio)

Just , 91�鶹��Ʒ student and alumni entrepreneurs are invited to apply for the .

Applications are now being accepted for the first round of awards. The fund was established to grow and advance for-profit and not-for-profit ventures that “have the potential to solve big problems.” The fund’s mission is also to keep such entrepreneurial activity in Hamilton and central New York.

The winners of the funding will receive $15,000, a shared local workspace, and the support of countless alumni mentors. the deadline to apply is March 15.

The fund, formerly called the ENY Fund, was initially launched by .

“The fund’s Hamilton headquarters – furnished with a video conference room, 3D printer, and Ping Pong table – is start-up heaven,” , founder of and one of the six winners of last year’s fund. “With a new home at the ‘Hamilton Hatchery,’ our team was extremely productive, shipping three new versions of our iPhone app.”

2013 Fund Recipients

For and , the funding and guidance has meant their business, , has gone from concept and prototype to a fully featured product.

“The money and office space we received from the fund were definitely appreciated. But we would not be here today without the access it provided us to the 91�鶹��Ʒ alumni network.”

Wills Hapworth ’07, an entrepreneur and the founder of DarkHorse Investors, which invests in college students’ start-up ventures, agrees. “Support from alumni, administrators, faculty, and the local community has been coalescing into a very compelling start-up ecosystem at 91�鶹��Ʒ.”

To learn more about fund eligibility, benefits, and judging criteria, click and .

Awards will be announced during 91�鶹��Ʒ’s .