Three Days to Glory: Program Gives Aspiring Entrepreneurs a Chance to Shine

3 Day Startup (3DS)

Students from across the Texas A&M campus will have the opportunity to see if they have what it takes to form their own tech-based company. The catch: they only have three days.

3 Day Startup (3DS) is an accelerated hands-on program for passionate students with an entrepreneurial drive. The philosophy behind 3DS is “learning by doing.” The program recognizes that students need more than great ideas to launch a successful business. Over one weekend, 40 students will be equipped with resources, tools and real-world knowledge that will help them transform business concepts into functional and sustainable companies.

Mays Business School’s Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) will host 3DS Aggieland, a locally organized 3DS event founded in 2012. Applications for 3DS are due Sunday, Oct. 13. The event will take place Friday, Nov. 15 through Sunday, Nov. 17 at Startup Aggieland, located in the Texas A&M University Research Park.

On the first day of the event, students will participate in a brainstorming session to identify the best ideas for a software startup. As part of this effort, they will have the opportunity to consult with top-notch entrepreneurs, investors and professors.

Participants will also experience designing and creating business models, contacting potential customers, creating prototypes and developing both professional and personal relationships.

On the final day, students will present an investor pitch along with a minimal prototype. These final project pitches will be open to the public and will take place in the Cocanougher Center at Mays.

“There are two primary outcomes of 3DS—both of which will significantly enhance a student’s knowledge base,” says Richard Lester, clinical associate professor and executive director of the CNVE. “First, participants will learn the process of launching a new venture and the team dynamics needed to pull it off. Second, there is a distinct possibility that by Sunday night the student team will actually have a new venture that could attract venture capital or angel funding.”

For more information, visit tamu.3daystartup.org or visit 3DS Aggieland’s Facebook page at facebook.com/3DayStartupTAMU.

About Mays Business School

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,000 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.