Mays Business School Celebrates Launch of Creative Destruction Lab Mentorship Program for Seed-Stage Energy Ventures

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School kicked off the first session of CDL-Texas, its new nine-month mentorship program for seed-stage deep science and technology ventures focused on energy solutions.

One of 15 sites of the global nonprofit Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), which was founded at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Mays’ CDL-Texas represents a pivotal step in Texas A&M’s dedication to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. CDL aims to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to navigate the complexities of launching and scaling their ventures by integrating a structured mentorship program with access to industry experts and support from business students.

“Texas A&M University is a tremendous force for good, demonstrating that great universities not only conduct research but also translate that research into solutions capable of changing the world,” says Dr. Nate Y. Sharp, dean of Mays Business School. “CDL-Texas represents a powerful convergence of scientific excellence and entrepreneurial spirit; it is the beginning of a new chapter for experiential learning and for entrepreneurship and innovation at Mays Business School. It will showcase the best of what Texas A&M University can offer the world.”

The program consists of a series of sessions and sprints designed to foster competition and drive the success of ventures. Each sprint lasts eight weeks and involves intensive advising, where venture teams work closely with mentors to define key objectives. The program emphasizes a rigorous evaluation process, with ventures being assessed both prior to entry and throughout the sessions and sprints. This ensures that only the best-performing teams advance, creating a dynamic environment that encourages innovation and growth.

Thirty mentors and guest mentors were welcomed to Texas A&M with a dinner the night before the program’s first session. The roster of experts includes veteran mentors of other CDL sites, as well as energy industry and venture capital titans—including several Texas A&M former students, and multiple faculty and innovators from Texas A&M’s College of Engineering. Guest mentor Andy Hendricks ’87, president and CEO of Patterson-UTI and a graduate of Texas A&M’s petroleum engineering program, was honored at the dinner as a distinguished guest.

The session, held in Mays Business School’s Wehner Building on Oct. 7, brought together the mentors, founders of the program’s 21 initial ventures, and Mays Business School guests for fast-paced presentations and critiques of the businesses. The dynamic atmosphere had students, founders, and mentors buzzing with excitement about the opportunities CDL will bring to our campus.

“The quality of the ventures at CDL are some of the highest I’ve ever seen and a true testament to the team that has brought them in,” says Neil Wainwright, CEO and founder of UpHabit. Wainwright is serving his eighth year as a mentor in the program, having participated in CDL-Estonia, CDL-Montreal, CDL-Paris, CDL-Toronto, and now CDL-Texas.

The mentors were designated as either objective setters or critiquers. Objective setters collaborated with ventures in small group meetings to identify the top three objectives for the company to focus on over the next eight weeks, while critiquers provided real-time feedback during large group discussions to enhance strategic development.

“I joined CDL because I believe the program is unique. Their overall mission is appealing to me—it provides a rigorous yet valuable framework for ventures to thrive,” says Yu Huang, mentor and former global head of venture investment & partnership at Technip Energies.

The session closed with mentors voting on the ventures that had the most potential for success. Ventures that didn’t earn a mentor’s vote were eliminated.

The founders are now tasked with achieving the business-growth objectives set by the mentors before the next virtual session in Dec. 2025. In the spring, Mays Business School students in a Creative Destruction Lab course will add a level of support as consultants for the remaining ventures, leading up to the final super session of all CDL sites.

In a partnership that brings together innovative tech and forward-thinking business leadership, the CDL-Texas program will elevate startup ventures and provide the foundation they need to be successful and make lasting impact in the energy industry.

“Together, CDL and Texas A&M University are not just building companies; we are building a better future through business,” says Dean Sharp.