As the Innovation District moves forward and the entrepreneurship ecosystem continues to thrive at UGA, we want to make sure that our programs are truly inclusive and represent the diversity of our campus and Athens-Clarke County community. To facilitate this goal, a focused Innovation Bootcamp program is in its fourth year of delivering tailored training in order to equip attendees with the key skills needed for success in an innovative, entrepreneurial environment. With support from the Truist Foundation, we are able to extend this opportunity to UGA faculty, graduate students, and community members in Athens and surrounding counties. Entrepreneurs in the Creative space have unique needs in deciding how to make a living with their art. Our bootcamp program this fall is geared directly toward individuals in dance, art, music, theater and film and other creative fields who want to learn the basics of entrepreneurship and expand their networks and available resources. The bootcamp will meet on Tuesday evenings from 5pm-8pm starting on September 27 and ending on November 8. Sessions will be held at the Delta Innovation Hub on UGA’s North Campus. More program information and an application to participate can be found here.

The bootcamp is a free opportunity for Creatives to network, learn the basics of turning their art into their livelihood, and hear from inspirational Creatives in the community who have figured it out! Participants will be engaged in activities, pitches, hearing stories from panelists and keynote speakers, and getting to know community and UGA Creative entrepreneurs.

Our curriculum topics include:

• Self-awareness and building successful startup teams
• Funding sources
• Effective branding, marketing, communication strategies
• Intellectual Property
• Impactful presentations & pitches
• Startups and academic start-ups basics
• Customer discovery
• Commercialization

Over the course of seven sessions, the cohort will meet weekly to learn firsthand about the basics of commercialization and targeted skill-building, as well as receive one-on-one support from experienced coaches, many of whom are successful entrepreneurs. This program is open to all UGA faculty, graduate students, and Athens-Clarke County community members in Creative fields. Individuals wanting to participate should complete an application by August 24, and those selected will be notified by August 30. Please review the Innovation Bootcamp Schedule prior to committing to this program and check out the 2-minute video below to hear from other Creatives who have already been through our Bootcamp program:

https://vimeo.com/731506285/cd6c873317