Program Details
This program is divided into two series', Ignition 1.0 (Fall) and Ignition 2.0 (Spring), with each taking place at the Tech Park and occurring once a week on Wednesday. Ignition last 8-9 weeks, with the last week being a Demo Day where participants pitch for a $10,000 investment.
By participating in Ignition 1.0, you will receive up to $3,000 in reimbursable funds to help cover the cost of your customer discovery efforts, such as traveling, attending a conference, conducting customer interviews, or other creative ways. The deadline to apply is September 5, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.
The first session for Ignition 1.0 will occur on September 14 and Demo Day will be on November 9. It is expected that participants will be present and active at all sessions. The total cost for the program is $200, with scholarships available.
Program Partner
Program Sponsor
Program Award
Ignition 1.0
Ignition 1.0 is an in-person program designed to help you answer a simple but critical question, “Will anyone buy what I am selling?”. The ideal participants in Ignition 1.0 are companies who are preparing to launch, just getting started, or are already up and running and steadily growing.
Understanding your customers’ need is vital to building a successful business. Through this hands-on training will give you a foundation for testing your business model assumptions, confirming your ideal customers, and verifying your product market-fit. You’ll discover your target audience by learning the fundamentals of who to talk to, what questions to ask, and how to turn responses into actionable steps.
Ultimately, you will walk away knowing if your idea is worthy of creating a new business. Even if the answer is 'no', that's a success!
Ignition 2.0
Ignition 2.0 is an in-person program designed to guide entrepreneurs through the commercialization process of building their company. The ideal participants in Ignition 2.0 are technology-enabled companies who have moved past the idea and market confirmation stages of building their business and into product development.
To facilitate peer learning and long-term relationships, companies will be paired into teams and placed with a mentor, with whom they will meet weekly. Companies will also be given the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with subject matter experts, in crucial commercialization areas— technology, financials, marketing, and legal.
Ultimately, you will walk away knowing if you're ready to commercialize your product or service? Even if the answer is 'no', that's a success!
The Results
By the end of program, attendees will have the appropriate knowledge and mentorship needed to plan next steps in growing their companies. This includes a thorough understanding of:
Ignition 1.0
Clearly identify your target market.
Ignition 2.0
How to form their financials.
Ignition 1.0
Understand your customer's needs and wants.
Ignition 2.0
Developing their business model
Ignition 1.0
Accurately identify the problem you're solving.
Ignition 2.0
Creating their go-to market strategy
Ignition 1.0
Develop an appropriate pricing model.
Ignition 2.0
The steps to take when seeking investments
Want to join the next cohort?
Have questions about the program, want to learn more, or ready to accelerate your business? Let us know by completing the interest form below.