Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship
The Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship offers entrepreneurship training and practical opportunities aimed at preparing Colby students to be effective innovators and entrepreneurs—whether they are creating dynamic new business ventures or improving existing organizations or programs. The lab provides funding for students to start commercial and social enterprises, mentorship, as well as cocurricular and curricular programming. The lab heads the development of an entrepreneurship ecosystem involving alumni, faculty, staff, and Colby community members as well as companies, organizations, and institutions.
Established in 2022, the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship is the result of a generous gift from Trustee Emeritus Todd Halloran, a 1984 Colby graduate and Harvard Business School graduate who has spent the majority of his career investing in and working with accomplished business leaders and entrepreneurs and their growing companies.
Unique Experiences, Funding Opportunities
Treks
Students are taken off campus to learn about innovation, entrepreneurship networks, leading-edge organizations, and to attend conferences and more. Some of our past treks include trips to the Roux Institute at Northeastern University, IDEA Conference, Innovate@BU, and the TechCrunch Early Stage Conference. Future treks could include multiple-day explorations of startup ecosystems in thriving innovation epicenters like Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and the Raleigh-Durham area.
Grants
We believe early resources are critical to the success of any venture. The Ideate and Explore Grant, first grant stage, helps individuals/teams do the early and critical work of finding and validating an unmet need. We invite both for-profit and nonprofit ventures to apply.
The Compagna-Sennett Iterate and Expand Grant, made possible through the generosity of Robert Compagna ’76 and Joan Sennett ’76 through their Compagna-Sennett Entrepreneurial Seed Fund, is intended for teams that have already identified an unmet need and are ready to test the value proposition of their product or service. This may involve building a prototype or minimal viable product (MVP) to test the product-market fit.
Mentors
Our Colby Halloran Lab Mentors Program (CHaMP), living within our startup ecosystem, is made up of alumni, parents, and industry experts eager to foster a vibrant and supportive community for aspiring innovators. Mentors play a vital role in creating a lasting impact and inspiring our students to reach new heights.
Students participate in an all-day, expert-led workshop on design thinking, customer discovery, and crafting investment pitches, all while learning about the specific needs of an emerging technology or industry. They gain insights from industry experts and corporate partners to evaluate the real-world challenges entrepreneurs are facing. In collaboration with fellow Colby students, they conduct interviews with potential customers and various stakeholders to identify market pain points and unmet needs. These insights are then used to develop pitches for potential solutions that address the critical needs of the industry in focus.
Final Pitch Competition
Halloran Lab $40K Venture Showcase event: The year concludes with a showcase event to highlight the incredible ideas and work of the most promising startups. All ventures that have qualified for this prestigious year-end pitch competition by successfully completing their Compagna-Sennett Iterate and Expand Grant Panels will have the opportunity to compete for a portion of $40,000 in grant funding. This event is open to all members of the Colby community, including faculty, staff, and students, as well as the general public.
Jan Plan
Jan Plan courses run in collaboration with the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship. See our Jan Plan website page for more details on each course that ran in 2024.
Student Innovation Club
Taking off at the beginning of this spring semester 2024, the new Innovation Club at Colby is on a mission to build a vibrant student community around entrepreneurship and innovation. Since its inception, the Innovation Club has hosted three major events: Innovation Club Launch party, Student Founder Social, and
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