Launching the venture

The Dukes Jumpstart Accelerator is a flexible, six-session accelerator offered in February, March, and April. Similar to DVA, this program is broken down into focused sessions you can plug into when you need them most.

Attend just the sessions you need to move your venture forward or go all in and attend all six.
Completion of all six will qualify you to present your venture at the DVA Summer Demo Day on June 26.

Whether you want a head start on your summer DVA application or you’re ready to dive deeper into your venture now, this is your first step.

Open to all JMU students – All years, all schools, any major, any idea

Sessions

Session 1: From Idea to “Count Me In”: Winning Early Supporters

In this session, you’ll learn how to build credibility, reduce perceived risk and command attention whether you’re talking to customers, partners or future investors.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Use storytelling to make your value proposition instantly clear
  • Ask the right questions to get real, actionable feedback
  • Build a confident founder presence (without sounding salesy)
  • Leverage LinkedIn to grow authority and meaningful connections
  • Create a pitch deck narrative that actually works

You’ll leave with:

  • A personalized storytelling toolkit
  • Clear next steps toward an investor-ready pitch deck

Session 2: Find Your Edge: Customers, Competition & Market Fit

Don’t waste time, money, or energy chasing the wrong customer. This session helps you identify who you’re really building for and how to win in a competitive market.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Define your ideal customer profile (ICP) using layered, discoverable data
  • Identify market friction and uncover growth opportunities
  • Analyze competitors and find smart ways to differentiate
  • Build a tactical go-to-market strategy you can execute immediately

You’ll leave with:

  • A complete ICP and competition analysis document
  • A 90-day go-to-market roadmap

Session 3: Traction Changes Everything

Investors want proof that customers want what you’re building. The fastest way to de-risk your venture is simple: get sales. This session focuses on building a repeatable sales process you can actually use.

You’ll learn:

  • Why founders must own early sales
  • How mindset can block (or unlock) your ability to sell
  • How to generate and qualify leads across online, in-person, and partner channels

You’ll leave with:

  • A sales qualification checklist
  • Proven sales scripts
  • A 90-day sales implementation roadmap

Session 4: Deals on Fire: Speed, Scale, and Sales Power

This advanced, hands-on workshop is all about closing deals. You’ll sharpen your ability to move qualified leads through the pipeline and build momentum that compounds.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Identify serious buyer signals
  • Navigate complex sales environments (universities, corporations, government)
  • Address pricing, timing, and competitive objections
  • Build a strategy to scale sales and accelerate revenue

You’ll leave with:

  • Advanced sales skills
  • A data-backed growth projection
  • A clear plan for increasing your velocity

Session 5: Follow the Money

Funding early-stage ventures is hard, but preparation changes everything. This session demystifies funding paths and helps you build confidence in your numbers, assumptions and strategy.

You’ll explore:

  • Grants, competitions, accelerators, friends & family, and angel investing
  • How to defend your assumptions with data
  • Financial projections that actually hold up
  • How to think about and protect your IP

You’ll leave with:

  • A clear understanding of funding pathways
  • Stronger, more defensible financial projections
  • A plan for protecting your intellectual property

Session 6: Pitch with Purpose

Great slides are just the beginning. This session focuses on testing your messaging, defending your business model and preparing for what comes after the pitch.

You’ll work on:

  • Explaining and defending your value proposition
  • Justifying your “ask”
  • Understanding term sheets and data rooms
  • Answering tough investor questions with confidence

This session includes real-time business planning and live feedback to make sure you’re truly pitch-ready.

Every detail matters. When you’re prepared the way investors expect, you don’t just pitch—you connect.


The Dukes Venture Accelerator is a six-week, paid summer internship program designed to take established, scalable student ventures to the next level. Accelerate your startup, acquire customers and de-risk your startup using proven methods all while forming close mentoring relationships with expert entrepreneurs in this competitive program.

Held in the Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship, this program gives you the tools and skills needed to de-risk your venture and achieve your entrepreneurial goals, while working under the supervision of the GCFE team.

A headshot of Claudia Robles Arias wearing a blue and white blouse, smiling

“Receiving the $5000 Tucker New Venture Award at Dukes Venture Accelerator Demo Day was a pivotal moment for BilingualKid! This kind of recognition affirms our hard work and drives us toward new opportunities for growth, collaboration and greater impact.” – Claudia Robles Arias, Founder – BilingualKid Language Immersion School

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