Dukes Venture Accelerator

Launching the Venture

The Dukes Venture Accelerator is a six-week paid summer internship program designed to take established, scalable student ventures to the next level. Launch your business, acquire customers and develop your pitch, all while forming relationships with successful entrepreneurs, investors and service providers. 

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. You will be working under the supervision of the GCFE team and provided with a budget of up to $1000 to cover venture expenses.

Admission to the program is very selective and applications will open in the spring semester of 2023.

Meet the Cohort

• Artaius Outfitters: An outdoor apparel company that offers an electronically heated base layer vest that helps outdoor active people stay warm in cold weather without interfering with the comfort, performance, or style of their current gear set up, founded by Zachary Saulsbury ('22, Business Management)
• Coolacloy: A virtual 3D social media experience that forms a community around consciousness, eastern philosophy, reality and the universe, founded by Aiden Faherty ('22, Computer Information Systems)
• EN Guitars: A guitar company that focuses on preventing and reducing symptoms of repetitive motion injuries by manufacturing more ergonomic guitars at an affordable price, founded by Robert Aguillen ('22, Integrated Science and Technology)
• Find Her Football: A media advertising company dedicated to bringing visibility to women’s soccer by showcasing the women’s game online and across digital platforms with unique content, co-founded by Marlon Cuevas ('22, Finance)
• Groovy Power Washing: A service-based pressure washing company that prioritizes customer service and attention to detail in the local area, founded by Lucas Warner ('22, Business Management)
• JiB: An adapter piece that fits any disposable water bottle, turning it into a functioning waterpipe without micro plastic inhalation, founded by Walker Leake ('23, Digital Marketing)
• Linx Watch Accessories LLC: A patent pending cushion for traditional watches that enhance comfort and prevent sliding, snagging hairs, and the crown from digging, founded by Garrett Zendek ('22, Business Management)
• Living Walls DMV: A living green walls company that designs and installs unique, low maintenance living plant walls, founded by Natalie Weare ('22, Small Business Management)
• Sol Jam: An electric guitar manufacturing company centered around using hemp wood to create a more sustainable guitar buying experience, founded by Christian Boynton ('22, International Business)
• Umbral Edge Games: A board game company that produces and markets strategy and diplomacy board games starting with its first product Shadow War, co-founded by Ethan Howard ('25, Engineering and Physics)
• Yardman: A collapsible trashcan design that alleviates heavy lifting for those who experience back pain or muscle fatigue when doing yardwork by making bag removal simple and safe, founded by Carter McCracken ('23, Finance)