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Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina·Private
At a glance
Indexed programs
7
7 currently active
Top direct funding
No direct cash prizes indexed
Equity
No equity on indexed programs
Program mix
5
Entrepreneurship Center · Accelerator · Pitch Competition
Research verdict
Research in progress.
Programs to explore
Compare funding, equity, and timing before you apply.
7 programs indexed
Pitch Competition
Entrepalooza
Pitch CompetitionAlso: Entrepalooza
—
funding range
- Last activity
- 2026-06-27
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students, Alumni +more
- Verification
- Verified
ESG@Wake Student Pitch Competition
Pitch CompetitionAlso: ESG@Wake
—
funding range
- Last activity
- 2022-04-07
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students
- Verification
- Verified
Accelerator
Deacon Springboard
AcceleratorAlso: Deacon Springboard
—
funding range
- Last activity
- 2026-06-27
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students
- Verification
- Verified
Startup Lab
AcceleratorAlso: Startup Lab
—
funding range
- Last activity
- 2026-06-27
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students
- Verification
- Verified
Known startups and winners
Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.
Mixtos Hard Seltzer
Wake Forest University · Startup Lab
Wake Forest student venture documented in entrepreneurship ecosystem research.
Storage Scholars
Wake Forest University · Center for Entrepreneurship
Wake Forest alumni venture featured on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban $250K deal; documented on WFU entrepreneurship pages.
Three Strands Recovery Wear
Wake Forest University · Center for Entrepreneurship
Wake Forest alumni venture documented in Center for Entrepreneurship research.
Historical winners (research notes)
- Storage Scholars — Shark Tank alum; Mark Cuban $250K deal
- Three Strands Recovery Wear — Alumni venture documented by Center for Entrepreneurship
- Mixtos Hard Seltzer — Student venture from Startup Lab ecosystem
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private liberal arts university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with approximately 5,400 undergraduates. Its entrepreneurship ecosystem is anchored by the Center for Entrepreneurship (home of the IDEATE Method) and a transformational $30M gift (December 2024) that is funding new faculty, courses, and a state-of-the-art facility.
Ecosystem Overview
- Central hub: Center for Entrepreneurship (Reynolda Hall, Suite 230)
- Executive Director: Dan Cohen, PhD (John C. Whitaker Jr. Executive Director, Professor of Practice)
- For-credit accelerator: Startup Lab (3 credits, Wednesdays 9:30-12:15, mentoring + seed capital)
- Pre-accelerator: Deacon Springboard (customer discovery, prototyping, Deac Tank)
- Academic: Entrepreneurship Minor (19 hours, open to all majors)
- Annual pitch event: Entrepalooza / Demo Day (400+ attendees, investor-ready pitches)
- Tech transfer: Wake Forest Innovations (WFI, Innovation Quarter, $40K Commercial Pathway Awards)
- Students: 400+ enrolled in entrepreneurship courses (Fall 2024)
- Transformative gift: $30M anonymous (Dec 2024) — 4 new faculty, new space, doubled courses
- Notable alumni: Storage Scholars (Shark Tank, Mark Cuban $250K deal), Three Strands Recovery Wear
- IDEATE Method: Award-winning teaching method adopted by universities nationwide
News & articles
8 news articles and official sources documenting entrepreneurship programs, winners, and activity at Wake Forest University.
8 sources
News & articles(2)
Wake Forest University
$30M Gift for Entrepreneurship
**Source:** https://news.wfu.edu/2024/12/10/wfu-receives-30m-to-advance-entrepreneurship-education/ **Notes:** Transformational anonymous gift to expand Center for Entrepreneurship.
Read on Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
ESG@Wake Student Pitch Competition
ESG@Wake Student Pitch Competition spearheaded by the School of Business and supported by campus partners. Open to undergraduate and graduate students in all Wake Forest academic programs. $70,000 total for cash prizes and implementation funding ($5K first, $2.5K second, $1K third per track across three ESG tracks). 90 students submitted video pitches; Windstream President Tony Thomas (WFU MBA alum) kicked off the inaugural event.
Read on Wake Forest University
Official sources(6)
Wake Forest University
Center for Entrepreneurship Homepage
**Source:** https://entrepreneurship.wfu.edu/ **Notes:** Main page for the Center for Entrepreneurship at Wake Forest University.
Read on Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Deacon Springboard
**Source:** https://entrepreneurship.wfu.edu/co-curricular-opportunities/deacon-springboard/ **Notes:** Early-stage accelerator at Wake Forest.
Read on Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Entrepalooza
**Source:** https://events.wfu.edu/event/entrepalooza-demo-day **Notes:** Annual celebration of entrepreneurship.
Read on Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Entrepreneurship Minor
**Source:** https://entrepreneurship.wfu.edu/minor-in-entrepreneurship/ **Notes:** Academic program details.
Read on Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest Innovations
**Source:** https://school.wakehealth.edu/innovations **Notes:** Technology transfer and commercialization at WFU.
Read on Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Startup Lab
**Source:** https://entrepreneurship.wfu.edu/co-curricular-opportunities/startup-lab/ **Notes:** For-credit startup accelerator at Wake Forest.
Read on Wake Forest University
This profile lists 7 programs for Wake Forest University. Some details may be outdated until a director verifies them.
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