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TIA Incubator

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About the program · 3 linked sources

Thought Into Action (TIA) Incubator is Colgate University's flagship entrepreneurship program, founded in fall 2009. The year-long program (September-April) guides student entrepreneurs through venture creation with 7 monthly workshops, mid-month conference calls, deliverables, and intensive alumni mentorship. Teams develop businesses, nonprofits, social enterprises, or campus initiatives. The program culminates in the TIA Entrepreneur Showcase. Cumulative impact (as of 2019): 528+ entrepreneurs, 349+ ventures, 150+ mentors.

Also known as: Thought Into Action Incubator, TIA

How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-06-22); what those sources do not state is left unknown.

Key numbers

Funding range

$5,000

Grant

Equity

None

Application

Annual

Campus Wide

Last activity

2026-04-11

High confidence

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TIA Incubator

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Student notes

TIA Incubator

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    Rating

    0/280

    Application and Timing

    Annual cycle: September-April. Application process includes written application and in-person interview. Workshops held first Saturday of each month, 10am-3pm (mandatory in-person attendance). Summer research required before first workshop. 7 workshops + mid-month calls + 3 deliverables between workshops.

    Participants

    Open to all Colgate students (all class years) as well as alumni, faculty, staff, and local community members. Teams require at least 2 founding members. Open to for-profit, nonprofit, and campus initiatives.

    Funding and Equity

    Up to $5,000 in seed grant funding per venture, disbursed as venture develops (ideation through scaling stages). Non-dilutive grants. No equity taken. Additional funding available through TIA Summer Accelerator and TIA Entrepreneur Showcase.

    Recent Activity

    2025-2026 cohort active as of April 2026. Grand Challenges series (AI, Sustainability, Mental Health) integrated into incubator programming. TIA now in its 16th year. NYS Business Incubator & Innovation Hot Spot designation with $625K grant over 5 years.

    Research gaps & things to verify

    Verification Gaps

    • Venture count data from 2019 (10-year retrospective); current numbers likely higher.
    • Seed grant disbursement schedule across stages.
    • Selection rate and cohort size by year.
    Program details

    TIA Incubator

    Known Ventures

    • PLNT (Porter Comstock '26) — Plant industry modernization. 2026 Showcase winner ($10K).
    • MajiSafi Solutions (Agnes Ndanu '28) — Water scarcity in Kenya. $2,500 Chicory Award.
    • Hatch Pay (Fletcher Goodell '26) — Digital wallet for event payments.
    • EchoScape (Mike Ahearn Wilcox) — Therapeutic sound design.
    • Cha'Gate — Bubble tea venture on campus.
    • RUBY (Riley Decker '23, Emily Untermeyer '23) — Food waste reduction.
    • SoilSoul (Harshitha Talasila '26) — Sustainable farming.
    • Vitalize (Talia Broder '28) — Health/wellness.
    • Oasis Running (Andrew Sullivan '26) — Running apparel.
    • Scores of additional ventures across consumer, tech, social impact, and campus categories.
    Additional research notesShow

    Evidence