"CONNECT" Programs Overview
Fostering a diverse and collaborative community of students, faculty, and alumni entrepreneurs and innovators, all while supporting the greater entrepreneurship ecosystem within Connecticut.
Timely Topics
One of the most powerful tools is being connected to the right resources!
A series that features panels of speakers, workshops to engage our entrepreneurs, and fire side chats with successful business leaders. These sessions are a way to provide ongoing opportunities for students, faculty, and alumni entrepreneurs to learn, grow, and connect.
xCITE: Women In Entrepreneurship Network
Connecting Connecticut-based women in innovation, technology, & entrepreneurship!
Dedicated to bringing female entrepreneurs together, this program focuses on networking and mentoring opportunities. The goal is to create an emphasis on building a committed network of female entrepreneurs and to engage participants year-round in meaningful opportunities designed to connect, support, and inspire.
Mentor Network
Seeking professionals interested in mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs!
Mentors can get involved by serving as a guest speaker or on a panel during Summer Fellowship, working one-on-one with students participating in InsurTech Initiative, and supporting startups/ventures as they commercialize technology, products and services.
Student Ambassador Program
Recruiting UConn students to participate in programs!
Student Ambassadors work collaboratively to reach students across campuses through events, social media platforms, and in-class presentations. They are innovative, driven, and encouraging leaders who strive to assist in the development and growth of CCEI. The program is open to all UConn undergraduate students interested in an interactive work-study on a semester-by-semester basis.
Entrepreneurial Leadership Program
The value of having an entrepreneurial mindset is not just limited to entrepreneurs.
CCEI has packaged the best of its entrepreneurial programming to provide executives access to curated modules that allow them to learn and develop the value of an entrepreneurial mindset delivered by our team of experts. These programs promise to provide a transcendent learning experience!
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Launc[H]
Making Hartford the best place to start and scale a business!
Designed to help business-individuals in the Hartford area achieve their dreams, this program strives to strengthen the community by increasing economic productivity, creating new jobs, and reigniting opportunity. Michelle Cote, Director of Launc[H], explains: “One or two introductions turns into an entire network at a place many people are impressed by.”
Discover Our Other Program Sectors:
- BUILD: Supporting entrepreneurs and innovators across UConn by providing funding, programs, and mentorship to help accelerate their ventures. Programs under this pillar include: Get Seeded, Traction, Accelerate UConn, Summer Fellowship, and The Wolff New Venture Competition.
- DEVELOP: Experiential learning and internship programs engage students with startups and small businesses in Connecticut. Programs under this pillar include: BUILD Hartford, Verge Consulting Program, Family Business Program, and the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp For Veterans (EBV).
- CONNECT: Fostering a diverse and collaborative community of students, faculty, and alumni entrepreneurs and innovators, all while supporting the greater entrepreneurship ecosystem within the state. Programs under this pillar include: Timely Topics, xCITE, CCEI Mentor Network, Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, and CCEI's Student Ambassadors Program.