
What Is Traction?
The Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation launched the Traction program to support UConn-affiliated startup ideas as they work to validate their concept. Participants will learn the key elements of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and the lean startup methodology. Participants will engage in customer discovery efforts that will allow them to better understand the market they are entering and the value they plan to provide to key stakeholders in the process. The Traction program is open to undergraduate and graduate students across all schools at UConn.
Fall 2022 Program Dates:
Application Deadline: Friday, October 21, 2022 at 11:59pm
Kickoff: November 1, 2022; 1-3pm
Webinar 1: November 8, 2022; 1-3pm
Webinar 2: November 15, 2022; 1-3pm
Webinar 3: November 29, 2022; 1-3pm
Finale: December 6, 2022; 1-3pm
Spring 2023 Program Dates:
Application Deadline: Friday, March 3, 2023 at 11:59pm
Kickoff: March 21, 2023; 1-3pm
Webinar 1: March 28, 2023; 1-3pm
Webinar 2: April 4, 2023; 1-3pm
Webinar 3: April 11, 2023; 1-3pm
Finale: April 18, 2023; 1-3pm
Program Elements:




Participants Will ...
- Learn the critical elements of the Business Model Canvas
- Develop a greater knowledge of the market they plan to enter and the path to entry
- Understand the individual customer segments they plan to serve and the value that they will provide to them
- Create a plan for next step resources and milestones that need to be achieved
Participant Expectations ...
- At least one member of your team will attend all scheduled program meetings (kickoff, webinars, and finale) as well as making an effort to participate in one-on-one office hours with mentors/instructors
- Participants will actively engage in the program and complete all suggested tasks as outlined by the program instructional team
Past Cohorts:
Cocotfyma- Mariella Magan & Fiorella Magan
Forvrd- Rashana Weerasinghe
Geomate- Audrey Larson, Charlotte Chen, & Angel Velasquez
Peer Expertise- Jennifer Ndjomou
Doodle Artwear- Kristina DeMichiel, ACES
Kibble Finder- Brooke Chao, School of Business
Kizer's Kollection- Madeline Kizer, School of Business
Whale Steps- Lorraine Linkhauer, School of Fine Arts
RainCheck- Shaina Selvaraju, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Nicole Jain, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Srijani Challagundla, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Plant Monitor- Harsha Jain, School of Engineering
Rush Cycle- Reaj Uddin, School of Fine Arts, and Akash Chavan, School of Engineering
ShadeSnap- Brian Peng, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Shivam Patel, School of Business
Bamboo- Ashkan Novin and Amir Bagha, BME
Collision Avoidance Safety System (CASS) - Hritish Bhargava, School of Engineering
Inspirational Planner to Support Mental Health - Allie Davenport, School of Business
iThink Beauty - Ashaki Reid, CAHNR
UComm - Christine Hall, Richard Loricco, Edward Szalan, and Monisha Jain, School of Business
Co-Learn - Angela Rodriguez, School of Business
Kona Brand - Zac Will, School of Business
Underground Cookies – Bryce Bisset, School of Engineering
Frontlines - Sameer Laul, Sahil Laul, and Aziz Sandhu (Alumni), College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
AirCannon - Jack Baumgartel, School of Engineering
BeeWell - Raina Jain, School of Engineering
BeRemote - Vivek Nigam (Alumni), Rahul Sinha (Alumni), and Micky Chhabda, School of Business
Program Contacts:
Leland Holcomb
Instructor, Traction
Alycia Chrosniak
Program Specialist
alycia.chrosniak@uconn.edu