
What's 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:
Fall Application Deadline: Friday, October 21, 2022 @ 11:59PM
Kickoff: November 1; 1-3PM
Webinar 1: November 8; 1-3PM
Webinar 2: November 15; 1-3PM
Webinar 3: November 29; 1-3PM
Finale: December 6; 1-3PM
Spring 2023 Program Dates:
Spring Application Deadline: Monday, March 6, 2023 @ 11:59PM
Kickoff: Monday, March 20; 5-7PM
Webinar 1: Monday, March 27; 5-7PM
Webinar 2: Monday, April 3; 5-7PM
Webinar 3: Monday, April 10; 5-7PM
Finale: Monday, April 17; 5-7PM




Participant Goals
- 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, Nicole Jain & Srijani Challagundla (College of Liberal Arts & Sciences)
Plant Monitor: Harsha Jain (School of Engineering)
Rush Cycle: Reaj Uddin (School of Fine Arts) & Akash Chavan (School of Engineering)
ShadeSnap: Brian Peng (College of Liberal Arts & Sciences) & Shivam Patel (School of Business)
Bamboo: Ashkan Novin & 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, & 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, & Aziz Sandhu (Alumni) (College of Liberal Arts & Sciences)
AirCannon: Jack Baumgartel (School of Engineering)
BeeWell: Raina Jain (School of Engineering)
BeRemote: Vivek Nigam (Alumni), Rahul Sinha (Alumni) & Micky Chhabda (School of Business)
Program Contacts

Leland Holcomb
Instructor, Traction
Entrepreneur In Residence

Alycia Chrosniak
Program Specialist
alycia.chrosniak@uconn.edu