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Cornell University

Center for Regional Economic Advancement

We support and empower people to to start and grow new ventures

On-Campus Entrepreneurship Programs

Our on-campus entrepreneurship programs provide the tools for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to take their entrepreneurial ideas to the next level. From mentorship and relationship building, webinars and business accelerators, to co-working spaces and competitions, we support and amplify all entrepreneurship activity across Cornell’s campuses.

76West Clean Energy Competition

76West Clean Energy Competition

Competition for businesses in the clean energy sector
Big Red Ventures Investor Network

Big Red Ventures Investor Network

Connects early stage investors to an array of New York State and Cornell affiliated startups
Dairy Runway Program

Dairy Runway Program

Supporting early-stage dairy entrepreneurs using NY-produced cow milk
eLab: Cornell’s Student Accelerator

eLab: Cornell’s Student Accelerator

A collaboration of Student Agencies Foundation and Entrepreneurship at Cornell
Engineering Entrepreneurs in Residence

Engineering Entrepreneurs in Residence

Partnering experienced entrepreneurs with Ph.D. candidates, postdocs, and faculty members
Green Technology Innovation Fellows

Green Technology Innovation Fellows

Connecting Cornell researchers with Johnson MBA students
Grow-NY Business Competition

Grow-NY Business Competition

Business competition growing an enduring food and agriculture innovation cluster
Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps)

Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps)

Taking innovation from the laboratory to the marketplace
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Workshop Series

Innovation & Entrepreneurship Workshop Series

Exploring the entrepreneurial journey from ideation to operation
Johnson Entrepreneurship Track

Johnson Entrepreneurship Track

Building on the MBA curriculum to support students in development of their business ideas
Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator

Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator

A 10-week summer intensive for MBA students
Jiang Fellows, Engineering

Jiang Fellows, Engineering

An entrepreneurship program rooted in the College of Engineering
Life Sciences Technology Innovation Fellows

Life Sciences Technology Innovation Fellows

Connecting Cornell researchers with business students
Manufacturing Hardware Accelerator

Manufacturing Hardware Accelerator

Supporting startups ready to take their prototypes into production
Northeast Regional Food Business Center

Northeast Regional Food Business Center

Helping farmers and food businesses access new markets and available resources
Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition

Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition

Competition for innovators using raw milk and/or dairy ingredients
NSF Engines Development Award: Upstate 2.0

NSF Engines Development Award: Upstate 2.0

Transitioning Upstate New York to a climate-smart economy
Prototyping Hardware Accelerator

Prototyping Hardware Accelerator

Offering innovators a deep dive into prototyping and hardware entrepreneurship
Protofacturing Hardware Accelerator

Protofacturing Hardware Accelerator

Supporting physical product startups preparing for initial manufacturing runs
Rev: Ithaca Startup Works

Rev: Ithaca Startup Works

Providing mentorship, accelerator programs, co-working space, events, and networking
SBIR/STTR Assistance Program

SBIR/STTR Assistance Program

Providing seed funding for early-stage product development
Southern Tier Startup Alliance (STSA)

Southern Tier Startup Alliance (STSA)

A member organization of business incubators in the Southern Tier
START-UP NY

START-UP NY

Tax benefits for businesses collaborating with universities and creating jobs
W.E. Cornell

W.E. Cornell

Helping STEM PhDs and postdocs commercialize their innovations

Impact

Our programs bring entrepreneurs together in a community of innovation.

Over 300 students have participated in our entrepreneurial programs

Over 75 entrepreneurs-in-residence have mentored our on-campus entrepreneurial community

Over 100 student startups have gone from ideation to operation after completing our programs

Campus Connections

We collaborate with the entrepreneurial community across Cornell University’s campus to amplify the opportunities and resources in our innovation network. 

Cornell Engineering
Entrepreneurship at Cornell
SC Johnson College of Business
Student Agencies, Inc.

News in Accelerators & Incubators

Students pitch innovative startups in San Francisco

Students pitch innovative startups in San Francisco

Teams from eLab, Cornell’s student startup accelerator; the Runway Startup Postdocs Program at Cornell Tech; and BioVenture eLab at Weill Cornell Medicine pitched their innovative business ideas at the annual Cornell Silicon Valley: Student Startup Showcase at San Francisco’s Autodesk Gallery on March 27.
Jiang Fellows welcomes inaugural cohort

Jiang Fellows welcomes inaugural cohort

The Jiang Fellows Program recently welcomed 20 students to its 2025 cohort. The students will spend the spring semester sharpening their entrepreneurial skills while preparing for a fully funded summer internship at a startup of their choice.
eLab welcomes 13 startups to Spring 2025 cohort

eLab welcomes 13 startups to Spring 2025 cohort

Twenty-four startups were accepted for the eLab student startup accelerator fall cohort, and 13 will advance to the spring cohort. These startups have shown remarkable progress in validating their ideas and refining their business models.
Continued Growth for Rev’s Startup Community in 2024

Continued Growth for Rev’s Startup Community in 2024

The numbers are trickling in for 2024, another successful year for the founders, employees, and investors of Rev: Ithaca Startup Works 32 member startups. Success looked different for our Rev members as some accepted new partnerships, some closed rounds of seed funding, and others continued to innovate. Regardless, Rev’s community continued to grow and scale their businesses while positively impacting the Ithaca region and beyond.
Cornell Entrepreneurs Excel in Local Pitch Competitions   

Cornell Entrepreneurs Excel in Local Pitch Competitions   

The Fuzehub 2024 Commercialization Competition during the New York State Innovation Summit had seven prize winners, five of which are Cornell-supported entrepreneurs. Of the five, four have participated in multiple hardware accelerators at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works and the grand prize winner is a current Center for Life Science Ventures member, a former Life Science Technology Fellow and Ignite Fellow.
Celebrating 10 years at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works

Celebrating 10 years at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works

In response to the 2014 opening of Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, CNN Business ran the headline: “Can this Small Town Compete with Silicon Valley?” While Ithaca has made headlines for its oversized number of startups per capita and having the highest R&D expenditures in New York state, 10 years later, it’s clear Rev: Ithaca Startup Works is not interested in competing with Silicon Valley, but in imagining an entrepreneurial ecosystem entirely its own. Over the past 10 years, Rev’s member startups have created over 1,000 jobs and generated over 100 million dollars in revenue.