Students, faculty, and company founders recently gathered in the Student Union theater for the 2nd annual Camel Accelerator Demo Day to celebrate the progress of the program’s startup companies.
The Camel Accelerator is the result of a grant from NC IDEA and the RTP Foundation. The 10-week program is focused on supporting underrepresented founders who want to grow their business.
With a hybrid format of weekly Zoom meetings and three in-person meetings, held at Campbell’s Buies Creek campus, the program has attracted founders from all over North Carolina.
“The Camel Accelerator brought together students, new business owners, mentors and vendors in a collaborative space focused on helping companies grow,” said Professor Scott Kelly. “The entrepreneurs in the Accelerator were able to leverage young talent, and the students learned real world skills from the entrepreneurs.”
During this year’s iteration of the program, entrepreneurs heard from leading experts, connected with mentors, refined their sales and marketing techniques, grew their network, and leveraged Campbell’s educational resources.
“Working with the students made me feel very connected with a new age group and target market.” said Michelle Ingram, Founder of Michelle’s Monogram Mania.
“They enlightened me on what’s trending and used their technical skills to improve my business’s digital image. I am very grateful for this program and very impressed by the business knowledge and skills of the young people that I was paired with.”
Jessie Norberg, a junior business administration major from Cambridge, MN commented, “Working with startup founders in the Camel Accelerator has provided me with a deeper understanding of the intricacies of entrepreneurship. This hands-on learning opportunity far surpasses what any textbook could offer. I am so glad I took this class.”
If you are interested in joining the next iteration of this program or have questions about the qualifying requirements, please visit our website or contact Scott Kelly, Director of Entrepreneurship, at skelly@campbell.edu.