Student Entrepreneurship
Develop an entrepreneurship mindset and fuel your entrepreneurial journey through competitions, skill-building workshops, networking and mentorship with founders and alumni and opportunities to grow your venture or ideas.
New for 2025
RealTalk
A candid conversation series for TU students to explore entrepreneurship at the StarTUp at the Armory.
We invite TU students from all disciplines to engage in candid, roundtable chats with professionals about breaking into different industries, overcoming challenges and exploring entrepreneurship. Whether you’re curious about a career path or seeking inspiration to begin your own journey, RealTalk offers a relaxed and welcoming space to connect, learn, spark new ideas and build meaningful relationships.
Each RealTalk allows time to hear from a professional, learn from student peers and network. Refreshments provided.
Community Entrepreneurship
We invite community members to engage with business, startup, community and TU leaders through speaker series, networking events and pitch competitions at the StarTUp at the Armory.
Find Out MoreYouth Entrepreneurship
Local youth learn tangible skills and knowledge to build confidence and their own businesses in youth entrepreneurship programs at the StarTUp at the Armory.
Student entrepreneurship programs
College Cup
Spring 2025
A university-wide challenge that helps students from all disciplines to develop innovative solutions that address real-world problems in creative and impactful ways.
View Event Details
Student Accelerator
Summer 2025
College Cup finalists advance to the Student Accelerator where they accelerate their venture for eight-weeks of programming alongside the StarTUp Accelerator.
View Event Details
Maker Fest
Fall 2025
Represent your college, compete for glory, and secure your spot in the College Cup, while celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of TU in this 24-hour sprint competition.
View Event Details
Other recent events
College Speaker Series
Get the inside scoop on what it takes to become a successful business leader. Trailblazers interact with students, faculty and staff during the day and host a fireside chat at the StarTUp at the Armory.
Boss Up Panel
Interested in starting your own business? Looking to gain inspiration from real-world success stories? Ignite your entrepreneurial spirit and build meaningful connections at these panel discussions.
RealTalk
Whether you’re curious about a career path or want inspiration to begin your own entrepreneurship journey, this is a space to connect, learn and build relationships with professionals and student peers.
Past events
RealTalk: Careers in Finance
A candid conversation series for TU students to explore entrepreneurship at the StarTUp at the Armory.
We invited TU students from all disciplines to engage in candid, roundtable chats with professionals about breaking into different industries, overcoming challenges and exploring entrepreneurship. Whether you’re curious about a career path or seeking inspiration to begin your own journey, RealTalk offers a relaxed and welcoming space to connect, learn, spark new ideas and build meaningful relationships. (4/18/25)
Each RealTalk allows time to hear from a professional, learn from student peers, and network. Refreshments provided.
RealTalk: Careers in Content Creation
We invited students from all disciplines to engage in honest, roundtable chats with professionals about breaking into different industries, overcoming challenges and exploring entrepreneurship. Whether you're curious about a career path or seeking inspiration to begin your own journey, RealTalk offers a relaxed and welcoming space to connect, learn, spark new ideas, and build meaningful relationships. Refreshments provided. (2/21/25)
A Fireside Chat: Dana Frank
Join Dana Frank, author of Get Up and Get it on: A Black Entrepreneur's Lessons on Creating Legacy and Wealth, for a conversation with Edna Primrose '84, TU Foundation president, about what it means to be a multi-faceted entrepreneur. Frank, a celebrated entrepreneur and third-generation steward of her family's apartment rental business, will share key strategies from her book, which offers readers practical steps to rewrite the narrative of their financial futures, regardless of the circumstances they were born into. (11/12/24)
Boss Up: Becoming Your Own Boss Panel
Curious about starting your own business? This panel was the perfect place to ignite entrepreneurial spirit. (10/16/24)
- Lianna Banks, Towson University Alumni; Owner of Events by Elle B.
- Jal Irani, Founder and CEO of Flave; Professor at Towson University and Johns Hopkins
University
- Kerrie Carden, Founder and CEO of Equip Advisory
- Cat Volcy, Towson University Graduate Student; Mental Health, Wellness and Travel Content Creator
A Fireside Chat: Connecting Baltimore and Silicon Valley
Participants learned how Greater Baltimore attracts investment from Silicon Valley and also learned about venture capital, regional investment and Baltimore-based ventures. (5/14/24)
- Theo Hooker, COO and Co-Founder, Cambium Carbon
- Dela Adedze, Senior Analyst, Mac Venture Capital
- Moderator: Patrick McQuown, Executive Directive, StarTUp at the Armory