Dec2
Fall Video Pitch Competition
Every CES venture pitches: a three-to-five-minute video, then live Q&A with judges.
About CES →
Connolly Entrepreneurship Network · Washington and Lee
Don't wait for permission. Build something.
We're the W&L students, alumni and faculty who turn ideas into ventures, products and prototypes. Any major. Any stage. No business plan required.
Any majorCES, the Maker Program and the Summit are open across campus
1 creditCES (ENT 1090) runs fall and winter, MWF at 11:50
4 maker tracksWeb, Internet of Things, 3D prototyping, vector design
Alumni in the roomFounders, investors and operators judge, mentor and speak
Where are you right now?
Pick the sentence that sounds like you.
01"I'm curious, but I don't have an idea."Good. You don't need one. Start with ENT 1000 and CES.02"I have an idea."Talk to ten customers before you touch a logo. Here's how.03"I'm already building something."Bring what you've learned. We'll help with the next hard problem.04"I want to make things."3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, electronics, and certifications.05"I need money or connections."Build evidence first. Then the Summit, CES funding and alumni open up.06"I want to work in startups, VC or tech."Use us for the building and Career Development for the job hunt.
How it works here
We don't teach entrepreneurship from a podium. We run the loop.
Every course, every CES venture and every Maker certification works the same way: get out and talk to people, test the riskiest assumption cheaply, build only what you need to learn, then show your work and get pushback. Then go around again.
The ventures that win at the Summit aren't the ones with the best first idea. They're the ones that went around the loop the most times.
Talkto the people with the problem
Testyour riskiest assumption
Buildthe smallest thing that teaches you
Showyour work, get pushback
Repeatuntil it's real
On the calendar
Put these in your calendar now.
Winter'27
Entrepreneurship Summit
Students, alumni, founders and investors in one room. A student showcase, then a live pitch competition.
Summit details →Everyweek
Maker workshops
Hands-on sessions toward certifications in the Connolly Center makerspace. Sign up in the portal.
Open the Maker portal →
The Entrepreneurship Summit
One day a year, the whole network is in one room.
Students set up booths, and alumni walk the floor and vote. The best ventures pitch live for cash, mentors and introductions. Past winners have walked out with funding and a plan for the next year.
You don't need to be a minor or a business major to show your work or to watch.
From the blog
What's happening
News · October 3, 2026
A new home for entrepreneurship at W&L
The Connolly Center has a new site, a blog and a monthly newsletter. Here's what's on it and where to start.
Events · October 3, 2026
Fall Video Pitch Competition: December 2
Every CES venture pitches this fall: a three-to-five-minute video, then live Q&A with the judges.
Alumni, parents and partners
The fastest way to help a student founder is one hour of your time.
Judge a pitch, mentor a venture, speak at CES, come back as an Entrepreneur in Residence, or hire a student who has already built something.