Entrepreneurship at W&L: Start here

The Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship works with students from across Washington and Lee, not just business students, through courses, the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society, the Maker Program, the Entrepreneurship Summit, alumni connections, competitions and other programs.

In a hurry? Skip to the short version.

I’m interested in entrepreneurship, but I don’t have a business idea. Where should I start?

You don’t need a startup idea to get involved.

A few good starting points:

• Explore the Entrepreneurship and Design minor. Students considering the minor are encouraged to take ENT 1000: Foundations of Entrepreneurship during their first or second year.
• Get involved with the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society (CES).
• Attend Connolly Center speakers, workshops and events. The newsletter lists them.
• Attend the annual Entrepreneurship Summit.
• Explore the Maker Program if you’re interested in building, technology, design or prototyping.

The goal isn’t necessarily to start a company immediately. Entrepreneurship is also a way to learn how to identify problems, test ideas, build things and act under uncertainty.

What is the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society?

CES is W&L’s student entrepreneurship organization and one of the best ways to become actively involved in the entrepreneurship community.

It’s a hands-on, credit-bearing experiential program (ENT 1090) whose members work on startups, hear from entrepreneurs and alumni, explore areas such as venture capital and crowdfunding, and help plan and take part in the Entrepreneurship Summit. CES runs in fall and winter terms and meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:50 a.m.–12:50 p.m. Check current registration information, because scheduling and enrollment details can change.

Students from across campus take part in CES. Entrepreneurship at W&L isn’t limited to a particular major.

I have a startup idea. What should I do first?

Start doing the work.

Before worrying about a logo, company name, pitch deck or long list of product features, try to find out whether you’re solving a real problem for real people.

A strong first step:

Then get plugged into CES and the broader entrepreneurship program so you can keep developing the idea alongside other students who are doing the same thing.

You don’t need a polished company before getting involved. You should, however, be willing to test your assumptions and actually build.

I already have a startup. Can the Connolly Center help me?

Potentially, yes.

Students at W&L have used CES and the Connolly Center to develop products, prototype websites and physical products, refine pitches, make industry connections, raise early funding and grow existing ventures.

If you’re already building something, come prepared to explain:

• what you’ve built;
• who the customer is;
• what evidence you have that the problem exists;
• what you’ve learned from customers or users;
• what you’ve tried;
• what isn’t working; and
• the specific problem you need help solving next.

The more you’ve learned by doing, the more useful the entrepreneurship community can be.

Can I meet one-on-one with the Director of the Connolly Center about my idea?

The Center receives many requests for individual startup and career advising. The entrepreneurship program is designed to create scalable ways for students to get that support through courses, CES, workshops, alumni programs, competitions and other Center activities.

If you aren’t currently involved in the entrepreneurship program, start there.

Individual faculty mentoring is generally prioritized for students who are actively participating in entrepreneurship courses, CES or Center programs, or who have reached a point in an active venture where particular faculty expertise would be useful.

In other words: you don’t need permission to start. Get involved, start building, and let the work create the next conversation.

I’m a first-year and want advice about becoming an entrepreneur someday. Should I schedule an individual meeting?

Usually, the better first step is to explore the program.

Consider ENT 1000, CES, Connolly Center programming and the Maker Program. These will introduce you to faculty, other entrepreneurial students, alumni and different kinds of entrepreneurship, and give you a much better idea of what you actually want to pursue. The Registrar specifically recommends ENT 1000 during the first or second year for students considering the minor.

Once you’re actively involved, there will be many chances to develop mentoring relationships.

I want to work in an entrepreneurial industry, like biotech, medical technology, games, venture capital or AI, but I don’t necessarily want to start a company right now. Where should I go?

There are two different questions here.

If you’re interested in learning entrepreneurial thinking, building things, exploring innovation or eventually starting something, the Connolly Center, CES and the entrepreneurship curriculum are good places to start.

If your main question is career planning, internships, recruiting or how to enter a particular industry, W&L’s Office of Career and Professional Development is built for that. You can book appointments with career advisers through Handshake.

Often you’ll use both.

Do I have to be a business major to participate?

No.

The Connolly Center is interdisciplinary and exists to serve students from across campus. Center events such as the Entrepreneurship Summit are open beyond the business major, and the Maker Program is open to all majors and skill levels.

Entrepreneurship works particularly well when people from different disciplines build together.

What is the Entrepreneurship and Design minor?

The Entrepreneurship and Design minor is W&L’s academic pathway for students who want more sustained study of entrepreneurship, innovation and building new ventures.

For students starting under the current 2026–27 curriculum, the Registrar recommends taking ENT 1000: Foundations of Entrepreneurship during the first or second year. Check the current University Catalog and Registrar materials for requirements rather than older course numbers that may appear elsewhere online.

Can I build physical products at W&L?

Yes.

The Connolly Center’s makerspace supports early-stage prototyping and experimentation, with tools such as 3D printers, textile equipment and low-fidelity prototyping supplies. The Center also works with the IQ Center as part of a broader making and fabrication ecosystem.

The Maker Program offers guided, project-based learning and certifications in web development, the Internet of Things, 3D rapid prototyping and vector design. It’s open to students from all majors and experience levels.

Current workshops and access information are in the Maker portal.

I have a product I want to sell through the W&L University Store. What should I do?

You don’t need to schedule a meeting with the Connolly Center Director to start that conversation.

The University Store actively considers products from students and alumni. It evaluates products on quality, customer demand, price point, fit with the existing product mix and whether the product fills a useful niche.

If your product uses W&L trademarks or branding, collegiate licensing requirements also apply: vendors need to meet university requirements including licensing, insurance and fair-labor compliance.

Students with products they’d like the University Store to consider can contact the store directly at store@wlu.edu.

Do some homework first: know what you’re proposing to sell, roughly what it will cost, what comparable products exist and why W&L customers would want it.

Can I sell products elsewhere on campus?

Possibly, but campus sales are governed by university solicitation policies.

Commercial sales on W&L property may require approval, and the rules differ depending on whether the seller is a student, a recognized student organization or an outside vendor. Review the university’s current Non-Solicitation Policy before planning on-campus sales.

I want to start a food business. Are there resources for that?

The Connolly Center and Campus Kitchen have a partnership that has let student food entrepreneurs use commercial kitchen space for qualifying ventures. One student business has used it to produce granola sold through Café 77.

Commercial food production brings extra food-safety, facility and regulatory requirements, so access isn’t simply open kitchen time. If you’re interested in a food venture, get involved with the entrepreneurship program first and develop the concept far enough to know what production resources you actually need.

Is there funding available for student businesses?

Sometimes, but don’t start from the assumption that the first thing your idea needs is money.

CES and the Entrepreneurship Summit have provided seed funding, research support and competition awards to W&L student ventures. Recent examples include CES seed funding used to launch a student baking business, research funding for a student project, and cash awards through the Summit’s pitch competition.

Funding opportunities vary by year and program, and they’re generally competitive.

Before asking for money, be ready to explain what you’re trying to learn or accomplish with it.

What is the Entrepreneurship Summit?

The Entrepreneurship Summit is W&L’s annual gathering of students, alumni, entrepreneurs and others in the community interested in entrepreneurship.

Programming has included entrepreneurs and investors, panels, workshops, networking, a student showcase and a pitch competition. The Summit is open to the broader W&L community, not just entrepreneurship minors or business majors.

If you’re building something, it’s one of the best chances all year to show your work, meet alumni and get feedback.

How does the student showcase and pitch competition work?

The exact process can vary from year to year.

Recent Summits have included a student showcase where attendees talk with student entrepreneurs and vote on ventures, with selected projects advancing to a live pitch competition. Students have won cash awards as well as feedback, mentorship, professional introductions and other opportunities from alumni.

Watch the Summit announcements for that year’s eligibility rules and deadlines.

Can the Center introduce me to alumni or investors?

Potentially, but an introduction should have a reason behind it.

W&L’s entrepreneurship network includes alumni who are founders, investors, executives and professionals in many industries. The Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, CES and the Entrepreneurship Summit are designed to create chances for students to work with experienced professionals.

The best way to earn a useful introduction is to get involved, do the work and be able to explain why a particular connection would help.

“Can you introduce me to investors?” is usually too early.

“I’ve interviewed 25 customers, built this prototype, have five paying users, and need to understand healthcare procurement” gives someone a reason to make a thoughtful introduction.

Can someone help me with my pitch deck?

Yes, but the pitch deck usually isn’t the first problem to solve.

A good pitch communicates what you’ve learned about:

• the problem;
• the customer;
• your proposed solution;
• evidence that people want it;
• alternatives and competition;
• your business model;
• what you’ve accomplished; and
• what you need next.

CES, entrepreneurship courses, alumni and Summit programming all give you chances to develop and practice pitches.

I have an idea that will take a lot of money and technology to build. What should I do?

Don’t start by trying to build the final system.

Identify the biggest assumptions behind the idea and test them as cheaply as possible.

If the concept needs autonomous drones, custom medical hardware, a large AI system or some other expensive technology, you may be able to test whether customers care about the underlying problem long before you build the technology.

A prototype exists to help you learn, not to prove how much you can build.

The Connolly Center’s makerspace and Maker Program exist to support experimentation, iteration and the move from idea to prototype.

I already did customer interviews. What comes next?

Synthesize them.

Don’t just report that “people liked the idea.” Look for:

• repeated problems;
• existing workarounds;
• evidence of urgency;
• who actually makes the purchasing decision;
• what the problem costs them today;
• contradictions between what people say and what they do;
• assumptions you still haven’t tested.

Then design the next experiment around the most important unanswered question.

This is also a good point to get actively involved with CES or an entrepreneurship course if you haven’t already.

I want someone to tell me whether my idea is good. Who should I ask?

That’s usually the wrong question.

Faculty, alumni and other students can help you recognize assumptions and design better experiments, but your potential customers and users matter far more than whether someone on campus likes your idea.

Instead of asking “Do you think this is a good idea?” try asking “What would I need to learn to know whether this is worth pursuing?”

Do I have to start a company to participate in entrepreneurship at W&L?

No.

You can take part because you’re curious about entrepreneurship, want to work for a startup, want to learn how products get built, want to understand venture capital, want to develop technical or design skills, or simply want more practice turning ideas into action.

The Connolly Center helps students across disciplines develop ideas into ventures they can actually run, and CES, the Maker Program, the EIR program and the Summit give you different ways to take part.

So where should I start?

The shortest version:

Don’t wait for permission. Get involved. Talk to people. Test something. Build something. Then bring us what you learned.