Students and Alumni Showcase Entrepreneurial Ventures at 1776

The students of Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative’s Summer Launch Program shared their work with the community at a showcase event on July 24 at 1776, a global incubator in Washington, D.C.

“The Summer Launch Program is a great opportunity to get out of the classroom and focus on launching a business,” said Alyssa Lovegrove, associate director of the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative. “The benefit of this environment is that students are building their businesses alongside peers who are going through the same thing. It is gratifying for the students to hear lessons learned from the entrepreneurial journeys of their experienced mentors.”

Each student delivered a short presentation to outline the goals of their business ventures and shared their experiences of participating in the program, designed specifically for current Georgetown students and recent graduates.

“The summer has been transformational,” said Febin Bellamy (B’17), who worked on his business, Unsung Heroes, during the eight-week incubator program. “The Summer Launch Program has helped me to launch my business successfully after graduation. Having mentors is great because they provide you with insights on how to run a business, as they have done it already.”

This year, nearly two dozen students and alumni received dedicated support from Georgetown faculty, mentors, and other experienced entrepreneurs, many of whom enjoyed imparting their knowledge of entrepreneurship.

“We have brought in mentors across several industries who can educate students on the true challenges that entrepreneurs face,” said Shye Gilad (MBA’12). “My favorite part about being a mentor is watching a student pitch a project and helping them explore what their target customers would want to see from their business venture.”

“Georgetown’s Entrepreneur Initiative is unique because it is campus-wide, global, grounded in Jesuit values, and it is geared both toward for-profit businesses and social impact,” said Meghan Roman (B’96), entrepreneur-in-residence. “I think entrepreneurship is important to study in an academic setting. There are more entrepreneurs than past decades. Entrepreneurship has really gone mainstream, and it is an important engine for the U.S. economy.”

“It is rewarding to share my entrepreneurial experiences and pitfalls with students,” said Peter Mellen (C’89, MBA’98), entrepreneur-in-residence. “I have enjoyed helping the next generation from the Hilltop grow and expand their businesses.”