The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management is proud to introduce the newest cohort of innovative students and startups to participate in the Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator (JSSA). These students are a diverse group of founders with business concepts ranging from luxury ice cream to portable, solar-power charging kits. 

Three phases of entrepreneurship education

Throughout the program, participants will go through three phases of entrepreneurship education: customer discovery, developing solutions, and testing. They will and meet regularly with a dedicated Entrepreneur-in-Residence who will help them to develop their goals and provide mentorship and advice. JSSA also includes a trek to New York City, where the aspiring entrepreneurs will learn directly from founders and investors. 

Vrinda Kadiyali Student Entrepreneur Fund

To further support students who choose to work full time on their startups, Two-Year MBA JSSA participants entering their second year are also eligible to apply for a stipend from the Vrinda Kadiyali Student Entrepreneur Fund. Inspired by Vrinda Kadiyali, the Nicholas H. Noyes Professor of Management, and established by Stephen Smith ’91, MBA ’95, the Kadiyali Fund enables selected students to stay focused on their startups full time over the summer, when they might otherwise feel pressured to take a corporate internship. This year’s Kadiyali Fund recipients are Mia Muschek, MBA ’23, and James Duong, MBA ’23.  

“I’m excited to help build a community of like-minded entrepreneurs who hold each other accountable to progress while encouraging each other to grow the best version of both themselves and their companies,” said Muschek.  

Meet the startup teams participating in the 2022 Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator on the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business website.