Student Organizations

Start@Shea

About

Start@Shea cultivates the entrepreneurial mindset at Boston College and supports students who are interested in building, launching, and growing their ideas. Open to all majors and backgrounds, Start@Shea provides opportunities to think like an entrepreneur, develop practical skills, and join a community of peers and mentors who share a passion for innovation.

Programming follows a natural progression throughout the academic year. The journey begins with the Entrepreneurship Summit, a one-day conference featuring engaging speakers and workshops designed to spark entrepreneurial thinking. In October, the Elevator Pitch Competition invites students to share their ideas, even if they are just getting started. The Lab follows, offering a five-week program that guides students through the essentials of starting a venture and developing a minimum viable product.

In the spring semester, the Accelerator provides $1,500 in equity-free funding, weekly workshops, mentorship, and access to the Shea Center network. This program concludes with Demo Day, where students present their work to the community. Finally, the Strakosh Venture Competition awards $10,000 in funding and acceptance into SSC Ventures, which offers additional resources to help student ventures grow.

Start@Shea also engages with alumni founders who return to campus for talks and events, creating a vibrant and lasting network that supports entrepreneurial leaders long after graduation. Feel free to email startatshea@gmail.com with any questions.

Programming

Start@Shea hosts various seies, competitions, sessions, and programs throughout the academic year. The curriculum is designed to be cumulative, meaning students can start out with just an idea, and by the end of the academic year, have the opportunity to pitch that idea and receive venture funding.

Description
Sessions@Shea is a student-led speaker series that brings alumni, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators back to campus to share their insights with the BC community. Held throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, these events offer students an exclusive opportunity to learn from accomplished professionals, explore diverse career paths, and gain inspiration from those shaping their fields.

Typical Timeline
Around four or five Sessions@Shea are held each semseter, rounding out to 8-10 throughout the academic year.

Who Can Get Involved?
These events are typically open to the entire BC community, just be sure to reserve your spot by RSVPing!

Summary

Student-led speaker series featuring alumni, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
Held throughout Fall and Spring, with 8–10 sessions each academic year.
Open to the entire BC community; RSVP required to attend.

Description
The Freshman Innovation Program begins early each fall and welcomes all first-year students to apply. About 20 students are selected each year for this year-long experience that introduces them to entrepreneurship and innovation.

As a part of the program, students meet weekly with their cohort, gain access to the Shea Center at 245 Beacon Street, receive mentorship from upperclassmen, and build connections with each other and the Shea Center team.

In the Fall, the focus is on building professional skills such as networking, resume development, and outreach. In the spring, the emphasis shifts to entrepreneurship, featuring workshops and guest speakers who share their experiences and advice, in addition to opportunities to pursue passion projects.

Typicial Timeline
Applications open early September and the program runs throughout the Fall and Spring semester

Who Can Get Involved
Freshmen

Summary

Accepted students join a year-long program introducing first-year students to entrepreneurship and innovation.
About 20 students are selected each fall to participate.
They meet weekly with their cohort, receive mentorship from upperclassmen, and gain access to the Shea Center.

Description
Founded in 2022, the Entrepreneurship Summit (formerly the Solstice Entrepreneurship Conference) is one of the Shea Center’s signature kickoff events each year. Typically held on the first Saturday of October, the Summit features keynote and closing speakers from across the founder and venture capital communities, along with workshops, panels, and networking opportunities. The event is open to all students, alumni, and professionals nationwide.

Typicial Timeline
Early October

Who Can Get Involved
Anyone!

Summary

Founded in 2022, the Entrepreneurship Summit is a signature Shea Center kickoff event.
It features keynote and closing speakers from the founder and venture capital communities.
It also iincludes workshops, panels, and networking opportunities.
Open to all students, alumni, and professionals nationwide.

Description
Start@AI helps students cut the AI learning curve and gain practical skills that make them more hirable, promotable, and valuable in any role. Participants hear directly from alumni and industry leaders using AI in their careers, practice applied skills, and collaborate on projects that demonstrate an AI advantage to employers. The program focuses on mastering tools, analyzing AI’s impact on industries, and building an actionable AI toolkit that can be applied to interviews, internships, jobs, and real-world projects.

By participating, students develop the skills to become “AI-native” workers, ready to lead in a world where AI increasingly shapes industries and careers.

Typical Timeline
Runs throughout the semester with sessions and project work integrated over several weeks.

Who Can Get Involved
Open to all BC students.

Summary

Gain practical AI skills through hands-on projects and expert guidance.
Build an AI toolkit to enhance career readiness and workplace impact.
Open to all BC students, running throughout the semester.

Description
The Elevator Pitch Competition is the Start@Shea's flagship event. Any student or grad student can apply to participate with just a business idea, no MVP necessary! Those who make it thorugh the initial screening will have the opportunity to attend a pitching workshop before the semi-finals, where they'll be judged by young alumni across the startup world.

Roughly twelve will be selected by these judges to pitch at the finals in front of a packed auditorium and a panel of esteemed judges. The winner will go home with $1,500, second place with $750, third place with $500 and the crowd favorite winner with $200.

Typicial Timeline
Applications open early October, with semi-finals running in mid-October, and the final event in mid to late October

Who Can Get Involved
Undergraduate and Graduate students with a business idea can apply to participate. The final event is open to anyone who'd like to spectate and cheer on the finalists!

Summary

Applications open in early October and any student can apply with just a business idea.
Selected applicants will advance to the semi-finals and pitch to a panel of young alumni, who narrows the pool down to between 10 and 15 finalists, depending on the year.
Finalists present to a live audience, usually in a packed auditorium and winners receive cash prizes for first, second, third, and crowd favorite.

Description
The Case Competition is designed to promote entrepreneurial thinking within companies by challenging students to solve real-world business problems with creativity, initiative, and the entrepreneurial mindset. We partner with company sponsors to emphasize that not every entrepreneur starts a business, some of which have included the Boston Bruins, Gillette, Moolah Kicks, and Wayfair.

Each year, prizes are awarded to the winning teams, making this both a rewarding and résumé-building experience for students interested in innovation and leadership.

Typical Timeline
Early to mid November

Who Can Get Involved
Open to all undergraduate students

Summary

Challenges students to solve real-world business problems with creativity and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Partners with companies like Boston Bruins, Gillette, Moolah Kicks, and Wayfair.
Awards prizes to winning teams and offers a résumé-building experience.
Held early to mid-November and open to all undergraduate students.

Description
The Lab begins immediately after the Elevator Pitch Competition (EPC), helping student founders to keep their momentum between the EPC and Accelerator Program. Over six weeks, participants hear from guest speakers and learn the essentials of launching a business, including designing a logo, finding co-founders, and developing MVPs. The program also supports founders who may not be accepted into the Accelerator Program but still want to explore different aspects of entrepreneurship. By the end of the six weeks, student founders are well prepared for their next steps.

Those who attend all six Lab sessions will automatically receive an interview for the Accelerator Program, whose applications open in December, with the program itself beginning in January alongside the start of the second semester.

Typical Timeline
Throughout the month of November and early December

Who Can Get Involved
Any BC student

Summary

Six-week program after the Elevator Pitch Competition to help founders build momentum.
Covers key startup skills like logos, co-founders, and MVP development.
Full attendance grants an automatic Accelerator Program interview.
Runs November to early December and is open to all BC students.

Description
The Accelerator Program is an annual startup incubator that gives students the chance to win $1,500 in equity-free funding and participate in a nine-week program covering topics that range from entrepreneurial law to raising a first round of venture capital. Each week, the cohort is joined by a guest speaker who leads a session on a different aspect of building a business. Applications open in December, and approximately twelve teams are selected to join the program, which begins early in the spring semester.

In addition to weekly sessions, each team is paired with a mentor who provides guidance and support as they navigate the challenges of launching their ventures. Participants also gain access to the Shea Room and the Shea Center’s extensive alumni network. The program concludes with Demo Day, an annual showcase where Accelerator participants present their progress and accomplishments to a live audience.

Typical Timeline
Applications open in December and the program runs for 9 weeks beginning at the start of the Spring semester

Who Can Get Involved?
Any team of founders that is at least 25% BC students, undergraduate or graduate

Summary

Roughly 12 teams are selected each year through applications opening in December.
Accepted teams receive $1,500 in equity-free funding and join a nine-week startup incubator.
They learn from weekly guest speakers on topics ranging from startup law to venture capital.
Each team is paired with a mentor and gains access to the Shea Room and alumni network.
The program concludes with Demo Day, where teams showcase their ventures to a live audience.

Description
Demo Day is the culmination of the Accelerator Program’s nine-week journey and showcases the full progress our Accelerate@Shea cohort has achieved. Each March, our twelve founders take the stage to pitch their startups to the BC community, highlighting everything they have built and refined throughout the program. It is a celebration of the best of the best in our startup ecosystem and an important milestone as teams prepare to polish their ventures for the Strakosch Venture Competition in May.

Typical Timeline
Demo Day is typically held in late March or early April.

Who Can Get Involved?
Participation is closed to Accelerator cohort members. However anyone and everyone is encouraged to attend as audience members to cheer on these outstanding teams.

Summary

Demo Day concludes the nine-week Accelerator program, with cohort founders pitching their startups to the BC community.
Held in late March or early April, the event is open to all attendees, though participation is limited to cohort members.

Description
Networking@Shea is a tech- and startup-focused career fair hosted by the Shea Center for Entrepreneurship, connecting BC students with innovative companies recruiting for internships and full-time roles or looking to build awareness on campus. The event includes a prep workshop the week before, featuring networking tips and a student panel, and a fair designed to feel more conversational than a traditional career fair, with booths, recruiters, and plenty of opportunities for informal networking.

Typical Timeline
Networking@Shea is typically held towards the end of March.

Who Can Get Involved?
The event is open to everyone, whether you’re a student interested in learning about exciting companies or a startup looking to engage more with university students.

Summary

Tech- and startup-focused career fair connecting BC students with innovative companies.
Includes a preparatory workshop with networking guidance and a student advice panel.
Features a more conversational, informal atmosphere than a typical career fair.

Description
The Strakosch Venture Competition is Start@Shea’s annual showcase for student founders, offering up to $10,000 in equity-free funding and automatic acceptance into the SSC Ventures Accelerator. After several screening rounds, finalists pitch their startups to a panel of esteemed judges, sharing their mission, purpose, and the problems they aim to solve. The top teams receive cash prizes to fuel their ventures, and the audience votes for a crowd favorite. Whether you’re ready to compete or simply want to experience the excitement, all are welcome to join.

Typical Timeline
Applications typically open early to mid April to be a participant in the Strakosch Venture Competition, with the finals held the second to last week in April.

Who Can Get Involved?
Anyone and everyone is encouraged to attend as audience members!

Summary

Annual student startup competition with up to $10,000 equity-free funding and SSC Ventures Accelerator entry.
Finalists pitch to judges; audience votes for a crowd favorite.
Applications open early to mid-April; finals in late April.
Anyone can attend as an audience member.