Events
All attendees must RSVP for the following events to guarantee their spot!
ZIP Launchpad Summer Application is Open
3/21-5/30/25!
Got a game-changing business idea? Apply to ZIP Launchpad’s fully remote summer program that opens on March 21 and closes on May 30, 2025!
Application Period: Mar 21, 2025- May 30, 2025
Deadline: May 30, 2025 10:00 AM
2025 Lavin Entrepreneur Program Application Open!
Application Period: April 1, 2025- June 15, 2025
Deadline: June 15, 2025
Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC)
The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) is an international investment competition for venture-minded students.It is a one-day-competition taking place in during the spring semester each year.
The Interest Form to recieve updates & communication for the 2025-2026 Academic Year
is open!
Welcome Week Open House
Stop by any time during the Open House hours, get a tour of our incubator space and the Rapid Prototyping lab, plus connect with our team!
Date: Aug 28
Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103
Startup Stories: Chase Fisher, CEO of Blenders Eyewear
Date: Sept 11
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center
Entrepreneurship Iniatives Passport Event
PitchFest
Date: Sept 4
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103
Entrepreneurship Iniatives Passport Event
Big Data Hackathon
Date: Oct 12 & 19
Location: Storm Hall West (Rm 012: Charles Hostler Hall)
Startup Stories: Jamal Rasoully
Founder and CEO of Jamal's Chicken, Halal Shack, Baba's Pizza and more
Date: Oct 16
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Mata'yuum (212) (map)
Entrepreneurship Initiatives Passport Event
San Diego Startup Week - SDSU Day
Date: Oct 23
Time: 3-8 PM
Location: Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center (map)
SDSU Students can register for free with code SDSU100
Faculty and Researcher Innovation Workshop
Date: Nov 1
Time: 9-2PM
Location: Templor Mayor
The best way to become eligible for the SDSU Internal Research Grant: The $45,000 Pilot Innovation Fund
Startup Stories: Grayson Lafrenz of Power Digital
Date: Nov 6
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: EIS 103
Entrepreneurship Initiatives Passport Event
The Business of Design: Starting & Managing a Creative Career
Calling all creatives and entrepreneurs! Don't miss this Adobe collab showcasing the journeys and portfolios of pro graphic designers!
Date: Jan 29th
Time: Portfolio Reviews: 5-6pm and 7-8pm | Panel Discussion and Q&A: 6-7pm
Location: Tula Community Center, SDSU Campus
ZIP Launchpad Startup Bootcamp
RSVP for an awesome day of startup fun!
Date: Jan 31st
Time: 8:30 am - 6 pm
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103
PitchFest
Date: Feb 5
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103
Entrepreneurship Iniatives Passport Event
Design your Future: Create Your Own Career Entrepreneurship Initiatives
Learn how to turn your innovative ideas into a creer with the help of SDSU Entrepreneurship Initiatives!
Date: Feb 12th
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103
Startup Stories: Trish Clifford
Join us to learn about Trish Clifford's entrepreneurial story & success!
Date: Mar 12th
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103
2025 Social Venture Challenge
Date: Mar 21, 2025
Time: 3-6 PM
Location: Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union (map)
Spring 2025 Entrepreneurship Initiatives Passport Event
Presby Scholarship
The $5,000 Prebys Entrepreneurship Scholarship is open to students participating in ZIP Launchpad, Lavin Center, or interning in these programs during Fall 2025. Applications are due by 4/4.
Date: Apr 4th
Robert Payne Lecture Series–Startup Stories: Marc Barron
Hear how Marc Barron co-founded CourseKey at SDSU's ZIP Launchpad and how you can achieve your entrepreneurial goals right here on campus!
Date: Apr 9th
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103
Discovery to Impact: A Workshop on Advancing Innovation From Campus to the World
SDSU faculty and researchers: Transform your research into real-world impact, boost your grant-writing skills, and meet requirements for eligibility to apply for a $45,000 award from the Pilot Innovation Fund (PIF).
Date: Apr 11th
Time: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: Extended Studies Center, 310
Get Feedback at Idea Office Hours
We have idea office hours available with one-on-one help from ZIP Launchpad staff
for improving your idea and application. The applicants who come in for help have
a much better chance of being admitted to the program.
(In-Person Drop In avaliable, no bookings necessary)
Date: Apr 23rd
Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103
ZIP Launchpad Startup Bootcamp
In 4 hours you will build a real business!
No need to come with your own idea.
Date: May 16th
Time: 10am - 2pm
Location: William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center EIS 103D
Who should attend: Faculty and Researchers
When: April 19th from 9am-2pm
Where: EIS 103
Purpose:
- Learn how to apply innovations and creative works from your research to address important market and societal needs while improving your grant-writing skills
-
This workshop satisfies the commercialization education requirement for eligibility to apply for a $45,000 award from the Pilot Innovation Fund (PIF)
Startup Stories: Kevin Gelfand (Founder and CEO of Shake Smart)
Date: March 13, 2024
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: EIS-103 @ SDSU
Startup Stories: Vidya Dinamani (Entrepreneur & Author)
Date: February 28, 2024
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: EIS-103 @ SDSU
Startup Stories: Dan Huss (Founder and CEO of GravityAI)
Date: February 12, 2024
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Location: EIS-103 @ SDSU
Spring 2024 Applied Innovation Challenge (AIC)
What is it? On-campus research competition that encourages students to discover creative pathways to commercialization featuring research from an SDSU lab.
When is it? Day 1 - Jan 25, Day 2 - Feb 1, Day 3 - Feb 8
Who can participate? Undergraduate and graduate students of ALL majors
- At least 2 people per team (no more than 4), you must sign up as team
- All team members must attend all 3 days to win
- Technology used - Dr. Youssef
- Capped @ 40 RSVP
Why participate?
- Learn how to advance early-stage technology to the marketplace
- Develop skills for applying research-based discoveries and innovations to solve important problems
- Work with a team to find the best applications for a patented technology from an SDSU lab as a case study
PitchFest
Date: January 31, 2024
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: EIS-103 @ SDSU
Startup Story: Maya Madsen
Date: November 3, 2023
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Location: Bernstein Theater @ SDSU
Don’t miss out on this year’s San Diego Startup Week! Happening on campus October 26, this conference will feature pitch competitions, startup incubators, networking, startup fairs, and more.
Get to know the SD startup ecosystem and meet some local founders and entrepreneurs!
#SDSW2023
Date: October 26 (At SDSU)
Time: 2:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Student Union
"It all started in 2017 at San Diego State University when Leo Carillo III and Alex Padua first realized their dissatisfaction with the available grooming products on the market. A majority of the market was centered around traditional barber shops and there wasn’t a relatable brand speaking to young and driven individuals (especially online). That’s when they took things into their own hands, setting out to create a line of uncompromising hair products at fair and honest prices."
Date: October 4, 2023
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Student Union Pride Suite
Pitch your best ideas for the chance to win prizes! Every fall, the ZIP Launchpad, in partnership with SDSU Entrepreneur Society, invites students of all majors to create and pitch solutions for real-world problems! Food will be provided.
Date/Time: September 6 @ 6pm
Location: EIS-103
Date: August 29, 2023
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Location: EIS-103
Teams that follow the process as outlined in the application innovation workshop are 60% more likely to be accepted. If the dates provided conflict with school or work, please email [email protected]
Application Workshop Dates August 28, 30, 31, and September 8
Date: April 26, 2023
Time: 4:30pm - 6:30pm
Location: SDSU Student Union Theater
Who should attend: Faculty and Researchers
When:
- March 17th from 9am-2pm (RSVP by March 10th, breakfast and lunch provided)
Where: EIS 103
Purpose:
- Learn how to apply innovations and creative works from your research to address important market and societal needs while improving your grant-writing skills
-
This workshop satisfies the commercialization education requirement for eligibility to apply for a $45,000 award from the Pilot Innovation Fund (PIF)
Date: February 24
- January 26th from 4pm-6:40pm
- February 2nd from 4pm-5:30pm
- February 9th from 4pm-6:40pm
The Applied Innovation Challenge is a 3-day commitment (Jan 26, Feb 2, Feb 9) where undergrad & grad students/researchers will learn how to advance early-stage technology to the marketplace, develop skills for applying research-based discoveries and innovations to solve important problems, and work with a team to find the best applications for a patented technology from an SDSU lab as a case study!
Use research discoveries to identify & address commercial issues while competing to WIN $3.75k in cash prizes. You do not need to recruit team members, as we will help place any "solo" entrants into teams when you all arrive.
Don’t miss out on this year’s in-person San Diego Startup Week! Happening October 25-28, this 4-day conference will feature pitch competitions, #startup incubators, networking, startup fairs, and more.
Get to know the SD startup ecosystem and meet some local founders and entrepreneurs.
#SDSW2022
Date: October 27 (At SDSU)
Time: 2:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Student Union
Join SDSU Alumni, the Fowler College of Business, and ZIP Launchpad for a lunch reception during San Diego Startup Week. Lunch reception includes food, drinks and networking opportunities with SDSU alumni. Free to the first 100 to register.
Startup Week is Startup San Diego’s premier annual conference celebrating and convening the San Diego startup community to connect, educate, and inspire the ecosystem! During the week, attendees meet hundreds of entrepreneurs, startup founders, investors, developers, designers, community leaders, students, innovators…and local leaders doing good for the startup ecosystem.Date: October 27
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: Oggis Patio at the SDSU Student Union
Date: October 21
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Compete for over $13k in prizes by tackling real-world challenges in healthcare! The 2022 Big Data Hackathon for San Diego aims to promote Data Science and Big Data Analytics for both students and educators in Southern California. Food will be provided.
Date: October 8 & 15
Location: Storm Hall West 12
Date: September 23
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Pitch your best ideas for the chance to win prizes! Every fall, the ZIP Launchpad, in partnership with SDSU Entrepreneur Society and SDSU Women in Business, invites students of all majors to create and pitch solutions for real-world problems! Food will be provided.
Date/Time: August 31 @ 7pm
Location: EIS-103
Teams that follow the process as outlined in the application innovation workshop are 60% more likely to be accepted. If the dates provided conflict with school or work, please email [email protected]
Application Workshop Dates August 23,24,31, and September 1
Join the SDSU ZIP Launchpad for Idea to Startup! Students will have the opportunity to learn about the many ways to get involved at ZIP Launchpad and tour the ZIP Launchpad as well as the H.G. Fenton Company Idea Lab. Food and snacks will be provided.
This event is part of the San Diego State University Welcome Week
Date: August 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 from 11 AM - 2 PM
Location: EIS-103
Join us to hear from the CEO of Funko, Brian Mariotti!
Date: April 8 - 11am-12pm
Location: EIS-103 and Virtual
Join us to hear from the CEO and Founder of Wonderschool, Chris Bennett!
Date: March 11 - 11am-12pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Join us to hear from Jaime Schmidt about her story of launching Schmidt's Naturals, a company manufacturing and selling plant and mineral-based personal care products!
Date: February 11th at 11am-12pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
- ZIP Launchpad Faculty and Researcher Innovation Workshop:
- Workshop Dates:
- February 25: 8:30am - 10:30am
- March 4: 8:30am - 10:30am
- March 11: 8:30am - 10:30am
- March 18: 8:30am - 10:30am
- Location: EIS 103
Join us to hear from a true changemaker! Andy will share his story of launching and building GoFundMe, a social good platform that has raised over $5 billion for charitable causes.
Date: November 5 - 11am-12pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Revolutionizing an ancient industry doesn't intimidate Sashee! Join us to hear her story of launching Tea Drops, an environmentally friendly, high quality line of teas.
Date: October 15th at 11am-12pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
The Paid Internship Fair, held each semester in the Fall and Spring, helps Launchpad teams meet with student intern prospects. The event is fast-paced, speed dating style to kick start the initial meeting of ZIP Launchpad teams and students intern prospects Team have a few weeks to select interns who attended the event.
Friday, September 17th 12pm - 1:30pm: Hear student teams pitch their solutions to environmental issues and vote for your favorite team!
Location: EIS-103 (ZIP Launchpad)
Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Stop by EIS - 103 on September 1 @ 12pm to attend!
*OPEN ONLY TO ZIP LAUNCHPAD TEAMS/TEAM MEMBERS
Leadership workshops with Lucas Dailey.
- Tuesdays: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
- Fridays: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Free painting kit will be sent to ALL participants
- Date: Thursday, April 29
- Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
- Learn More About Paint Your Perspective
Date/Time: March 26, 12PM - 1PM
Location: Zoom
Food waste warrior, entrepreneur, investor and endurance athlete, Matt Clifford is on a mission to make a positive impact in our world. Matt is the co-founder and former COO of Barnana, a line of healthful snacks made from upcycled bananas. He’s now transitioned to CEO of Keto Krisp. Join us to hear Matt’s interesting story. RSVP!
- Date: Tuesday, March 9
- Time: 5 PM - 7PM
- Learn More About Paid Internships
Date/Time: February 26, 12PM - 1PM
Location: Zoom
Nate Spees is the founder and CEO of Made by Grizzly, a creative agency developing design solutions for world changing brands. Join us to hear Nate’s story of going from the corporate world, to starting his own successful agency, to running one of the largest networking groups in San Diego and more. RSVP Today!
The Visionary Health Challenge focused on BIG health problems facing our community. We provided domain experts to advise participants on identifying a problem and guiding them on finding an innovative solution to the BIG problem. Each team (3-4 people) pitched their idea at the end of the day to a panel of judges.
Up to $2500 in cash prizes for the winning team and an offer to participate in the ZIP Launchpad SPRING cohort!
Winning teams:
1st Place: Symtalk
2nd Place: Aphasia Unity
3rd Place: AsOne
In this hands-on workshop, you will learn an effective approach to solving the world's problems and making a positive impact. We will focus on Design Thinking as a process to solve problems using creative solutions. As we will see, design thinking can be applied to catalyzing large-scale social change.
- Date: Friday, November 20
- Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
- Scot Chisholm, CEO/Co-Founder of Classy, a San Diego based social enterprise platform which creates fundraising tools for non-profits. Since inception, Classy has facilitated over $1 billion raised for social good. Join us to hear Scot's story of launching Classy with his friends and then turning it into a Top 100 Impact Company in the world.
- Video
Presented by the SDSU Entrepreneur Society & SDSU Women in Business
Date: Monday, December 7
Time: 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM