Kickstart your funding goals...

The Zahn Success Fund Award also triggers a Deferred Service Agreement from  Mintz Levin

The ZIP Launchpad has set up a Zahn Success Fund Award to help active student teams with their idea validation. The Award granted to teams from the Zahn Success Fund Award is non-equity funding meaning that ZIP Launchpad will not receive any shares/equity in return for the funding.

Please note, the Zahn Success Fund Award is subject to taxation.

Teams can only be awarded the Zahn Success Fund Award once. Each team can apply for up to $5,000 in funding. The first $2,500 will be paid out upon approval of the Award. The secondary award will be received after the achievement of a mutually agreed upon milestone and demonstrating proper use of funds.

Upon award approval, please work with the appropriate staff to complete the required forms. Processing can take up to 1-2 months.

• If the team is a legal entity, then they will need to complete paperwork as a company.
• If the team is not a legal entity, then the founder/CEO  will need to complete the paperwork as an individual.

Teams are responsible for their own expenses.

Teams are required real-time (w/in 24 hours)  to produce evidence to ZIP Launchpad Executive Director demonstrating that the AWARD was used as intended.

Improper use of the funds will result in immediate termination of award and failure to receive the second payment.

Please note that a student hired by the Aztec Cooperative Fund CAN ONLY be hired by the Aztec Cooperative FUND ONCE A YEAR. (SDSU calendar year July 1-June 30). They may, for instance, perform different or similar work for the same team or ANOTHER ZIP Launchpad team but it must occur within the next SDSU calendar year or subsequent. A ZIP Launchpad team in good standings can recruit up to two students under Aztec Cooperative Fund PER semester.

How To Apply

Step 1 -  Obtain a recommendation from your ZIP launchpad Advisor to apply
Step 2 - The ZIP Launchpad team applies for the Aztec Cooperative Fund using F6s . The application must be completed in full including a well-defined need with a measured outcome that can be reasonably achieved by an SDSU undergrad student within the semester over 70 hours. 

There is no commitment of employment until SDSU HR has processed the request and officially granted the student eligible to work. There is no financial obligation to the student until HR has approved eligibility. The employer will be the ZIP launchpad Executive Director for 70 hours @ $15.00 hour, not to exceed 20 hours per week through the end of the semester in which the student is hired.  

Upon completion of the 70 hours, the team and the student assistant are under no obligation to continue to work together. 

Step 3 - ZIP Launchpad  team identifies an eligible undergrad student at SDSU to meet this need. An eligible undergrad SDSU student can be from any discipline at SDSU as long as they can reasonably meet the need. 

 
How to find an eligible intern:  use your network, ask your advisor for ideas, review the ZIP Launchpad "Paid Internship" site and attend our Aztec Cooperative recruiting event called "Paid Internship Fair" to help match ZIP Launchpad teams with SDSU undergraduate students. 

Paid Internship Fair Dates

Fall 2022: TBD

Other considerations: 

Should the team cease to be an active ZIP Launchpad team, be in poor standing with the ZIP Launchpad and/or at my discretion if the student assistant is not being appropriately used, I can remove the student assistant from the team immediately. 

All work must be performed at the ZIP Launchpad unless a request is made in writing at least 24 hours prior and approved by the Executive Director. The student will be asked to sign the ZIP Launchpad agreements once approved to start. If the team would like the student assistant to sign any additional agreements such as an NDA, the team should speak with their Advisor and/or seek counsel from our legal domain experts during office hours at your discretion. 

 

The team is responsible for providing the student with clear guidelines on responsibilities and defining successful outcomes.  Failure to do so will result in immediate removal of the student from the team. 

Once the services have been provided, the team is not obligated to the student providing the service for further compensation, equity, or employment.