Elevator Pitch Competition
Concise pitches to panels of external judges, with cash prizes and separate tracks by stage. Open to all University of Miami students.
Entrepreneurship is more than starting a business. It is a mindset that teaches you how to identify opportunities, solve problems, lead teams, and create value in any industry. Whether you want to launch a startup, work inside an innovative company, or pursue your own ventures later, our courses, competitions, mentors, and experiential learning opportunities give you practical skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
In the classroom
Entrepreneurship Learning Path courses
- Build
Startup Lab I: The Incubator
An experiential, problem-driven course that teaches students how to identify, validate, and refine startup ideas. Students iterate rapidly on business models, apply customer discovery and market validation techniques, and develop a Minimum Viable Product to test whether their idea solves a real problem. Instead of a traditional business plan, the semester works toward Demo Day.
You leave with evidence about whether anyone wants what you are building.
Read more: Startup Lab
- Grow
Startup Lab II: The Accelerator
The venture carries forward and the question changes from whether anyone wants this to what stops it from repeating. Students build out the business model, unit economics, and value chain, and test the assumption that would end the company if it turned out to be wrong. The semester ends in Demo Day against a harder standard.
You leave with a business rather than a validated idea.
- Apply
Advanced Entrepreneurship Courses
Coming Spring 2027
Alongside the courses
Competitions and events
Hackathon
Hosted jointly by the Miami Business School and the College of Engineering. A problem is chosen in the first hours, and the weekend is judged on what works.
Business Plan Competition
The oldest and largest of the competitions. Full ventures are judged in rounds by Industry Experts, with prizes awarded to finalists.
Dates, registration, and prize details for each competition are announced each term.
Constant
Additional ways we can support you
Mentorship
Coming Soon
Dean M. Fogel Entrepreneurs Hub
A dedicated space in the Business School to work, meet your peers and mentor.
Funding
Direct financial support for Startup Lab ventures, and prize funds through the competitions.
Get started today
What comes next depends on how far along you already are.
- If you have an idea
- Enroll in Startup Lab I to further explore your idea.
- If you have a venture
- Partake in our annual competitions and consider enrolling in Startup Lab to accelerate your progress.
- If you are simply curious
- Enter the Elevator Pitch Competition or come to an entrepreneurship event. We would love to welcome you into the community.