Oso Launch is an educational, networking, and mentoring program which provides support to all Baylor students who are actively running a business or starting a business. The program is designed to work hands-on with students to help grow their entrepreneurial mindsets and skillsets to successfully run current and future businesses.
Oso Launch gathers ten times during the academic year, roughly every other Tuesday evening from 5:00-6:15pm, around holidays and Baylor events, and finishing before Spring Break.
Our meetings feature presenters with expertise in areas that affect entrepreneurs, for example:
- Entrepreneurs telling their stories of success and failure and what they learned from both,
- Professionals like accountants and lawyers advising on pitfalls and best practices,
- Faculty members sharing their research and its real-world application.
We sometimes have hands-on workshops for the whole meeting to make space for tasks entrepreneurs sometimes don’t have time for, like strategic planning, pitch preparation, and learning about new tools. All sessions contain an experiential component and Oso Launchers are invited to network with presenters and each other.
Oso Launch is for students whose businesses have “launched” (i.e., are already generating revenue) or are within six months of that milestone. If you’re not there yet, consider attending our emerge workshop and getting involved with the student-run Startup and Innovation Club.
Benefits
Each Oso Launcher is also part of a small group of participants with similar backgrounds or businesses that meets monthly to support each other in running their businesses while succeeding as full-time students.
In addition to the benefits of Oso Launch programming, active participants may:
- Utilize the incubator space on the second floor of Foster,
- Compete for cash prizes in the annual Oso Launch Pitch Competition,
- Build their businesses through vendor opportunities and media/social media profiles,
- Participate in the 1846 Incubator to work with a professional mentor,
- Enroll in 4398: Oso Launch Practicum.
Oso Launch Practicum is a three-hour elective course taught by Professor Shaun Limbers in the fall semester for Juniors and Seniors of any major. The course combines business theory with experiential exercises to provide a set of tools that better equips the student for entrepreneurial success. Students must be active for two semesters in Oso Launch and interview with Prof. Limbers for admission to the course.
Expectations
Student business owners are admitted to Oso Launch on a semester-by-semester basis (fall and spring). After the initial application and acceptance, participants are automatically readmitted the next semester as long as, during the previous semester, they have:
- Attended at least half of the Tuesday evening sessions,
- Met with the Program Manager twice (or once in addition to the application interview), and
- Showed progress in meeting their business goals.
If a participant doesn’t fulfill those requirements, they may reapply at a better time for them to focus on their business.
Apply now!
Stage I:
- Application — Fill out a brief form and enter your Business Description.
- Business Description — On the application, enter or upload a description (150-300 words) of your business and where it is now. Click here for info and examples.
- Interview — Meet with the Oso Launch Program Manager in person or online to chat more about your business.
Stage II:
- After the interview, you will be notified within 5 days if you and your business are a good fit for Oso Launch. At that time, you will be asked to submit a simple one-page business model or business plan. This is not a comprehensive business plan; it is introductory and we are here to help you with this valuable tool.
- Once we’ve received your business model or plan, admittance will be decided by a committee from the Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise.
Does Oso Launch sound like a great opportunity for you to learn and build your business?
Great! Click here to apply!
Questions? Contact the Program Director at Luann_Jennings@baylor.edu