Innovation and Entrepreneurial Strategies

University System of Georgia

USG Startup Studio

Turning Curiosity into Venture-Ready Insight

A Three-Day Startup Bootcamp for University System of Georgia Students.

Startup Studio is a high-impact, hybrid-format program for all students across Georgia’s public universities who are curious about startups and commercialization. It’s a fast-track experience in evidence-based entrepreneurship, focused on real-world customer discovery, hypothesis testing, and value creation, based on the award-winning Georgia Tech CREATE-X.

These three Startup Studio sessions are identical: please select only one to attend.

Program Dates (Times TBD): [All Studios are offered in a Virtual setting - via Zoom.]

  • Startup Studio Peach: June 8, June 15, June 22
  • Startup Studio Gold: June 29, July 6, July 13
  • Startup Studio Blue: July 20, July 27, Aug 3

Application Deadline:

  • Startup Studio Peach: Applications due May 18 @ 5pm ET
  • Startup Studio Gold: Applications due June 8 @ 5pm ET
  • Startup Studio Blue: Applications due June 29 @ 5pm ET

Application Process

Please complete the application in full using the provided link to access the application; incomplete applications will not be considered. Completion of this application ensures you and/or your team will be considered for participation in the University System of Georgia (USG) Startup Studio 2026.

Objectives

By the end of Startup Studio, students will be able to:

  • Understand the fundamentals of Evidence-Based Entrepreneurship (EBE)
  • Use the Business Model Canvas to frame entrepreneurial ideas
  • Apply the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework to identify customer problems
  • Conduct effective customer interviews
  • Articulate clear, testable value propositions
  • Extract insights from real-world feedback
  • Present a well-structured business thesis and venture story

Deliverables

  • Business Model Canvas with early hypotheses
  • Drafted Business Thesis
  • Prioritized Hypothesis List
  • Interview-derived Insights
  • Short Slide Presentation (based on customer discovery)

Agenda

Day 1 (Virtual) TBD

Day 2 (Virtual) TBD

Day 3 (Virtual) TBD

Welcome + Startup Mindset

Intro to EBE

The BMC + JTBD

Value Proposition Design

Customer Discovery (CD)

5 Customer Interviews

Midpoint Checkin

How to Present Your CD Findings

Welcome Back & Recap

Final Prep + Team Reportouts

Feedback + What’s Next