Entrepreneurship & Innovation News and Updates

The 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase featured four student-led ventures addressing challenges in digital finance, mental wellness, water access, and agricultural technology.

To connect with attendees during the 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase, ventures filled their tables with promotional materials, display products, and even some prototypes, all to convince their audience to invest “Iggies” in their venture and earning them a share of $10,000 in grant funding.

Porter Comstock ’26 has become a familiar presence in Colgate’s TIA Incubator, both as a peer adviser and as the founder of PLNT. Comstock has found major success with PLNT, winning first place at the 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase and advancing to the state finals of the New York Business Plan Competition.

Agnes Ndanu ’28, founder of MajiSafi Solutions, will represent Colgate at the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge, becoming just the second TIA student ever accepted into the competition.

On Saturday, April 11, the Hall of Presidents will be home to an exciting range of student ventures, accomplished alumni, and a community eager to see new ideas in action. With everything from AI and digital wallets to bubble tea and dog rescue represented, this year’s showcase reflects both the range of student entrepreneurship and the momentum behind it.

As the 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase approaches, last year’s competition participants offers a look at what makes a strong pitch: solving a real problem, knowing the customer, and telling a clear, compelling story..

NPR Tiny Desk Concerts’ host and producer Bobby Carter spent a week at Colgate sharing his journey from working at a mall record store to leading one of the world’s most celebrated concert series.

Springer traced her path from hospital work to corporate wellness at Wegmans and, after a major personal life change, building Kelly’s Choice into a growing network of dietitians.

The 2026 TIA Summer Accelerator offers student entrepreneurs a hybrid program of intensive on-campus training and remote work to bridge the gap between initial ideas and real-world execution. Participating ventures receive up to $8,250 in funding alongside professional mentorship and a structured community designed to help them refine business models and achieve sustainable growth.

Four student-led ventures — MajiSafi Solutions, PLNT, Hatch Pay, and EchoScape — have been selected to pitch for a $10,000 top prize at the 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase during Colgate University’s Arts, Creativity, and Innovation Weekend on April 11.