Entrepreneurship at Columbia University
Columbia University sits in the heart of New York City, giving students access to the second-largest startup ecosystem in the US. NYC's strengths in finance, media, fashion, and real estate create unique startup opportunities that complement the traditional tech-focused entrepreneurship at other schools.
Entrepreneurship programs
- Columbia Startup Lab - co-working space for alumni entrepreneurs
- Columbia Business School - MBA with entrepreneurship focus
- Columbia Engineering Entrepreneurship program
- Lang Center for Entrepreneurship (Columbia Business School)
- Columbia Venture Competition
Incubators and accelerators
- Columbia Startup Lab - 60+ desks for alumni-founded startups
- Columbia Technology Ventures - commercialization of university research
- NYC Media Lab - partnership between Columbia and NYC universities
Student clubs and organizations
- Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs (CORE)
- Columbia Venture Partners (student-run VC)
- Women in Business at Columbia
- Columbia Fintech Initiative
Notable alumni founders
- Axonius (Dean Sysman)
- ZocDoc (Oliver Kharraz)
- Warby Parker (co-founders attended CBS)
- Honest Tea (Seth Goldman)
Local startup ecosystem
New York City is the second-largest startup ecosystem globally after Silicon Valley. NYC is especially strong in fintech, media tech, fashion tech, real estate tech, and enterprise software. Columbia students benefit from access to Wall Street for fintech ventures, Madison Avenue for marketing startups, and a massive consumer market for testing products.
Frequently asked questions
Related universities
Startup resources
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