Author: Rob Weber
Most colleges and universities are finding it very challenging to cultivate strong startup communities like those found at leading institutions like Stanford and Yale. But if we take a deeper look at these leading institutions, and how others are responding to this challenge, we can build a repeatable model to support the the rise of the rest.
Certainly one component to developing a strong collegiate startup culture is having a strong curriculum, jam packed with not just theory but applied learning activities which enable students to develop skills required for jobs in today’s workforce. A good example of this occurred two years ago with the creation of a Software Engineering Degree at St. Cloud StateUniversity. Many engineering programs have become dated in our region but SCSU’s Science and Engineering leadership are meeting regularly with industry leaders to identify the practical needs of employers and then developing new degrees in support of satisfying them.
Many companies are looking for strong software engineers. SCSU has long offered an ABET-accredited Computer Science Degree that is strong on fundamentals like Database, Computer Architecture and Operating Systems. Started in 2015, they offer a Software Engineering Degree which adds required courses on the Software Development Process. In addition they are also offering electives in Mobile Development, and Gaming and Visualization (useful for 3D software such as VR/AR programming).
Additionally, four years ago, SCSU opened a brand new 100,000 square foot ISELF facility where students can work with industry leaders on projects utilizing cutting edge technology like VR/AR, Robotics, Nanotech, 3D printers, etc. The vast majority of students today in Computer Science programs would rather be learning coding skills to build useful enterprise or consumer software instead of spending their college years learning how to build infrastructure they are not interested in building.
The ISELF building is not just a place for engineering SCSU students to gather either. The new facility is being utilized by students across a variety of fields from business to liberal arts in support of experiential learning. Let’s face it, many software engineers don’t make the most aesthetically pleasing software! It may go well beyond SCSU’s campus too. Recently, we held a meeting between SCSU and CSBSJU’s Director for Entrepreneurship, Margrette Newhouse, and both groups of academic leaders expressed an interest in teaming up to get more student-led businesses from CSBSJU to work collaboratively with SCSU’s experiential learning offering.
It has become table stakes for a university to invest in equipping labs with cutting edge, disruptive technology to give students access to equipment that they otherwise won’t have access to. Some of America’s greatest startup stories involved young founders taking full advantage of their school’s resources. Take the story of Google and how their founders waited at loading docks at Stanford for new computers to come so they could increase their network and computing capacity. It isn’t 2000 anymore and students still need access to an even greater number of tools. Ideally, universities should invest in labs that provide access to breakthrough AR/VR technology, robotics, drones, etc.
One often overlooked and easily corrected way to supercharge your university’s startup community is to encourage it to focus its investing activity on regional venture funds that align with the university’s mission, as pointed in Tim Schigel of Refinery Ventures recent post. In Tim’s post, he shares insights as to how universities like Yale are generating outsized returns for their endowment than they would otherwise get in the stock market by investing in venture funds which align with their school’s regional impact mission.
Today, most universities investing in the venture capital asset class send all of their funds outside of their region. This far-away distribution of venture capital creates a vicious cycle where the universities in other regions end up dramatically outperforming them, which causes the original university to be less competitive. If there are no venture funds in your region, universities should consider adopting a policy to take small amounts of their capital and deploy it to first-time fund managers who align with a regional investing strategy.
Startup competitions like the Minnesota Cup organized by the University of Minnesota bring awareness to many startups that otherwise would fly under the radar. Beautiful things happens when you bring awareness to startups in your region. The entrepreneurial community will start to rally behind them, bringing with them valuable business contacts, advice, capital, and more to ensure their success.
And then there is that all so important issue of connecting top employment opportunities to the most talented graduating students. The best startup communities provide organized apprentice programs such as Xtern by TechPoint in Indianapolis. Apprentice programs are critical to the success of new graduates so they can learn applied skills required for these new high demand jobs.
Finally, the university needs to identify regional founders who can lead this charge and support them with a bottom up approach by spreading the word throughout various student groups across different disciplines. Top down approaches don’t work. Entrepreneurs are best led by entrepreneurs as Brad Feld describes in his book Startup Communities.
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Artboard-1@3x-e1714492694352.png)
April Newsletter
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/December-Newsletter-1.png)
June Newsletter
![Learn about HR in startups.](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/startup-hr.jpg)
Demystifying Startup HR
![We're Hiring](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/News-Template-replae-Background-Image-3.png)
Head of Finance & Fund Administration- Venture Capital Firm (Remote)
![Learn about HR in startups.](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/startup-hr.jpg)
Demystifying Startup HR
![August Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/August_22_Newsletter.png)
3 Portfolio Companies Make Inc. 5000 + Quicklly & Instacart Expand
![July Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/july_newsletter.png)
iraLogix closes $22M + Branch expands with Uber
![iraLogix Closes Series C](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/iraLogix_series_c.jpg)
iraLogix closes $22M Series C
![June Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/June-Newsletter.png)
Flywheel lands Gates Foundation grant
![We're Hiring](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/News-Template-replae-Background-Image-3.png)
Venture Capital Analyst
![execution is king with orazio buzza](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-.png)
Orazio Buzza, Founder and CEO of Fooda – on Episode 13, “Execution is King”
![May newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/December-Newsletter-4.png)
$40M Fund II Raised!
![Eric Martell Interview](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screen-Shot-2022-05-19-at-6.50.59-PM-1200x673.png)
Eric Martell, Founder of Pear Commerce: Episode 13, Execution is King
![Great North Ventures Raises $40M Fund II](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/News-Template-replae-Background-Image-2.png)
Great North Ventures Raises $40 Million Fund II
![Investment Thesis: Fund II Strategy](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fund-II-Thesis.png)
Investment Thesis: Fund II Strategy
![Investment Thesis: Community-Driven Applications](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fund-II-Theses-5.png)
Investment Theme: Community-Driven Applications
![Investment Themes: Digital Transformation Through AI](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fund-II-Theses-3.png)
Investment Theme: Digital Transformation Through AI
![Fund II Theses: Solving Labor Problems](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fund-II-Theses-4.png)
Investment Theme: Solving Labor Problems
![April Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/December-Newsletter-3.png)
Trends in the Gig Economy + Work in the Metaverse
![March Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/December-Newsletter-2.png)
Portfolio raises $125M + talking fundraising with Branch CEO
![Omnia Fishing announcement](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/News-Template-replae-Background-Image-1.png)
Omnia Fishing closes $4M round, joins Great North portfolio!
![Interview with Atif Siddiqi](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-9.png)
Atif Siddiqi, Founder/CEO of Branch: Episode 11, Execution is King
![Execution is King Episode 10](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-9.png)
Michael Martocci, CEO and Founder of SwagUp: Episode 10, Execution is King
![Yardstik Series A](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/News-Template-replae-Background-Image.png)
Yardstik new to portfolio, closes $8M Series A
![NextGem News](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NextGem-News.png)
First venture studio startup comes out of stealth!
![January Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/January-Newsletter.png)
Insights for founders from a data guru, + FactoryFix raises a Series A!
![Execution is King - Interview with Una Fox](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-8.png)
Una Fox: Episode 9, Execution is King
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Blog-Post-Image-2.png)
Start With a Mobile App, Not a Website
![December Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/December-Newsletter.png)
2ndKitchen acquired by SoftBank-backed REEF + advice from an early Googler
![Interview with Joe Sriver](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-14.png)
Joe Sriver, 4giving: Episode 8, Execution is King
![2ndKitchen founders](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2ndKitchen-Founder-Photo-2-scaled-1-1200x837.jpeg)
2ndKitchen Acquired by REEF
![November Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/November-Newsletter-Copy.png)
Venture studio startup jobs + advice for founders from founders
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-7.png)
Best Advice from the Great North Annual Event: Episode 7, Execution is King
![October Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/October-Newsletter.png)
Newsletter: Do you fit our investing themes?
![Interview with Jonathan Treble](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-5.png)
Jonathan Treble, PrintWithMe: Episode 6, Execution is King
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Anna-Mason-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Anna Mason, Revolution: Episode 5, Execution is King
![Mynul Khan Episode Cover Art](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Mynul-Khan-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Mynul Khan, FieldNation: Episode 4, Execution is King
![Nick Moran Episode Cover Art](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Nick-Moran-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Nick Moran, New Stack Ventures: Episode 3, Execution is King
![Molly Pyle Episode Cover Art](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Molly-Pyle-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Molly Pyle, Center on Rural Innovation (CORI): Episode 2, Execution is King
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Kaufenberg-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Justin Kaufenberg, Rally Ventures: Execution is King Episode 1
![September Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Newsletter-Blog-Post-Template-Copy.png)
Newsletter: “Podcast Launched: Execution is King!”
![Execution is King logo](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-08-04-at-11.03.10-PM-1200x679.png)
“Execution is King” – the Great North Ventures Podcast
![June Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Newsletter-Blog-Post-Template.png)
Newsletter: Fund II is open for business!
![Portfolio Spotlight Blog post](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Blog-Featured-Image-3.png)
Unlocking the Potential of Anonymized Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Data
![Twitter posting for seed and pre-seed startups looking for funding](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Blog-Featured-Image-2.png)
Fund II is open for Business!
![Logo_primary](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Logo_primary.png)
Mike Schulte Promoted to Venture Partner
![April-Newsletter-1](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/April-Newsletter-1.png)
New Name + New Venture Studio
![Great North Venture Labs](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Featured-Image-1.png)
Great North Launches Startup Studio
![UST on The Wall](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/UST-on-The-Wall.png)
We Don’t Need No [full-time MBA] Education
![Moonshots at the Carlson School](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20190604_181149-copy-scaled-1-1200x682.jpg)
How the University of Minnesota is Embracing Startup Culture
![Top Stories of 2020, iraLogix, and LaunchMN Calls for Mentors](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/December-Newsletter.png)
Top Stories of 2020, iraLogix, and LaunchMN Calls for Mentors
![Building Capacity](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Screen-Shot-2020-10-29-at-12.55.57-PM.png)
Building Capacity for Innovation
![August Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/August-Newsletter.png)
Seizing Opportunity in a Recession, Allergy Amulet, and Twin Cities Startup Week
![July Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/July-Newsletter.png)
Recessionary times, a record-setting IPO, and Minnesota’s Resilient Startups
![Compass Resilience](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Compass-Resilience-1200x617.png)
Minnesota's Resilient Startups
![June Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/June-Newsletter.png)
July 4th, Equitable American Dream-ing, and Robots Diagnosing COVID
![May Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/May-Newsletter.png)
Jumpstart, the Startup School, and Branch Wins a Webby!
![April 2020 Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/April-Newsletter.png)
COVID-19 Trends, the Great North response, and our Founders Survey
![Giving in the Time of Coronavirus](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Giving-in-the-Time-of-Coronavirus.png)
Giving in the Time of Coronavirus
![capitol building](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/low-angle-photography-of-building-1000738-scaled-1-1200x800.jpg)
COVID-19 Resources for Startups, State-by-State
![March Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/March-Newsletter.png)
COVID-19, the CARES Act, and startups stepping up
![New Business Preservation Act](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/New-Business-Preservation-Act.png)
New Business Preservation Act
![February newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/February-Newsletter.png)
Digital Future Boardroom, PartySlate, and The Lean Startup School
![Startup Summit 2020](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Startup-Summit-2020-1200x600.png)
Great North Labs’s Startup Summit 2020
![Startup Summit 2020](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Startup-Summit-2020-1200x600.png)
Great North Labs's Startup Summit 2020
![Great North Labs January Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/January-Newsletter.png)
World Economic Forum, NoiseAware, and the Startup School reboot
![WEF dates](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Screen-Shot-2020-01-21-at-7.33.48-PM.png)
Great North Labs at the World Economic Forum 2020 in Davos
![Top 5 Stories of 2019](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/December-Newsletter-Featured-Image.png)
Top 5 Stories of 2019
![November Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/November-Newsletter.jpg)
Taking the Founders Pledge, Inhabitr, and gBETA Pitch Night
![buildings with graph columns overlaid](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-27-at-10.27.33-AM.png)
Founders Pledge: Support the Organizations that Support You
![Great North Labs's October Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/October-Newsletter-.png)
BETA Showcase, Greater MN, and Launch MN comes to St. Cloud
![Twin Cities Startup Week 2019](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-09-at-7.01.37-PM.png)
7 Places to Spot Us at Startup Week
![September Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/September-Newsletter.png)
The Greater MN Meetup, Parallax, and Exponential Medicine
![August Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/August-Newsletter-Copy.png)
Greater MN at the big show, Neela Mollgaard heads Launch MN, and Misty’s roadtrip.
![July Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/July-Newsletter.png)
Talking VC, tech kids, and Forge North’s Horizon
![May Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/May-Copy.png)
June: Great North Labs’s first fund raised!
![May Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/May.png)
May: Innovation Ecosystems, SingularityU Kickoff, and PrintWithMe
![April Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/April.png)
April: Minnebar Recap, ZenLord Pro, and Supporting Entrepreneurs
![Minnebar14](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Minnebar14-1200x400.png)
MinneBar 14 Recap
![Tech Madness 2019](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tech-Madness-1200x457.jpg)
Dispatch and 2ndKitchen claim Tech Madness titles
![Minnesota Innovation Collaborative](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-04-at-6.12.37-PM-1200x402.png)
Minnesota Innovation Collaborative
![March Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/March.jpg)
March: Minnebar, Hockey + Hustlers, and Innovation Workshops
![Great North Labs at CES](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/My-Post.jpg)
Great North Labs at CES
![Dec._Jan. Newsletter Copy 2](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Dec._Jan.-Newsletter-Copy-2.jpg)
Dec.-Jan.: Top Posts from 2018, pepr, Glowe, and Misty Robotics
![Top Posts 2018](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Top-Posts-2018.jpg)
Carried Interest: Top Posts from 2018
![Oct.-Nov. Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Oct._Nov.-Newsletter-Copy.jpg)
Oct.-Nov.: Singularity University, Exponential Tech, and the State of Innovation
![The Digital Transformation Summit will take place on July 25th in Minneapolis.](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Digital-Transformation-Summit-2018-e1605573289717-1200x392.png)
Digital Transformation Summit, July 25th in Minneapolis
![June Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/June-Newsletter.jpg)
June: Silicon Lakes, FactoryFix, and the Digital Transformation Summit
![road sign silicon valley highway](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Screen-Shot-2018-06-15-at-12.20.39-PM.png)
Putting the “Silicon” in Silicon Lakes
![Smart factory equipped with AGV, robot carrier, 3D printers and robotic picking system](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/iStock-901810310.jpg)
Digital Manufacturing and Logistics
![May Newsletter Copy](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/May-Newsletter-Copy.jpg)
May: Team Genius, IoT, and the Future of Everything
![engineer and various business information. Internet of things industry.](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/iStock-858527370.jpg)
IoT 3.0
![Healthcare innovation image](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Healthcare-article-picture.png)
Healthcare Innovation
![March Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/March-Newsletter.jpg)
March: Exponential Tech, the “Goldilocks Zone”, and Minnebar 13
![February Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/February-Newsletter.jpg)
February: Team Expansion, Dispatch, and Startup School Events
![Great North Labs Newsletter December 2017](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Headerlogo.png)
Great North Labs Newsletter – December 2017
![Rob-Back-To-The-Future-wide](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Rob-Back-To-The-Future-wide.png)
A Letter To My Younger Self
![mixed icons with brown color and tech theme](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Techy-Image-1568x1602.jpg)
Great North Labs Newsletter
![Original Great North Labs banner and logo](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GNL-Banner.png)
Great North Labs Featured on Tech.mn
![St. Paul city skyline](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/st-cloud-skyline.jpg)
Great North Labs Featured in St Cloud Times
![Ryan Weber teaching incubator class](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/RyanWeber-SummerIncubator-GreatNorthLabs.jpg)
Great North Labs – Featured on BizJournals.com
![computer on a desk](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/computer.jpg)