Entrepreneurship

Sierra College and Hacker Lab Team Up for Startup Bootcamp

• By Rhea Kelly
• 02/25/16

California's Sierra College is partnering with community makerspace Hacker Lab to offer an immersive bootcamp for entrepreneurs. The eight-week Startup Hustle will help participants develop the skills to turn their ideas into successful businesses.

Program content is delivered via online live video lectures, in-person guest speaker events and community-building, and an online learning management portal (including videos, worksheets and a discussion board). Students also receive guidance from industry mentors. Assignments culminate an optional demo night event, where participants can pitch their business to the community. Past Startup Hustle participants have built apps for auto mechanics, produced inventions for the eye care industry, expanded a custom long board company and started an art community.

The application deadline for Startup Hustle is March 17. Participation is free for Hacker Lab members and Sierra College students; the fee is $149 for other participants.

"Students who want to start a business or work for a company where innovation is valued will benefit from participating," said Carol Pepper-Kittredge, director of the Sierra College Center for Applied Competitive Technologies. "Our students are gaining real world experiences as a result of Sierra College being one of the first community colleges in the United States to establish a public-private partnership with a community makerspace."