Sponsorship opportunities
Sponsorship tier
Mentor meet ups
$2,000: Mentor Meet-ups
Meet-ups provide students with the opportunity to make valuable connections with possible future funders and business professionals in fields critical to entrepreneurial success. Two sponsorships at $2,000 each are available.
pizza chats
$1,000: Pizza Chats
The weekly Pizza Chats give students a time to come together to discuss the progress of their business concepts and receive guidance from the program director and local business service providers. Twenty-five chats are scheduled throughout the academic year. Two sponsorships at $1,000 each are available, which will provide refreshments for the students.
$1,000: Weekly Community Workshops
These workshops, open to the campus and Kalamazoo communities, feature 15 industry professionals, covering topics such as social media, sales, business plans, marketing, investor pitches, legal entity fundamentals, intellectual property and more. Two sponsorships at $1,000 each are available. Sponsors are welcome to be a guest speaker for one of the workshops.
$1,000: Demo Day
This annual event is the highlight of the year! In March, student teams pitch their business concepts to the WMU students and the local business community. Each participating team will be vying for the Starting Gate “Top Bronco Award.” Ten $1,000 sponsorships are available.
Sponsorship spots available
Sponsors will be recognized on the WMU Starting Gate website, at each event being sponsored, and on Starting Gate marketing materials throughout the the academic year. Sponsors are also welcome to participate as a mentor for students in the accelerator and attend events.
To claim a sponsor spot, contact Tamara Davis at tamara.j.davis@wmich.edu or (269) 387-6062.