A New Era for Student Founders: UCSC Launches Entrepreneur & Startup Incubator

Jul 9

NEW THIS WEEK, a group of UC Santa Cruz students are kicking off something special: the first cohort of the Entrepreneur & Startup Incubator (E.S.I.), designed to help young founders turn their ideas into real businesses. Over 30 student teams are participating.

Over just four weeks, from July 7th - August 8th, 2025, participants will meet daily to build products, grow their brands, and learn how to bring early-stage projects to life with expert guidance and mentorship.

The program is led by E.S.I. founder Iman Schaefer, along with team members Alex Aghili, Ashley Kim, and Bee Schaefer, a group of passionate student entrepreneurs dedicated to supporting their peers in transforming ideas from demos into polished products and from abstract concepts into tangible results.

The incubator offers daily hands-on workshops covering both code and no-code development, AI tools, marketing, and content storytelling. Guest speakers and mentors share their startup journeys to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. The experience culminates in a capstone week where participants will present their progress and newly acquired skills learned through masterclass workshops.

This week, E.S.I. is thrilled to announce guest speakers Rajan Chidambaram and Renzo Sanio, who will share their experiences building The Royal Oak Retreat, a luxury wellness boutique in Virginia that shows what’s possible when vision meets determination. In addition, Toby Morning will join to discuss breakthroughs in Agenetic technology (AI Native Cody) and AI innovation- exactly the kind of future-focused thinking that fuels today’s founders. Stay tuned for weekly keynote speaker highlights, hands-on workshops, and weekly updates from Santa Cruz Works and our incredible cohort of founders.

If you’re interested in supporting or contributing to E.S.I. programming, or if you are a Founder interested in future cohorts, click on the appropriate button.

Add your Support

Join as a Founder