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Pick your next move.

Four programs for students, faculty, community members, and educators. No two paths are the same. Find yours.

LaunchNET Donnelly Grants Teaching with AI Cleveland Entrepreneurship Program
LaunchNET

You don’t need a perfect idea.

You don’t need a business plan. You don’t even need to know what entrepreneurship means yet. LaunchNET exists for JCU students, alumni, faculty, and staff who have a spark of something, a product idea, a service concept, an existing side hustle, and want help turning it into something real.

No grades. No pressure. Just coaching, mentoring, pitch competitions, idea contests, networking, and access to local resources that meet you exactly where you are.

LaunchNET is part of a network of schools (Baldwin Wallace, Kent State, Lorain County Community College, and Case Western Reserve) that collaborate so you get the unique strengths of each. The whole thing is free, funded by a grant from The Burton D. Morgan Foundation.

Where to find us: Lower level of Grasselli Library in B105B, right next to the Burton D. Morgan Creativity Classroom.

Contact Jamey Polak
LaunchNET coaching session
Donnelly
Grants
For Faculty & Staff
Bill & Sue Donnelly School

Grants that fund learning worth doing.

The Donnelly School established an annual mission-based grant program for all JCU faculty and staff.

The goal: encourage collaborative development or growth of experiential academic or extracurricular programs that “inspire individuals of intellect and character to learn, lead, and serve in the community and throughout the world.”

  • Academic, Enrichment, Research, or Outreach programs
  • Student-centered by design
  • Ideally a collaboration across two or more departments
Contact Doan Winkel
Teaching with AI

Most teachers know AI is changing everything. Few know what to do about it.

We run workshops, keynotes, and webinars that give educators practical, experience-tested ways to use AI tools for lesson planning, content creation, grading workflows, and classroom delivery.

No hype. No theory. Just the stuff that actually works, built from years of doing this in our own courses and programs every single day.

We also work with schools and programs that want their students using AI responsibly before they hit the job market. Custom programming is available for high school and college faculty, departments, and institutions ready to stop talking about AI and start using it.

Book a Session
AI
Ready
Workshops · Keynotes · Webinars
Cleveland Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

Cash in on the opportunity to build your idea.

Spend 6 Saturdays with Cleveland entrepreneurs and local experts, building real skills, real momentum, and a clear path to launch or grow your venture. And it doesn’t end after Week 6. You continue receiving support through office hours, student project assistance, and community networking nights.

Apply Now

What You’ll Master

  • Understanding your model for making money
  • Operations and fundamentals that matter
  • Understanding and marketing to your customers
  • Getting resources when you have no money
  • Planning, thinking strategically, managing risk
65%

of program participants start a venture

85%

of businesses started are women-owned

35%

of businesses become sustainable within three years

Bootcamp Details

Six Saturdays. One big leap.

Six consecutive Saturday mornings, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lunch and refreshments provided. Each session digs deep into one topic with local experts: lawyers, bankers, social media pros, government contracts specialists.

17
Oct

Week 1 · Kickoff & Business Model

Saturday · 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
24
Oct

Week 2 · Operations & Fundamentals

Saturday · 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
31
Oct

Week 3 · Customer Discovery & Marketing

Saturday · 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
7
Nov

Week 4 · Finding Resources Without Money

Saturday · 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
14
Nov

Week 5 · Strategy & Risk

Saturday · 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
21
Nov

Week 6 · Graduation & Next Steps

Saturday · 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Celebration

Apply for Fall 2026

Tuition is $600. Scholarships of $575 are available for anyone with financial need. All applicants are automatically considered.

Apply Now Boler Campus Map
Our Goals

Why the Bootcamp exists.

Grounded in more than 25 years of hands-on experience and research. Our model is tailored to address the challenges disadvantaged individuals face as they navigate the entrepreneurial process.

Start profitable ventures

Help those facing economic or other disadvantages launch ventures of their own.

Build sustainable businesses

Support existing small businesses on the path to sustainability and growth.

Develop the entrepreneur

Work with community members on the development of both the person and the business.

Measure what matters

Track the development and performance of entrepreneurs and ventures based on participation.

Celebrate wins

Acknowledge and amplify the achievements of small business owners in our community.

Get involved

We welcome community members as volunteers, mentors, and donors. Reach out to Gabi Beni to learn more.

Bootcamp FAQ

The details.

Small business owners and community members in the idea phase who want to launch a small business are eligible. We support people who have a dream of starting and growing a venture but may be struggling to get started, find resources, or build the right network. You won’t do this alone: the Bootcamp connects you with JCU faculty, local small business owners, JCU students, and corporate professionals ready to help you refine your idea, strengthen your plan, and onboard you into Cleveland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The price of the Community Bootcamp is $600. However, scholarships of $575 are available for anyone with financial need. All applicants are considered for scholarships.
John Carroll University’s Boler College of Business. See the campus map for directions.
You continue receiving support through office hours, student project assistance, and community networking nights to help you keep moving forward. Plus, access to grants, mentorship, and a community of over 200 small business owners.
Get Involved

Find the program that fits.

Not sure where to start? Reach out. We’ll point you in the right direction.

entrepreneurship@jcu.edu