UF’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation has announced a formal partnership with local startup collective Starter Space.
Starter Space will offer four internships to UF graduate students pursuing a master’s degree in entrepreneurship.
The partnership will include a speakers series, workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs and promotion of Starter Space’s activities on UF’s campus.
Michael Morris, James W. Walter Eminent Scholar Chair and academic director of the entrepreneurship program at UF, said the center wants to contribute to the growing startup atmosphere and see more ventures stay in Gainesville.
“As we looked around at the local landscape, we were especially excited about Starter Space, what they represent, their sort of mantra and outlook and attitude and everything,” he said. “It’s very consistent with our own.”
Ashley Dean, a 22-year-old UF student working on her master’s in entrepreneurship, is planning on attending the first speaker event and workshop.
“It’s more of a hands-on approach to speaker series, so I think I’m looking forward to that more than anything,” she said.
Jeffrey Stamp, creator and brand manager of Baked Lays, specializes in creative business processes. He will be the first speaker in the series on Tuesday evening.
Starter Space collaborates with eight startups, including the digital publication GainesvilleScene.
Payal Khurana, co-founder and partner at Starter Space, said the company has always wanted to create a bridge between Starter Space and UF to get students more involved.
“Us having the same mission and doing something together creates a stronger force, creates a brighter light for students to have to say, ‘OK, entrepreneurship is an actual, feasible route for me,’” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 9/15/2014 under the headline "Starter Space partners with UF for internships, workshops"]
