Ten local entrepreneurs have been selected for the next round of NextCorps’ startup scholarships. Made possible by renewed funding from M&T Bank, scholarship recipients are kicking off one calendar year of incubation services and co-working access at NextCorps for only $25 a month.
Over the next 12 months, scholarship recipients will receive structured coaching from NextCorps’ Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) on topics ranging from market analysis and prototype development to capitalization strategy and business planning. They’ll also have access to NextCorps’ facilities, including a dedicated coworking desk, prototyping lab, digital media studio, and meeting spaces, along with opportunities to learn from and network with a community of 70+ startups.
The group recently gathered for onboarding, where they met the EIRs, got to know one another, and shared the ideas they’ll be working to advance during their time in the incubator.
Startups taking shape
Scholarship recipient April Marroquin has spent years in higher education and is now developing a software solution to combat the “enrollment cliff”—the sharp decline in traditional college-aged students.
“It’s a challenging time for higher ed institutions,” April said. “The idea behind my platform is to arm admissions counselors with analytics to make more data-driven decisions when engaging prospective students.”