EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Eagle Startup Center
Ideation Workshops
The Commercialization Academy
The Eagles Accelerator
Ideation Lab
From Student to Entrepreneur and Beyond
The Eagle Startup Center has long served as a dynamic support hub for students eager to explore and launch their business ideas. We offer a range of resources, including workshops, an annual training program, and a start-up competition designed to help students refine their concepts, secure funding, and gain practical experience. Whether you’re actively developing a business or simply interested in learning more about entrepreneurship and connecting with like-minded individuals, the Eagle Startup Center is your go-to resource.
What We Do
The Eagle Startup Center provides three key steps to advancing your business career. First, our Ideation Workshops, held twice per quarter, guide students through brainstorming and idea development with engaging activities and insights from experienced faculty and community experts.
For those with a business idea seeking more detailed guidance, The Commercialization Academy (TCA) offers a comprehensive program throughout the academic year. TCA covers over two dozen essential topics, including business planning, prototyping, securing funding, and legal considerations.
Students ready for the final step can participate in The Eagles Accelerator. This open competition, open to all Eastern students regardless of major, features a three-phase business pitch contest with a total prize pool of $27,500. Participants benefit from pitching their ideas to potential investors and receiving expert advice to maximize their business success.
Support
To support students in their creative endeavors, the Eagle Startup Center offers the Ideation Lab—a fully equipped space for 3D printing, soldering, sewing, and more. Staffed by skilled student employees, the lab provides hands-on assistance with equipment and facilitates rapid, low-resolution prototyping. This allows students to transition from concept to proof of concept by developing minimally viable products (MVPs).
Students also have access to additional fabrication labs and workshops across campus. Under the guidance of Eagle Startup Center Director Dr. Philip Appel and a multidisciplinary team of experienced faculty mentors, the Center aims to support students at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey, ensuring comprehensive assistance and expertise.
To learn more about the Ideation Lab and its capabilities, head over to our Ideation Lab page here for more information.
Ready to get Started?
It’s that time of year again! Registration is open for all of our 2024-25 events and programs! To get more information on individual events and programs, visit our Program page here, where you can read about each program in detail and get started with registration!
If you have any questions or would like to connect with the Center, please visit our Contact page here or send us an email directly at eagle-startup@ewu.edu. Additionally, you can stop in to the Ideation Lab at CEB 125 on the Cheney campus during open hours to talk with a staff member.
Background and Accolades
In 2020, EWU was selected by the US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) as the winner of the Model Emerging Entrepreneurship Program award. The award is presented every year to the top nominee in the world.
Later that same year, the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) selected the EWU Center for Entrepreneurship as the Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center. In receiving these coveted awards, EWU joins the likes of Florida State University, Brown, and Dartmouth. In winning both awards, we join Kansas State University as the only two schools who have accomplished this feat.
