UMD Startup Shell Kicks Off Launch Campaign for Innovation Fund

Startup Shell, the University of Maryland’s startup incubator and coworking space, today announced the start of its Launch UMD crowdfunding campaign. Startup Shell (“the Shell”) is raising $10,000 for its Innovation Fund to help UMD students who are launching companies.

As the University of Maryland continues to become a major player in innovation and entrepreneurship, Startup Shell is emerging as the top student-driven entrepreneurship initiative on campus. Founded in 2012 by undergraduate students, the Shell has graduated more than 41 alumni and currently is home to 83 students. The tremendous student demand for Startup Shell’s resources has encouraged its current student directors to seek funding to sustain the Shell’s current capacity and future growth.

“The Shell’s directors are currently self-financing this space. If we want the Shell to last long after we graduate, we need to find a sustainable solution for supporting it,” said Startup Shell co-director Mackenzie Burnett (UMD ’15). “This Launch UMD campaign will help fund business development costs for Shell startups, community events, and prototyping hardware.”

Shell startups include biotech devices, software companies, food product companies, art magazines, and more. The Shell’s success is driven by its interdisciplinary nature, according to Shell member Stef Cohen. “The Shell is the only place on campus where students can work on their companies 24/7. You’ll see engineering students work side-by-side with art studio and government majors – it’s an incredible showcase of UMD’s top student talent,” said the graduate student. “Everyone here is so motivated and it’s very common to see students helping each other out on their startups.”

Startup Shell’s Launch UMD campaign goes live today, November 14, 2014. To donate to the Shell, go to www.launch.umd.edu/startupshell and click “Give Now.” For more on Startup Shell, check out its website, www.startupshell.org.

Published November 14, 2014