The President’s Buckeye Accelerator supports student entrepreneurs preparing a startup for launch. The accelerator combines entrepreneurship skill-building, deep mentorship, community, and funding with a structured process. Through the program, six student-led ventures are awarded $50,000 each and invited to join the year-long accelerator after participating in Boost Camp. The accelerator is the pinnacle of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship’s continuum of student programs.
President's Buckeye Accelerator
If the impossible became possible, what would you attempt to do?
Program Support
1 Funding
Access to capital and additional funding upon graduation from the program.
2 Skill Building
Commercial excellence, customer centricity, leadership, team building, lifestyle coaching, financial acumen (budgets, forecasts, proformas), governance, and controls.
3 Deep Mentorship
Intentional access to coaches, champions, and domain expertise.
4 Structured Process
Validate, build, test, and commercialize in parallel to pursuing a degree.
5 Community
Connecting the cohort to fellow students, faculty, and staff, the local start-up ecosystem, and the global community of Ohio State founders.
6 Exposure
Digital, market, and communication support to promote the idea to investors and potential partners.
Timeline
Application Period
Fall 2025
Students must complete the application to be considered for Boost Camp from January to April 2026. Boost Camp offers academic credit toward an entrepreneurship minor. This is optional. To take advantage of the opportunity, students should apply as a venture and schedule individually to BUSMHR 3535 (4702).
Application Review and Boost Camp Selections
November - December 2025
Applications are reviewed, and students are notified via email of Boost Camp selections.
Boost Camp
January – April 2026
Boost Camp sessions are on Wednesdays from 4:35-5:55 p.m. at the Student Entrepreneurs' Center. Preliminary pitches will be scheduled for the week of March 23.
President's Buckeye Accelerator Finale and Cohort 5 Selections
April 8, 2026
Ten student ventures that complete Boost Camp are invited to pitch in the President’s Buckeye Accelerator Finale on April 8. Six student ventures are selected to join the fifth cohort of the President’s Buckeye Accelerator.
President’s Buckeye Accelerator Cohort 5 Onboarding
May 2025
President's Buckeye Accelerator - Cohort 5
June 2026 – April 2027