Upcoming Events

CYstarters Applications Due

Date & Time Sunday, March 15 12:00am-11:59pm
Location Application Below
Contact Megan Sweere, mjsweere@iastate.edu

Speed up your Success this summer!

CYstarters is an 11-week summer accelerator for Iowa State students or recent graduates to focus on their startup or business idea. Students will receive $6,500 for individual or up to $13,000 per student team for the opportunity to spend their summer dedicated to achieving their startup goals and pursuing entrepreneurial aspirations. The selection process is competitive, with only a limited number of spots for the summer accelerator. 

Interested in learning more about CYstarters before you apply? Have questions about the application process? Register to attend a CYstarters Info Session!

Who is eligible for CYstarters?

  • Currently-enrolled Iowa State University undergraduate and graduate students
  • Iowa State University students who have graduated within the last 6 months
  • Students of any major or classification
  • Part-time or full-time students at Iowa State University
  • Individuals or student teams
  • All ventures are welcome regardless of industry or stage

What can you expect?

  • Learn and grow from educational sessions on topics including customer discovery, marketing, entrepreneurial finance and more
  • Opportunities to practice and refine your business pitch in front of the right audience to further your startup’s momentum
  • Engage with the Ames entrepreneurial ecosystem through specially-hosted networking events
  • Weekly accountability meetings with Pappajohn Center staff, advisors, and mentors
  • Funding for your startup, $6,500 for individuals or $13,000 per student team.

When does it start/end?

CYstarters is an 11-week program that normally runs from mid-May to the end of July.

Register
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • NameEmail 
    Please only list members who will be involved and compensated during the summer program.
  • You might include your products/services, what problem are you solving, what's your competitive advantage, capital needed, and momentum to date.
  • Please include any research grant funding from Iowa State.
  • Do you have summer employment plans? #hours/week? Participants in CYstarters are expected to commit at least 30 hours/wk on site to the program.
  • Accepted file types: pdf, ppt, pptx, Max. file size: 32 MB.
    If you or your team is selected to advance, this will be the pitch deck used for the in-person pitches. PowerPoint or PDF recommended. These presentations will be 5 minutes in length, followed by Q&A. We suggest adding notes to describe each page to give more context for reviewers. Resource: https://slidebean.com/blog/startups-what-is-a-pitch-deck-presentation
    A recommendation letter is required for the application. Please have a reference submit a letter of recommendation for you using this link: https://www.isupjcenter.org/cystarters-letter-of-recommendation/
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    Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, , Max. file size: 32 MB.
    This can be the same person as listed above. If you are applying as a team, please combine letters of recommendation for both members into one PDF or Word file.
  • Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: doc, docx, pdf, Max. file size: 32 MB.
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    2026-03-15 0:00:00 2026-03-15 23:59:00 America/Chicago CYstarters Applications Due Speed up your Success this summer! CYstarters is an 11-week summer accelerator for Iowa State students or recent graduates to focus on their startup or business idea. Students will receive $6,500 for individual or up to $13,000 per student team for the opportunity to spend their summer dedicated to achieving their… See the event at https://www.isupjcenter.org/event/cystarters-applications-due/ Application Below Megan Sweere, mjsweere@iastate.edu
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