Has your brain been burning with back-of-napkin business ideas? Are you ready to step up your side hustle to superstar status? Applications are open for 757 Startup Studios, a local program seeking to get promising founders off the ground.
757 Collab is a family of not-for-profit programs focused on fostering the region’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem. The group consists of a nationally recognized angels group focused on providing seed capital, an accelerator program for validating and honing business models, and the newest program – 757 Startup Studios.
The 757 Startup Studios focuses on the earliest stage in a startup’s lifecycle. It provides a fertile place to grow for entrepreneurs still working on launching their innovative businesses. The Studios offer six months of rent-free office space in Downtown Norfolk’s Assembly. Although just over a year old, Assembly has solidified its place as a nexus for the most creative people in the region. Coders, graphic designers, architects, videographers, and dozens of innovative startups call Assembly home. Especially important for early founders, are the other startup resources available. 757 Accelerate and 757 Angels are also intentionally based here. Folks admitted into 757 Startup Studios get placed right in the middle of it all, and should they meet performance milestones, they could get their six months extended to 12.
The free space is only part of the deal, though. Alongside the first-class work environment, the organizers work to connect participating companies with mentors, subject matter experts, and industry leaders. They take the time to customize those connections for each participant and make the introductions themselves. Likewise, educational sessions for the cohort of companies are hand selected to fit the group’s needs. Accountability is also on the menu, with regular milestone meetings scheduled with every founder.
The program has had four successful groups of accepted companies come through its doors. Maya Holihan, Founder & CEO of EWedded recently completed a stint with the program. She said the 757 Startup Studios “provide[d] a welcoming, supportive and richly resourceful environment for startup founders.”
757 Startup Studios applications have just opened again. The program has roughly 25 open seats, with the window to apply closing on October 9th. You can visit their website for more information or attend an upcoming information session:
Thursday, August 25th, 2022 12:00 pm
Wednesday, September 14th, 2022 12:00 pm
Tuesday, September 27th, 2022 5:00 pm
Information session details
Paul Stetson Rice
Chelsea, NFK
Paul is the creator of NFKVA.com. He was born and raised in Norfolk, graduated from Virginia Tech, and narrowly avoided law school. Chat with him about economics, entrepreneurship, hip-hop, and hiking. When he's not working on five different projects, you'll catch him sharing a beer with friends at a local brewery.
