The Thurgood Marshall College Fund has partnered with Starburst, a global aerospace and defense company, to launch SEISMIC (Startup & Entrepreneurship Initiative Supporting Minority Institutions & Communities), a new initiative aimed at encouraging innovators from historically Black colleges and universities and other minority serving institutions to pursue entrepreneurship in technology fields that are critical to United States national security.
Funded by the Small Business Administration 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, SEISMIC is a six-week program that will connect participants with defense and intelligence agencies, mentors, investors, and potential customers. Students and other innovators who participate in SEISMIC will have the opportunity to pitch their own ideas to defense industry leaders and funders.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for our students in a wide range of fields,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “We look forward to this partnership with Starburst as we prepare the next generation of workforce talent.”
SEISMIC’s inaugural cohort is set to launch in April 2025. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni from HBCUs and minority-serving institutions can learn more and apply to the program here.
