Bootcamp Handbook

The Entrepreneurs Bootcamp is an Online Business Training Program that is open to:

• UK students from any college/department (undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D.),
• Faculty of UK across campus-wide
• Staff of UK
• All Kentucky entrepreneurs (general public)*

Bootcamp focuses on the above listed entrepreneurs that have new startup ideas, seeking to form real companies. 

University of Kentucky international students may participate in Bootcamp. Note: international students seeking to form a startup in the United States should be aware that Visa/Citizenship status may affect their ability to start a company in the U.S. However, this status does NOT affect their ability to participate in the program or join as a team member.

*Bootcamp is only open to qualifying Kentucky-based entrepreneurs. All eligible applicants must be located in the state at the time of submission.

Each session is a minimum of 2 hours and tailored to the entrepreneurial learning experience and may include guest speakers specializing in the weekly topic. Topics may include, but aren’t limited to:

(1) developing your business model or plan,

(2) customer validation

(3) creating your pitch,

(4) how to create a minimum viable product (MVP)

(5) go-to-market strategy,

(6) intellectual-property strategies,

(7) other commercialization strategies,

(8) the value of networking, etc.

Throughout these programs, teams will be required to meet specific milestones, examples:

• developing written executive summaries, or business plans,
• pitching at various sessions,
• delivering their final pitch at the Bootcamp Finale
• attending Bootcamp Graduation

New startup ideas/projects are collected from a variety of sources –

• UK research,
• UK student/staff ideas,
• community entrepreneurs.

Projects can range from Smart Device Apps, Consumer Products, Medical devices, Agricultural technologies, Software/services, Video Games, capstone projects, etc.  

Teams are constructed based on interest, skill level, degree major, and commitment to completing the program. Teams must be diversely composed to mirror real-world expectations of an investor pitch and how a real company team structure would be divided – i.e. technical expert, financial analyst, business advisor, marketing representative, software expertise, legal development, faculty member, etc. Teams should not be composed specifically of one discipline and should, when possible, have a minimum of 2-3 members for balance.

Team leaders have the MOST responsibility on a team. As a team lead, you are not only bringing in the project idea, but you are leading the team and listening to their feedback. Team leaders are responsible for delegating work, communication tasks, and ensuring that each team member is being fully utilized to develop the business model. VACE staff holds team leaders directly accountable for all progress and work completed throughout Bootcamp.

Team members play a non-leading but supporting role in Bootcamp. As a team member, you are offering your expertise/skills in a field that can help advance the project forward. Except for students taking the Bootcamp for credit, team members can be accepted into the program on a rolling basis and can switch teams if the team lead drops out of Bootcamp and there is a team that is available to take on new members. At any time, it is important to communicate with your team leader about switching teams or dropping out of the program if you cannot commit the time, or if the team is not a good fit.

If a team lead drops out of the Bootcamp program and the team has student members taking the Bootcamp for academic credit, then these students should refer to the class syllabus for those options that will be available to them.

Attendance Policy - all participants must attend each regularly schedule online session (i.e. session that includes a speaker) and each Milestone of Bootcamp.  Missing 3 regularly schedule sessions will result in automatic dismissal from the program and a participant will not graduate from Bootcamp with a certificate of completion. NOTE: The regularly scheduled speaker sessions are separate from the Milestones. Missing any Milestone in either Bootcamp 1.0 or 2.0 will result in automatic ineligibility to receive a certificate of completion.

Team Dynamics - working in a team can be fun, challenging, and rewarding. Lack of participation and poor performance reviews within a team can result in the removal of a team member from the program. Team members are also responsible for addressing any concerns with their teammates and seeking resolution. If a team member drops out of Bootcamp, he/she will not be allowed to re-enter the program, receive any competition prize money if awarded, and will relinquish any rights, if any, to all intellectual property (unless other agreements are made within the team). concerns with their teammates and seeking resolution. If a team member drops out of Bootcamp, he/she will not be allowed to re-enter the program, receive any competition prize money if awarded, and will relinquish any rights, if any, to all intellectual property (unless other agreements are made within the team).

Communication Requirements & Certificate of Completion - anyone participating in Bootcamp must be prepared to schedule any meetings via zoom or otherwise outside of the regular Bootcamp sessions. It is the responsibility of the team leader and/or team member to schedule all online meeting requests with their team and any mentors that are introduced.  Anyone participating in Bootcamp must have access to Microsoft Office tools (i.e. Powerpoint).  The Bootcamp milestones require each team to present their pitch decks in a virtual learning setting. Pitching at each Milestone is a requirement. Missing any Milestone will result in automatic ineligibility to receive a certificate of completion from the online business training program. 

Bootcamp students gain access to a vast array of Kentucky mentors including, but not limited to Angel Investors, Community Business Owners, Legal Counseling, FDA Regulatory Experts, Mobile App, and Gaming Developers, Engineering & Technical Researchers, 3D Printing & Modeling advisors, Sales, and Marketing Experts, Financial advisors, and Medical & Pharmaceutical researchers. For privacy reasons, initial contact with mentors must go through the VACE staff.

All participants will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). This is to protect all information being disclosed in the program. It is highly recommended that each student team with a UK employee originated project idea contact the University of Kentucky’s Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC). If you have questions regarding intellectual property, or lack thereof, its best to make an appointment with OTC.

Bootcamp teams will be eligible to compete for prize money by meeting all Milestone requirements in the program.  

All participating members on the Bootcamp team must agree on how the money will be shared/split.  This is the responsibility of the team leader to discuss with their team members.  

If your team receives prize money, the team leader (aka Founder) may fall into one of these categories and go through these steps with an assigned Gatton College of Business Budget Office staff member:

1. Current Student at The University of Kentucky
   • Provide full name, email address, mailing address, student UK ID number.
   • If direct deposit is preferred, students must work with the assigned Business Office staff member.
2. UK Employee (faculty, staff, UK Healthcare)
   • Provide full name, email address, UK ID number.
   • All employees will receive prize money through their UK payroll.
3. Community Entrepreneur (i.e. other institution, non-student, non-UK employee)
   • Provide full name, email address.
   • You must register to PaymentWorks - a registration link will be sent to you from the budget office.
   • A check in the award amount will be mailed to your physical address once the PaymentWorks process is complete.
4. Already Formed Company/Entity
   • If you are a UK student, employee, or with UK Healthcare, please follow the instructions outlined in #1 and/or #2.
   • If you are a community entrepreneur, please follow the instructions outlined in #3.

All participants are required to pitch at the Bootcamp Finale, which is typically held at the end of the Bootcamp and judged by an independent panel of investor and business leaders. Teams that are “no-show’s” or drop out of the program prior to the finale and/or graduation, forfeit all prize money, funds, and resources previously made available. Teams will also be held accountable to meet specific milestones throughout the program, as noted in Section 3 of the handbook. To graduate from Bootcamp, all participants and/or students taking the program for academic credit must attend the scheduled sessions. Missing 3 sessions will result in an automatic removal from the program and the participant will not graduate/receive a certificate of completion.

By the end of Bootcamp, students, faculty, staff, and community entrepreneurs will walk away with:

• real-world expectations for launching a startup company
• gaining exposure to the regional entrepreneurial community
• developing skills needed to write an executive summary or business plan
• learning how to pitch to investors and community leaders
• gaining an improved sense of creative thinking, building networking skills, and enhancing overall “soft skills” for future employment