Last week American Underground kicked off the next iteration of their Idea to Entrepreneur program, helping support and mentor up-and-coming creators.  AU ran the program as a two-day event last year and scaled it up to a three-month endeavor this year.

“The AU has always been a home for early stage entrepreneurs,” said AU Executive Director Tim Scales.  “Right now we’re seeing a huge wave of entrepreneurship across the state, and we wanted to ensure that we’re supporting these earliest-stage entrepreneurs as they take the leap and start their new businesses.”

This year’s program participants run the gamut from software engineers to visual artists. The goal is for them to gain the skills, mindset, and connections needed to take the first step in launching a new business.

“We launched the program this month with a two-day Bootcamp led by startup veteran Chris Heivly,” explained Scales.  “The cohort of 18 aspiring founders will now have free access to the AU and a curated curriculum of workshops and speakers to guide their next steps. The program will culminate with a pitch competition on November 3 that will be open to the community and startup ecosystem.”

Thanks to AU’s Tim Scales for this Capcom scoop & graphic.