Founders Week | Entrepreneurship at Illinois

bluemedsolid

leaves

Founders Week 2026 was Another Success!

Thank you to all who joined us at our third annual Founders Week, September 30 – October 3, 2026.

We will be posting more follow-ups soon!

container

whitesolid

Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!

Gies College of Business

Hoveida Family Fund

Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship

University of Illinois Research Park

Illinois Ventures

greyop2

container

bluemedsolid

The Illinois Entrepreneurship Merch Store is here!

Entrepreneurship at Illinois Merch Store

greyop2

container

orangesolid

cloud connect

Be a part of what we're building!

Your experience, energy, and support are pivotal as we grow our ecosystem and cultivate the next generation of Illini founders. There are many ways to engage, from advising student teams and investing in ventures, to guest speaking and giving to our campuswide entrepreneurship fund.

Thank you for all you do!

Engage with our Community

We can help match you with the right opportunities to get involved in the entrepreneurship ecosystem at Illinois. Fill out this engagement form to get started.

Connect to Opportunities

Join us for Founders Week 2026!

Sign up for Founders Week emails to receive the latest information as plans take shape for 2026.

Sign-up for our newsletter

Support What's Next for Entrepreneurship at Illinois

There are many ways to be a part of what’s happening in our ecosystem – giving to our campuswide entrepreneurship fund is one of them!

container

bluesolid

2025 Event Recap

FW video 2025 screencap

Video Recap

Watch the video for a taste of Founders Week 2025!

FW Capital Forum

Story Recap

Nearly 500 came to campus for this year's event!

Booklet Cover

Program Booklet

See the event schedule and speakers for 2025.

View the Booklet

FW Founder showcase

Photo Gallery

Check out photos from this year's event.

See the Gallery

container