SharkMakers

Build, test and launch a business alongside other students.

SharkMakers Next Gen is a hands-on cohort for students ready to take a business from idea to launch. Participants work together to test ideas, tackle the work of building a business and make real progress over the course of the program.

Applications are due Sept. 23, 2026.

What Is SharkMakers Next Gen?

SharkMakers Next Gen is a hands-on entrepreneurship program for students who want to experience what it takes to start a business. Students can come in with an idea they want to pursue or use the program to discover and develop an idea along the way.

Over the course of the program, you'll work with a small team to develop a business from the ground up. You'll talk with potential customers, test your ideas, use what you learn to make changes and work toward bringing your business to market.

You won't be doing it alone. Entrepreneurs, mentors and industry professionals will work with you throughout the program, offering practical guidance and feedback as your business takes shape. Workshops and activities will give you the tools to better understand your customers, make decisions about your business and prepare to share your idea with others.

You don't need previous business experience or a fully developed idea to participate. SharkMakers is designed to give you the time, support and experience to learn entrepreneurship by actually doing it.

What You'll Experience

SharkMakers gives you the chance to learn entrepreneurship by working on a business of your own. With guidance from mentors and experienced entrepreneurs, you'll take an idea through the early stages of building, testing and preparing to launch it.

You'll:

• Find an idea worth pursuing by looking at real problems, opportunities and the people who experience them.
• Talk to potential customers to better understand what they need and whether your idea could work for them.
• Develop your idea into a business by thinking through what you'll offer, who it's for and how it could work.
• Test and improve your idea using feedback from potential customers, mentors and others throughout the program.
• Learn from experienced entrepreneurs and industry professionals who can share advice, answer questions and offer a real-world perspective.
• Build confidence in how you talk about your business through coaching, practice and feedback.
• Present your business at the SharkMakers Final Pitch and share what you've built with a panel of industry professionals.

By the end of SharkMakers Next Gen, you'll have firsthand experience building a business, a better understanding of your customers and a clearer sense of what it takes to keep moving your idea forward. You'll also leave with new connections, practical skills and a business you can continue building after the program ends.

Who Should Apply?

SharkMakers is for students who are interested in entrepreneurship and want the experience of building a business, whether they already have an idea or are still figuring out what they want to pursue.

You may be a good fit if you:

• Have a business idea you want to explore or want help finding and developing one.
• Want to learn how a business gets started by working through the process yourself.
• Enjoy solving problems and creating new things and want to put those skills to work on a real business.
• Want to work with other students and learn how different skills and perspectives can contribute to a business.
• Are open to trying things, getting feedback and making changes as you learn what works.
• Want to meet entrepreneurs and professionals who can share their experience and help you along the way.

SharkMakers is open to undergraduate and graduate students from all majors and areas of study. You don't need previous entrepreneurship or business experience, and you don't need to have an idea figured out before you apply. What matters is that you're interested in building something and ready to take an active role in the experience.

2026 SharkMakers Next Gen Cohort

Apply by: Sept. 23, 2026
Cohort dates: Oct. 2-Dec. 8, 2026

View the full schedule to see the workshops and events included in the SharkMakers program.

Schedule at a Glance

Oct. 2 — Virtual kickoff
Oct. 8 — Workshop 1: Validating Your Business Idea
Oct. 16 — Workshop 2: Product Development
Oct. 21 — Workshop 3: Business Models & Budgeting (JPMorgan — off campus)
Oct. 30 — Workshop 4: Selling & Pitching Your Idea
Nov. 20 — Mock Pitch
Dec. 8 — Final Pitch and Awards (Accenture — off campus)

Ready to Become a SharkMaker?

Whether you already have a business idea or are looking for the right one, SharkMakers Next Gen gives you the support, experience and connections to start building. Apply for the 2026 cohort and see where your idea can go.

Questions?

For questions about SharkMakers Next Gen, contact:

Magdelena Harrah
Program Manager
USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship
magdelena@usf.edu