Loyola University Maryland partners with Wasabi Ventures on an accelerator, strenthening the ties between the firm and the university.
US-based Loyola University Maryland has partnered with venture firm Wasabi Ventures, on an accelerator. Wasabi co-founder Thomas Kuegler was a 1994 graduate from the university and is its entrepreneur in residence.
The accelerator is set to be located in the Govans community of North Baltimore, east of Loyola’s campus.
Brian Linnane, Loyola’s president said: ""This initiative allows us to advance two priorities deeply important to the University. First, it creates new opportunities for our students to think creatively about new products, new markets, and the types of business, marketing, and expansion plans that will help young companies grow, and to apply these ideas to real-world organizations and the entrepreneurs behind them. For those with an entrepreneurial spirit of their own, it can give them a chance to get their own businesses off the ground. Second, it offers Loyola a new way of continuing to contribute to the revitalisation of the Govans commercial corridor. Loyola is committed to contributing to projects that help improve the quality of life for all those living, working, and learning in this community, and helping to revitalize its businesses is a key part of that effort."
Karyl Leggio, dean of Loyola’s Sellinger School of Business and Management, said: "The University and its students, and those in the Sellinger School in particular, are already making contributions to the local business community through classroom service projects, independent studies, and internships. The accelerator and its resources will allow Loyola to contribute to the entrepreneurial growth in Maryland, will crystallize the work being done, and increase the scale of our efforts."
Kuegler said: "In the last three years, Wasabi Ventures has provided experiential learning experiences to more than 100 Loyola students at companies in our portfolio. By partnering with Loyola on the accelerator, we expect to expand these efforts, while also participating more actively in the broader emerging start-up community of Baltimore."
