Program Director’s Message

Dear Students, Researchers and Alums,

Are you ready to turn your innovative ideas into reality? The University of Texas at Dallas Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship invites you to join the CometX Accelerator Program – a transformative six-week journey designed to help you develop your innovations or start your own innovation-based business.

Program Details:

  • Program Dates: July 15 – August 26, 2025
  • Session Timings: Tuesday 4:00 – 6:00 pm
  • Duration: 6 weeks (and a bonus week for pitching)
  • Location: Executive Education Classroom Area, Jindal School of Management
  • Cost: Free
  • Registration Dates: June 1 – July 11th, 2025

Why Join CometX? The program will be led by Terry Russell, who currently serves as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and owns Venture Studio, Interface Ventures. CometX offers you the unique opportunity to learn from and network with extraordinary CEOs, business leaders, private equity experts, Angel network members, law firm partners, and a former president of Panera Bread.

Weekly Topics:

  1. The Entrepreneurial Mindset
  2. Finding and Managing Your Market Opportunities
  3. Due Diligence and Evaluating Your Opportunity
  4. Business Models and New Venture Architecture
  5. New Venture Construction: Legal and Financing
  6. Communicating and Presenting to Stakeholders

Bonus Final Week:

  • Pitch Your Concept: Present your innovative ideas to mentors and industry leaders for valuable feedback and potential support.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and connections you need to succeed in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Register open from June 1st to July 11th, 2025 and take the first step towards transforming your ideas into impactful ventures!

CometX Summer Accelerator | University of Texas at Dallas (startuptree.co)

Overview

CometX is a six-week co-curricular accelerator program that pulls the most innovative student and faculty businesses on campus to learn all the necessary tools and tactics to be go-to-market ready. Members of the cohort can expect weekly sessions that include interactions with industry experts, personalized mentoring, and acquiring knowledge from incredibly successful startup founders.

Concepts you’ll learn:

  • How to launch your startup concept.
  • Properly scale your startup. 
  • How to build the best team.
  • Distribute equity to not just founders, but also advisors and future employees.
  • Best practices when pitching to investors.

This Six-week in-person program covers the following topics:

  • Validating Your Idea & Product-Market-Fit
  • Due Diligence and In-Depth Legal Strategy
  • Building a strong team
  • Financial Forecasting
  • The Entrepreneurial Mindset
  • Pitching Investors & Fundraising
Application and Eligibility

ELIGIBILITY

Participation in CometX is open to all currently enrolled students of any classification/major as well as UT Dallas faculty, staff, and alumni.

APPLICATION

  • Program Dates: July 15 – August 26, 2025
  • Session Timings: Tuesday 4:00 – 6:00 pm
  • Duration: 6 weeks (and a bonus week for pitching)
  • Location: Executive Education Classroom Area, Jindal School of Management
  • Cost: Free
  • Registration Dates: June 1 – July 11th, 2025

Start your application

Facilitator
Terry Russell, Ph.D.
Managing Director
Interface Ventures

Dr. Terry Russell is the Managing Director of Interface Ventures, a Texas-based venture studio. Interface Ventures partners with national laboratories, universities, and corporations to build companies that solve important and valuable problems in energy, healthcare, and national security.

Dr. Russell has co-founded, financed, and led multiple technology-based startups. He has advised US and foreign government agencies, universities, and corporations on new venture creation. He is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at UT Southwestern Medical Center and an active mentor in the startup community.

Dr. Russell received his Ph.D. in Physics from Boston University and performed his postdoctoral research at Harvard University.

FAQ
What is an accelerator?

A business accelerator is a fixed-term, cohort-based program that gives developing companies access to mentorship, educational components, and other support that help them become stable, self-sufficient businesses.

Is this program for me?

Are you a UT Dallas student, alumnus, faculty member, or staff with a business idea and you want to test out?

Do you need help identifying your target market or figuring out your business plan?

If you need help fine-tuning your business model or revenue model, or you are a first-time entrepreneur wanting to hone your skills from proven entrepreneurs, then this program could be perfect for you.

Progress of an idea is dependent on the efforts of the founder. UTD and The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship cannot and will not start a business, conduct research, or customer discovery for any individual. This accelerator is intended to teach participants how to approach different aspects of entrepreneurship and support them along the way!

What can I gain from the program?

You will develop an entrepreneurial mindset, specific skills such as creativity, persuasiveness, resourcefulness, problem-solving, effective communication, leadership, collaboration/teamwork, presentation, and more.

Many CometX participants go on to compete in the UT Dallas Big Idea Competition and other state, national, and international competitions. 100% of feedback survey respondents agreed that the program added to their college experience at UT Dallas. By the end of the program, 15% of participants launch a business while 25% continue working towards launch.

Does the program cost me any money?

No, this program is free to all participants. UTD Affiliation is a must.

Can I earn academic credit for joining this program?

No, this is an co-curricular program that does not qualify for academic credit.

Who can join?

Any currently enrolled UT Dallas student, any classification (Freshman to Ph.D.), and all majors are welcome.

Any UTD Alumnus, Faculty, and staff members are also welcome to apply.

When does it take place?

The program is offered annually and only in the summer.

Where does it take place?

On-campus at UT Dallas.

Why do you ask so many questions about the stage of my venture in the application?

There is a significant cost for the entrepreneurial programs, resources, and support provided by the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship each year, at no charge, free to you — our students and the UTD community. We do this because we believe it will lead to significant economic value, as your venture is able to generate revenues and hire employees.

In order to continue offering these programs, the “cost” to you is the data about your startup’s progress. By providing information about your venture, you help us communicate and demonstrate to our stakeholders the impact we are making . Some of the key factors we need to measure include job creation and revenue. Hence, these questions are part of the application and surveys that will be shared through the program.

Will the university own my idea or startup or take equity from me?

If you are a student, then the short answer is no – please see Section 6 in the link below for more details. If you are a member of the faculty, conduct research in a campus laboratory, or are employed by the university, there may be some intellectual property rights to consider.
For more information visit the UT System Board of Regents rules on intellectual property.

Testimonials

“My experience in CometX was irreplaceable. I had been slowly working on my company for 2 years, spending time planning and tweaking my idea. When I joined CometX, from the first day I was instantly set on track. Through the few weeks that the course had been going on, my company had matured from a small idea to a team of 6 people and a goal to have an MVP available by the end of the year. The distinguished lectures gave several answers to questions we had not event thought about. The accelerator is structured in a way that helps form a clear guideline for some of the key points to creating a startup, and the only thing I would change is to make it longer.”

Major G.
BS Biomedical Engineering

“CometX Accelerator was a transformative experience. With engaging guest speakers and comprehensive discussions, I gained vital insights into team building and board dynamics. Thanks to CometX, I not only gained crucial business acumen but also forged lasting connections within a vibrant entrepreneurial community.”

Tamara M.
Dual MBA/MS Innovation & Entrepreneurship

“CometX allowed us to apply and integrate our ideas in a systematic manner to this new business. The weekly online lessons and engaging in-person sessions were very helpful in driving our business from an idea to a tangible business. We were introduced to an amazing mentor who supported us, gave us time, and challenged our thinking. These 6 weeks were truly a powerful experience for us.”

Neeru S.
MS Innovation & Entrepreneurship
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