Keep your eye on the prize.
A two-part, shark-tank-style experience, the Louis H. Stumberg New Venture Competition annually supports compelling student start-ups. At stake? $50k and access to experienced mentors and successful entrepreneurs.
Think you have what it takes? Find out how to participate.
Stumberg Seed Round
In the first stage of the Stumberg Competition, teams of student ventures put their business ideas to the test. Pitching their ideas to a panel of judges, students vie to be selected for further mentorship opportunities and thousands of dollars in start-up funding.
5 teams
selected as finalists
$5k
in seed funding for each team
What’s next? →
10 weeks
in Stumberg Accelerator
This isn’t a part of my education that’s going to be on the degree, but it’s going to be with me the rest of my life. I’m a completely different person now versus two or three months ago, because the Summer Accelerator develops you as a person and as an entrepreneur.
Trinity Accelerator
What do you need for your venture to succeed? Learn new concepts and apply new knowledge during the Trinity Accelerator, which takes place over the summer.
Stumberg finalists dive head first into 10 weeks of full-time, paid, rigorous, hands-on discovery, and development. All this while receiving guidance from Trinity’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence, former Stumberg finalists, and successful business and community partners.
Skill Building
accounting
financial planning
marketing
Discovery
research
networking
making connections
Development
making and creating
building and prototyping
testing and refining
What’s next? →
Stumberg Finals
in the fall semester
Through the entire summer, there was a big attitude of encouragement from the other teams. We all approached the summer hoping to build our companies, not compete with each other.
Stumberg Finals
The winners of the 2023 Stumberg Competition are taking a more holistic approach to women’s wellness. After months of intense work and a compelling pitch to a panel of expert judges—Trinity alumni, community influencers, and business moguls—women-led startup Well and Worthy won the fan favorite award and $25,000 grand prize for their app, which provides each woman with a personalized wellness and lifestyle plan via a menstrual cycle-based approach. Congratulations to Ashleigh Reese ’26 and Sofia Ortiz ’24!
We founded PATCH with the idea that we can help people who are suffering. People’s lives shouldn’t have to revolve around medication, but for those who need it, PATCH can be part of a better solution.
Gavin Buchanan ’19
Cofounder, PATCH
Read PATCH's Story →
The Stumberg Legacy
The Stumberg Venture Competition honors the legacy of the late San Antonio businessman and civic leader Louis H. Stumberg.
A food industry pioneer, in 1946 he co-founded Patio Mexican Foods, a company that took frozen Tex-Mex foods nationwide. Mr. Stumberg was a dedicated member of Trinity's Board of Trustees and held leadership positions with numerous organizations such as the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, United Way of San Antonio, Bexar County, Alamo Area Council of Boy Scouts, and as mayor of Terrell Hills and a civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army. He gave generously of his time and treasure and was instrumental in helping build San Antonio's business and civic life.