TroyLabs

Applications for DEMO 2025 (the largest student-organized entrepreneurship conference at usc) just dropped & we want your startup to be there ?? Want to be part of DEMO’s startup exhibition? find the link in our bio for founders apps! Not a founder? DEMO is for everyone! make sure to follow, or sign up for our newsletter for more updates ??

?? BUILD Workshop Recap: Engaging Your Early Customers ?? We had the privilege of learning from Jorrel S., a seasoned founder and data professional (YC S22), who shared invaluable insights on how to engage early customers effectively. His workshop, part of our USC BUILD Accelerator, provided a refreshing framework on connecting with customers authentically and building momentum for a startup’s MVP. ? Fail and Embarrass Yourself: Embrace the cringe factor; it’s part of the journey! ? Launch, Launch, Launch: Don’t worry about perfection. Experiment relentlessly, learn, and iterate. ? One Story at a Time: Stick to a clear message that resonates with your audience. ? Ask, Don’t Tell: Avoid assumptions—engage with curiosity and let customers lead. ? Take Things Seriously: Treat it as a real business from day one. Set expectations and build trust. After his talk, Jorrel took time to meet with our startup cohort, offering personalized advice and mentorship to help them apply these principles to their unique challenges. His guidance was invaluable for founders across various industries, from B2B to consumer platforms. Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies - USC Marshall USC Marshall School of Business #USCTroylabs #BUILDAccelerator #CustomerEngagement #StartupJourney

We were thrilled to host Leah Marcus and Yasaman Bakhtiar, newly named #forbes30under30 honorees, and USC alum and cofounders of good girl snacks, for an insightful fireside chat and workshop on organic growth and branding for CPG brands. Their journey and strategies offered invaluable lessons for founders and marketers in the CPG space at USC! Here are the key highlights: ? Community is Everything: Leah and Yasaman emphasized that building a strong community is crucial when launching a brand. They shared how Good Girl Snacks focuses on connecting with consumers in authentic, maybe odd, yet creative ways, creating loyal fans and advocates. ?? Take inspiration Globally: From taking cues from European markets to experimenting with “out of the box” branding ideas, Leah and Yasaman inspired us to explore creative influences that feel fresh and fun for U.S. consumers. A huge congratulations to Leah and Yasaman on making the Forbes 30 Under 30 list! Thank you for sharing your incredible journey with the USC community - we couldn't be prouder to have such inspiring Trojan entrepreneurs showing us what's possible. Fight On! ?? #CPGbrands #BrandBuilding #CommunityFirst #GoodGirlSnacks #StartupJourney #OrganicGrowth Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies - USC Marshall USC Marshall School of Business

Join us for?LAUNCH, an exclusive showcase of the brightest startups from USC’s Fall 2024 Troylabs BUILD cohort! ???When:?Thursday, November 21, 2024 ??Time:?6 PM - 8 PM ???Where:?Hoffman Hall Edison Auditorium (HOH EDI), USC Marshall Our startups that will be pitching ??Playbook 3D?- Revolutionizing digital content creation for directors ??Bubble - Transforming everyday spaces into your next productivity zone ??Sequence?- Interactive storytelling with no code ??Recei?- Smart digital receipts for businesses ??Bliss?- Your AI companion for lifelong learning Our judges Ryan Disraeli Saba Karim Chris Josephs Tiffany Faith Demers Open to everyone—whether you’re a student, alumni, or part of the LA entrepreneurial ecosystem! RSVP at bit.ly/tllaunch USC Marshall School of Business Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies - USC Marshall

Last Thursday, we had the immense privilege of hosting a superstar trio of innovators at the intersection of music and tech to our BUILD Accelerator session David Rosenberg, Sol Tricot, Drew Denbo as they joined us to share their incredible entrepreneurial journeys and insights , the future of AI copyright issues, and more ?? ?? Focus on Your Core Competency: Knowing and sticking to your strengths is key. Foster strategic partnerships that let you focus on what you do best, and leverage others' expertise to create value. ?? Build Partnerships Early: Partnerships can be instrumental to your growth and even influence your exit strategy. Start building these relationships early! After their talk, David, Drew, and Sol engaged directly with our startup cohort, offering tailored advice to founders across a diverse range of industries—from B2B fintech to storytelling content platforms. Thank you to David, Drew, and Sol for their time and insights, and for inspiring the next generation of innovators here at USC! #USCTroylabs #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #LAStartups Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies - USC Marshall USC Marshall School of Business cc TL BUILD team for organizing Liesl A.

Had a great time speaking last night with USC's TroyLabs startup accelerator about content and strategic partnerships, alongside Drew Denbo and Sol Tricot. Young companies solving problems across entertainment, productivity, education, commerce, and more. What an amazing program set up by USC and run by Liesl A.... I could not have been more impressed with all of the students' presentations, demos, and business plans. Truly well thought out and actionable. Looking forward to watching these companies grow from MVP to seed funding to full fledged operations. Fight on! And thanks for the opportunity Liesl!

?? Calling all USC Trojans and SoCal students! ?? I am excited to announce that Mike Maples, Jr., one of Silicon Valley's top venture capitalists and a co-founding partner at Floodgate, is coming to USC for an exclusive event! Mike has been named to the Forbes Midas List eight times and is the author of the National Bestselling book Pattern Breakers. His investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, Okta, and many more game-changing companies. Join us for an incredible opportunity to hear Mike share insights from Pattern Breakers and discuss strategies for breaking patterns and disrupting industries. ?? Time: Tuesday, October 29th, 2-4 PM ?? Location: USC Marshall School of Business, JFF 239 ?? Registration (Required): lu.ma/v6ama625 This event is hosted by Crater Ventures and in partnership with TroyLabs. Don’t miss out on this chance to learn from one of the best in the business! Ryland Pampush, Mike Maples, Jr, Floodgate

?? Attention #Entrepreneurs! ?? Our startup applications for our Fall 2024 BUILD cohort are open and will close September 8th at 11:59PM! BUILD is USC's premier post-MVP #startup accelerator. Meetings are in-person and powered by our very own TroyLabs members. Here's what to expect: ?? In-House Consulting: Our diverse cohort brings expertise across key areas like design/branding, marketing/growth, product development, engineering, investment strategy, and finance, providing tailored guidance throughout your journey!! ?? Exclusive benefits: Participating in BUILD comes with some impressive perks, including AWS credits, lifetime access to the TroyLabs ecosystem & founder community, and the potential for significant funding through LAUNCH, a high-stakes pitch competition where we pit our cohort against each other at the end of BUILD! ?? Here’s a sneak peek at our track record: NovaXS ($3.5M Seed) Alima ($510K Pre-seed) - YC Microscape ($150K Pre-seed) and many more… For our application link, visit: https://lnkd.in/gvZh23tX Visit our website (troylabs.vc) and our Instagram (@troy.labs) to stay updated!!

?? 5 Days Till DEMO 2024 ?? ??? When? April 11, 2024 ?? Where? University of Southern California's Trojan Grand Ballroom Sponsored by the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies - USC Marshall, Blackstone LaunchPad, and Apsy Inc., DEMO 2024 is USC’s largest student-organized entrepreneurship conference! We are so excited to feature the 50 startups below at DEMO 2024's Startup Exhibition from 12:30 pm to 5:30pm! Please join us in opportunities to network, find job and internship opportunities, and learn about their amazing products. We are also thankful to announce Arushi S.'s Gen AI Workshop 101 for Entrepreneurs: Opportunities and Risk! Join us in this interactive workshop to help entrepreneurs navigate and leverage AItools for opportunities and understand the risk of AI usage at TCC 227 from 2:30pm to 3:30pm! First come, first serve for seating! ? RSVP now to secure your spot: https://demo.troylabs.vc/ ?? Stay Updated: More exciting updates to come. Stay tuned! #DEMO2024 | #USC | #Entrepreneurship | #Innovation | #Networking | #AI | #Workshop | #StartupExhibition| #startups | #JobOpportunities | #InternshipOpportunities | #freefood | #freemerch

1 MORE DAY UNTIL DEMO 2024! ? We are so incredibly excited to announce our wonderful speakers of DEMO: ?? ?? Carol Folt as our opening ceremony speaker! She is the president of the University of Southern California. ?? Scott Goldberg on our keynote panel! He is the Co-Founder of Fresh Brothers, VP of Supply Chain & Development. ?? Ellen Chen on our keynote panel! She is the Co-Founder of Mendocino Farms and an investor/advisor. ?? Glenn R. Fox PhD as our moderator! He is a professor at USC Marshall School of Business, and our amazing advisor to TroyLabs. Don't miss this great opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship from experienced, successful speakers! Even snag a free Fresh Brothers gift card, only available during the opening ceremony. Pick up some free DEMO merch, which also becomes available during the opening ceremony! ??? When? April 11, 2024, starting at 10:30AM ?? Where? University of Southern California's Trojan Grand Ballroom ? RSVP now to secure your spot: https://demo.troylabs.vc/ Sponsored by the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies - USC Marshall, Blackstone LaunchPad, and Apsy Inc., DEMO 2024 is USC’s largest student-organized entrepreneurship conference! See you there:) #DEMO2024 | #USC | #Entrepreneurship | #Innovation | #Networking | #AI | #Workshop | #StartupExhibition| #startups | #JobOpportunities | #InternshipOpportunities | #freefood | #freemerch