The Camel Accelerator

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The Camel Accelerator

10 Week program for entrepreneurs

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About the Camel Accelerator

Campbell University, in partnership with NC Idea and the RTP Foundation, presents the Camel Accelerator.

The program is dedicated to fostering the growth of small businesses, with a special emphasis on supporting founders searching for their scalable, repeatable business model. Whether you’re a startup or an established business, our 10 week accelerator offers workshops and mentoring in marketing and sales, designed to enhance your business. Each company will also have a team of student interns who will help you along the way while gaining invaluable professional experience.

This program is completely free to the founders. We just ask that they commit themselves to the program, work earnestly with their team of student interns and come to campus for our kick-off and closing celebration.

Join us in this inclusive and empowering journey, made possible by the generous support of Campbell University, NC Idea and the RTP Foundation, and elevate your business to new heights. We welcome a diverse range of business owners, including founders from rural communities, women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities.

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Program Curriculum

  • Lesson: Principles of Lean Startups and the Lean Business Model Canvas
  • Assignment: Draft an initial Lean Business Model Canvas.
  •  Lesson: Exploring and Developing a Sustainable Business Model
  • Assignment: Refine and detail the business model with a focus on value propositions and revenue streams.
  • Lesson: Techniques for Effective Customer Discovery
  • Assignment: Conduct customer interviews to gather insights and validate assumptions.
  • Lesson: Creating Customer Personas Based on Discovery
  • Assignment: Develop detailed customer personas that reflect target audiences and key needs.
  • Lesson: Brainstorming and Planning a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
  • Assignment: Define core features of the MVP that solve primary customer problems.
  • Lesson: Steps and Strategies for Building a Functional MVP
  • Assignment: Begin building the MVP, focusing on core functionality and usability.
  • Lesson: Testing and Gathering Feedback
  • Assignment: Conduct usability tests and collect feedback from initial users to refine the MVP.
  • Lesson: Preparing for a Lean Launch
  • Assignment: Plan and execute a small-scale MVP launch to gauge market interest and gather real-world feedback.
  • Lesson: Crafting a Compelling Business Story and Value Proposition
  • Assignment: Develop a brand narrative that resonates with customers and aligns with business values.
  • Lesson: Creating an Investor-Ready Pitch Deck
  • Assignment: Prepare and refine a pitch deck, and practice delivering the pitch for feedback
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Program Faculty

Scott A. Kelly serves as the Director of Entrepreneurship at Campbell and teaches courses in entrepreneurship and marketing.  Kelly received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. After several years of corporate life (IBM Global Services & KeySource Bank), Kelly began his career in academics by teaching at Ohio State. His experience also includes building innovation programs at Duke and Elon University and most recently was the Founding Director of Elon in San Francisco, a summer long initiative in Silicon Valley.

Adam Schultz is a seasoned entrepreneur, digital marketing strategist, and startup incubator leader with over 20 years of executive experience in creating, scaling, and transforming businesses. With a successful digital marketing agency and 10 startups under his belt, Adam has been at the forefront of digital transformation, leveraging cutting-edge strategies in digital marketing, product development, and business operations since 2002.

We will also have a rotating cast of incredible expert guest lecturers from the NC business community to teach some of these topics and help support students and business owners with that week’s assignments.

camel

“…those business ecosystems outside the Bay Area bubble, where startups have less access to capital or trained startup human capital, and where, especially in many emerging markets, they are more susceptible to severe and unpredictable macroeconomic shocks. Instead of the unicorn, the camel is the more fitting mascot.”