Student entrepreneurs can still attend Valley College bootcamp

Despite the campus closing due to COVID-19, the Business Administration Department is still holding a program for prospective entrepreneurs.

By Gabriel Arizon, Editor-in-Chief

Illustration Courtesy of Los Angeles Valley College

Beginning in early May, the Valley College Business Administration Department will hold a free Start-up Bootcamp for student entrepreneurs to get advice from industry experts.

Starting May 8, students who sign up for the bootcamp will have the opportunity to learn from instructors who are “multipreneurs” (entrepreneurs with multiple businesses or projects at one time) with plenty of start up experience, as well as other industry speakers. Due to the campus closure, the meetings will be held through Zoom every Friday over the course of six weeks.

“The goal of the program is the same: to inspire our student entrepreneurs and give them the opportunity to take action on their ideas,” said Tasos Sioukas, the Business Administration chairperson.

While the bootcamp is primarily for student entrepreneurs, any student or community member is welcome to join. The program will cover topics such as networking, marketing secrets and branding, value propositions, and action planning. According to Sioukas, though the program is changing a bit, the core activities will remain the same.

As of April 30, about 30 million Americans have sought unemployment benefits, according to the Guardian,. A report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in early April stated that one in four small businesses have temporarily shut down due to COVID-19, and as for those that did not, 40 percent said it was likely they would do so in the following weeks.

To sign up, email Sioukas at sioukaav@lavc.edu from an LACCD email address containing the sender’s full name and either a business idea or a small business they wish to improve. The deadline to apply has been extended to May 4 and availability is limited.