Couri Hatchery
Couri Hatchery Student Business Incubator
Whitman’s Couri Hatchery Business Incubator helps Syracuse University students and alumni turn ideas into businesses. Open to founders from every school and college, the Hatchery connects founders with Whitman’s nationally recognized entrepreneurship faculty, successful alumni founders, investors, and business leaders while providing mentorship, workspace, and funding opportunities from idea to launch and growth.
Since 2018, the Hatchery has supported more than 6,000 students and alumni, helped launch 290+ companies, and supported founders who have raised more than $294 million in investment capital. Participants also have access to more than 150 mentors and approximately $250,000 in annual funding opportunities through university-wide pitch competitions and grants.
There is no cost to join the Couri Hatchery. Named in honor of John Couri ’63 (A&S), co-founder of Duty-Free International and president of the Couri Foundation.
Couri Hatchery Alumni
Businesses that have been initiated within the Couri Hatchery include:
- Dream Water
- Golden Gear
- ExPrep
- Brevite
- ThunderCakes
- Funk ’n Waffles
- Wholesale Jewelry Liquidators
- Brand Yourself
- EB Active and many others.
Entrepreneurship News and Profiles
Dual Major Finds Passion in Combining Entrepreneurship and International Relations
Connor Schultz
Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises/International Relations
- Undergraduate Dual
Follow your passions. Do what interests you.
Connor Schultz ’23 (WSM/MAX), a dual major in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises (EEE) at the Whitman School of Management and international relations at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, found that focusing on two of his interests provided a solid foundation for the career he is about to begin as he approaches graduation.
Schultz knew that he wanted to explore different areas once he was accepted to Syracuse University, so he consulted with his academic advisor during his first year to find the best path. He realized that adding a dual major through Maxwell could give him a different perspective, as he would be surrounded by students on a career path outside of business. There, he chose to focus on international relations, particularly China’s relationship with the U.S., which helped his understanding of global markets and the relationships between the two countries. In addition to that, at the Whitman School, Schultz’s entrepreneurship courses provided a comprehensive education that he can use in conjunction with his international relations major. It was just the combination Schultz was looking for, so he took a chance and moved forward.
As busy as he is with his dual major, Schultz also found time to be a peer mentor, Whitman Ambassador, Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadet, member of DSP and member of Phi Alpha Delta Professional Law Fraternity.
After graduation, Schultz will go to work at Synchrony Bank in New York City in marketing, as well as at the New Jersey National Guard working in military intelligence. He hopes that his job at Synchrony Bank will open the door for him to travel so that he can take what he learned at Maxwell and combine it with lessons from the Whitman School that apply to real-life business situations.
Ultimately, Schultz is pleased that he took a chance to pursue a dual major and encourages others to do that same. “Follow your passions. Do what interests you,” advises Schultz. “It's your career and future that you want to build upon, so don't be afraid to try something new that will set you apart from everyone else.”
By Rylee Pohancsek ’24