AI Agents in Practice: Build Real Agentic Workflows for Your Startup

A full day for student founders in the heart of RTP. NGEN, the Ivy League entrepreneurship network, is bringing a limited number of student founders, builders, and innovators from UNC, Duke, NC State, and other NC universities together for a full day in RTP. Speakers include: 1) a former YC founder turned-VC; and 2) a co-founder of Pendo. There is also a pitch competition where the winner advances to our national $150K pitch competition finals, an RTP startup showcase where you can meet local founders during pizza lunch (complimentary), and plenty of networking opportunities. The day: Guest speakers:Shevy Karbasi, former YC founder now launching a VC firm Eric Boduch, co-founder of Pendo & founder of 24 and Up Pitch competition: The competition winner is fast tracked to our national $150K pitch competition finals, and every finalist team gets live feedback from judges. Startup showcase: Interact with RTP startup founders during our lunch showcase + networking time Speed networking: Connect with fellow student founders and startup/industry leaders. Complimentary pizza lunch provided Plus more! Full agenda shared with admitted students. Rolling admission: 100 spots, so apply early for the best chance. Final applications due: Sun, Oct 18 at 11:59 PM ET Need a ride?: Once you're admitted, we'll connect you with students from your campus who are driving. Rides are coordinated between students directly. Additionally, bus lines run directly to Frontier RTP. Supported by: NC State Society of Entrepreneurs · Entrepreneurship Club at Carolina · Research Triangle Foundation About NGEN: NGEN (NextGen Entrepreneurship Network) is a 501(c)(3) intercollegiate nonprofit founded by student leaders at Princeton, Penn, and Brown. Over three years we've run over 20 conferences, treks, and pitch competitions across the Ivy League in New York City. Startups from our network have raised over $25M and joined Y Combinator, a16z Speedrun, and Techstars.

Have a startup idea you can't stop thinking about — but aren't sure what to do next? This hands-on workshop is built to get you moving. In a focused, small-group session led by startup veteran Chris Heivly, you'll work through a Lean Canvas to clarify your thinking, pressure-test whether you've got something real, and surface the key risks and assumptions hiding inside your idea. You'll leave with a clearer picture of your next step, and the confidence to take it. Who is this for? This is a working session for first-time and idea-stage founders ready to move from "I'm spinning my wheels" to "I know my next step." It's ideal if you: Have an idea stuck in your head and haven't launched yet Have started something but feel stuck or unsure how to move forward Want structured, practical guidance to take your next step with confidence Come with an idea or early venture you're ready to dig into. Why attend? Build a concrete plan: Work through a Lean Canvas to map your riskiest assumptions and define real next steps Pressure-test your idea: Get a crash course in startup fundamentals and customer discovery to find out if you're onto something Connect with the ecosystem: Meet other founders and plug into the RDSCo community Location & Parking Frontier RTP — Classroom 📍 800 Park Offices Dr, Durham 🚗 Free parking is available immediately outside Frontier Venue Partner Frontier RTP is a growing community at the heart of the Hub RTP development, RTP’s new downtown. Companies looking to be part of an exciting, collaborative environment will fit right in at Frontier RTP! Learn more at frontier.rtp.org/ Raleigh-Durham Startup Co. Idea to Action is part of the Raleigh-Durham Startup Co. (RDSCo) Startup Series — a free, year-round series of events that meet Triangle founders at "I'm curious" and helps them move toward "I'm building." Learn more at raleighdurhamstartup.co. Thank you to our Contributing Members for supporting the RDSCo Startup Series!

The world has problems. We have bad ideas. An evening of amazing pitches for absolutely terrible ideas to save the world. Climate change is a massive, complicated problem that will require serious innovation, collaboration, policy, investment, and action. This is not that. For RDSCo Climate Week, we’re bringing back the Bad Idea Pitch Competition and challenging teams to tackle real problems facing our planet in the most questionable ways possible. Each team will pitch live to a panel of Celebrity Judges, who will ask questions, poke holes, and ultimately cast their votes. The audience gets a vote, too, to help crown the Best Worst Idea to Save the World. Expect big swings, bad science, unnecessary apps, suspicious sustainability claims, and at least one solution that probably involves putting solar panels somewhere they absolutely do not belong. Come for the creativity, stay for the community (and a laugh!), and join us for a night of bad pitches, climate bingo, and plenty of chances to dream up a few terrible ideas of your own. The world has enough good ideas. For one night, we want your worst. Interested in forming a pitch team and being a part of the show? Please fill out our very serious application to pitch here: https://airtable.com/appwJTZLBy955Kvik/pagy2KLsI5VQeISdR/form Thank you to our Sponsors and Partners!