Your connection to Michigan State does not end at graduation. Through the Alumni Venture Support Program, the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation supports Spartan alumni founders by activating what MSU does best: community, connections, and opportunity.
This program is designed for alumni who are building, leading, or scaling early-stage ventures and are seeking meaningful ways to engage with students, talent, capital, and the broader MSU entrepreneurial ecosystem.
How the Burgess Institute Supports Alumni Ventures
The Alumni Venture Support Program focuses on creating access—not coursework—by connecting Spartan alumni entrepreneurs to people, platforms, and programs that move ventures forward.
Network & Community Access
Alumni founders gain entry points into MSU’s entrepreneurial network, including students, fellow founders, mentors, investors, and partners through Burgess Institute–facilitated programs and events.
Spartans for Startups Internship Program
This program connects MSU students with alumni-owned or alumni-led startups for paid, hands-on internship experiences. The Institute provides financial support to help offset internship costs while enabling startups to access motivated Spartan talent.
Startup Career Fair
Alumni ventures are invited to participate in the Startup Career Fair, which connects small and early-stage companies with MSU students seeking internships, part-time roles, and full-time opportunities in entrepreneurial environments.
Spartan Founders Club & Spartan Angel Network
Alumni founders may engage with the Spartan Founders Club and the Spartan Angel Network—communities that support startups through relationship-building, mentorship, and early-stage investment opportunities facilitated by the Burgess Institute and the MSU Research Foundation.
Built for Spartan Founders
Together, these opportunities reflect the Burgess Institute’s education-first, community-driven approach to entrepreneurship—supporting alumni ventures not only with opportunity, but with belief, access, and a network behind them.
Built by Spartans. Backed by Burgess.
For questions about eligibility, participation, or alumni venture opportunities, email Sean Fochtman, fochtma3@msu.edu.