Business Partners

The Berthiaume Center partners with a range of businesses, nonprofits, and organizations to fund competitions, student business development, and more. These mutually beneficial partnerships mean expert support and advice for UMass Amherst students and young alumni, as well as access to innovative ideas, cutting-edge research, and fresh talent for our business partners.

Learn more about some of our recent collaborations, and reach out to us if you’d like to learn more about partnering with the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship.

Our Sponsors

Norman "Bud" Robertson

Eric Kagan

Our Partners

GCEC

GLOBAL CONSORTIUM OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTERS (GCEC)

The GCEC is the premier academic organization addressing the emerging topics of importance to the nation’s university-based entrepreneurship programs. It has become the vehicle by which the top, established entrepreneurship programs, as well as emerging programs, can work together to share best practices, develop programs and initiatives, and collaborate and assist each other in advancing, strengthening, and celebrating the role of universities in teaching the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

Hult Prize Summits

Hult Prize Summits

The Hult Prize challenges young people to solve the world’s most pressing issues through social entrepreneurship. Every year, one team receives $1M in funding to make their idea a reality.

forge

FORGE

FORGE is a 501(c)3 nonprofit on a mission to help innovators navigate the journey from physical prototype to commercialization and impact at scale. 

lever

Lever

Since its 2014 launch, Lever has led the development of the Berkshire region’s entrepreneur ecosystem. 

GT

Maroon Ventures Partners

Fostering the growing spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, Maroon Venture Partners Fund I, LP is a for-profit venture fund that invests in early-stage companies linked to UMass Amherst. Investments range from $50,000 to $200,000 and are often a venture’s initial outside equity funding.

Partners

Valley Venture Mentors

Located in Springfield, MA, Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) supports transformational development for high-growth and high-scalable startups that change the face of the economy in Western Massachusetts. 

The Alchemy Fund logo

The Alchemy Fund

Alchemy creates competitive ventures between tech hubs in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA/CT and Southern VT/NH. Alchemy’s innovation is to combine local ingredients into national-quality ventures: They take talented founders, help them upgrade their business model, add differentiating technology, provide seed funding, and assign veteran executives as coaches.

Efor All logo with lightbulb; "turning dreams into business"

EforAll Pioneer Valley

In 2018, SPARK Holyoke joined forces with EforAll to create an even stronger entrepreneur ecosystem for entrepreneurs in the local area. Located in the heart of downtown Holyoke, the EforAll Pioneer Valley team offers a free, one-year Business Accelerator program, community pitch contests, and more.

IC Final 2023

New Business Partner Opportunities

The Berthiaume Center is excited to partner with more businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations to provide our students and young alumni with valuable real-world entrepreneurial experience and advice. If your organization is ready to benefit from the collective knowledge of UMass Amherst’s innovative student population and network of renowned faculty, reach out to the Berthiaume Center today.