Ignite Entrepreneurship Trek to Silicon Valley
A programme by Rice University
A four-day trip to Silicon Valley for selected Rice graduate students and Enventure members, with company visits and talks from founders and investors.
At a glance
| Best for | Rice graduate students and Enventure members |
|---|---|
| Duration | Four days, mid-March (2026: 11 to 14 March) |
| Format | In person |
About Ignite Entrepreneurship Trek to Silicon Valley
The Ignite Entrepreneurship Trek is an immersive trip to Silicon Valley run by the Rice Alliance. Selected participants visit startups, high-tech firms and venture capital firms, and hear from entrepreneurs and investors. The trek is not a recruiting trip, although participants may make useful introductions.
What you get
- Company visits and meetings with entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley
- Four nights of lodging at the host hotel, with bus transport to company visits and most meals paid for by sponsors
- A certificate of completion, if wanted
Who can apply
- Rice Business MBA graduate students, in the full-time, professional weekend, executive and Master of Accounting programmes
- Rice engineering and computing, and natural sciences, graduate students (PhD or Masters)
- Enventure community members: Texas Medical Center advanced-degree candidates and young professionals
How to apply: Selected participants only. Students pay their own travel to the Bay Area.
Where to apply
Other Rice University programmes
- Rice Business Plan CompetitionA pitch competition for student-led startups from universities anywhere in the world, with prizes, mentoring and an in-person final in Houston.
- IdeaLaunchA free, virtual bootcamp that helps teams test whether an idea, research or innovation has market fit. It is also an NSF I-Corps regional programme.
- OwlSpark Startup and Small Business Accelerator (closed)A 12-week accelerator for Rice-affiliated technology startups and small businesses, run from 2013 to 2025. It is now closed.
- Rice Clean Energy Accelerator (closed)A five-cohort accelerator for seed-stage clean energy startups in Houston, from 2021 to 2025. It is now closed.