The Lang Entrepreneurship Center presents CBS Startups Week 2026
A weeklong event celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation in today's transformational times. Join us for tabling, panels, networking, and a demo day showcasing current and alumni CBS ventures.
Columbia Business School is where entrepreneurial talent, passionate learning, and determined innovation come together. Our alumni have launched such iconic brands as ZocDoc, Beyond Meat, Compass, IT Cosmetics, and many more. Ranked in the top 5 MBA programs in the US for entrepreneurship, CBS continues to produce ventures, and founders, of unparalleled success. CBS Startups week is a showcase of the knowledge and community that keep Columbia Business School at the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Explore the workshops and events coming to CBS Startups Week through the agenda below and RSVP to secure your spots.
Beyond the Classroom: CBS Founders Rethinking Education
Date and Time: November 9, 12:30pm to 1:30pm
From financial literacy and health education to navigating the college journey, CBS founders are building new approaches to how young people learn and prepare for the future.
This panel will bring together CBS entrepreneurs working across the education space to share the stories behind their ventures: the problems that inspired them, how they turned their ideas into businesses, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. We’ll also explore their experiences building while at CBS, the role the Columbia entrepreneurial ecosystem has played in their journeys, and their advice for aspiring founders looking to turn an idea into something real.
Inside the AI-Powered VC: How Investors Are Actually Using AI
Date and Time: November 9, 6:00pm to 7:00pm
AI is quickly becoming part of the venture capital toolkit, but what does that actually look like in practice?
This session will bring together VC investors for a practical look at how they’re incorporating AI into their day-to-day work. Each investor will give a short presentation highlighting a real use case from their workflow from sourcing and market research to diligence, portfolio support, and internal operations—including what they’re using, how they’re using it, and where AI still falls short.
Following the presentations, we’ll bring the investors together for a conversation about how AI is changing the way venture firms operate, where it can meaningfully improve investor decision-making, and which parts of the job still depend on human judgment, relationships, and experience.
Taste and Shop at CBS: CPG Tabling
Date and Time: November 10, 12:30pm to 2pm
Finding Your First Technical Partner: Co-Founder or First Hire
Date and Time: November 11, 12:30pm to 1:30pm
For non-technical founders, one of the hardest early decisions is determining who should own the technical side of the business and whether that person should be a co-founder or an early hire. Without a technical background, how do you assess whether someone has the skills to build what you need? How do you distinguish a strong technical partner from someone who simply interviews well? And when does a startup truly need a technical co-founder versus an engineer, contractor, or other early technical hire? Join us for a practical conversation on evaluating technical talent, deciding between a co-founder and an early hire, and finding the right technical partner for your startup’s stage and needs.
Big Idea Challenge Pitch Competition & Networking Event
Date and Time: November 11, 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Join Columbia Business School for an evening of bold ideas and big ambitions at the Big Idea Challenge Pitch Competition — where early-stage founders take the stage to pitch solutions tackling some of today’s most pressing problems.
Watch as selected student and alumni founders present their ventures live before a panel of top VCs, operators, and industry leaders. The event will showcase startups building scalable, impactful solutions and competing for recognition, feedback, and equity-free grant funding of up to $5,000.
The competition will spotlight startups addressing considerable issues with big, scalable solutions. Selected teams will compete live for recognition, connections, and feedback from a panel of leading judges.
VC Breakfast with C10 Labs
Date and Time: November 12, 7:30am to 9:00am
Join us for a VC Breakfast with C10 Labs, an AI venture fund and studio investing in and building early-stage AI-first companies. The morning will bring together founders, investors, students, alumni, and members of the broader Columbia entrepreneurship community for a conversation with C10 Labs about its investment approach, perspectives on the rapidly evolving AI landscape, and what it looks for in emerging companies and founders. The event will also feature pitches from a curated group of Columbia-affiliated startups whose work aligns with C10 Labs’ areas of interest.
Whether you’re building a company, exploring venture capital, or interested in the future of AI and entrepreneurship, join us for an opportunity to hear directly from C10 Labs, discover emerging Columbia ventures, and connect with members of the broader startup ecosystem over breakfast.
Whether you’re building a company, exploring venture capital, or interested in the future of AI and entrepreneurship, join us for an opportunity to hear directly from C10 Labs, discover emerging Columbia ventures, and connect with members of the broader startup ecosystem over breakfast.
The Human Advantage: Building Startups in the Age of AI
Date and Time: November 12, 1:00pm to 2:00pm
AI is rapidly reshaping how founders work, making it possible to move faster across everything from coding and pitch deck development to customer outreach and research. But as AI becomes embedded in more parts of the startup-building process, a new challenge is emerging: knowing when to leverage AI and when human judgment, creativity, and connection still matter most.
Where can over reliance on AI diminish the quality of the work rather than improve it? Which responsibilities should founders think twice about delegating to AI? Can AI-generated code introduce new problems into a product? And as AI tools become increasingly accessible to everyone, could distinctly human capabilities become an even greater source of differentiation? This conversation will explore how founders can use AI thoughtfully, where common pitfalls arise, and how to strike the right balance between automation and the human touch.
Columbia Business School Virtual Founder Showcase
Date and Time: November 13, 10:00am to 12pm
Join the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center for the CBS Virtual Founder Showcase, featuring startups led by Columbia Business School students and alumni who have participated in Lang Center programs. Hear directly from CBS-affiliated founders as they pitch their ventures, share what they’re building, and highlight the opportunities ahead. The showcase will feature companies across a range of industries and stages, offering attendees a chance to discover startups emerging from the CBS entrepreneurial ecosystem and connect with the founders behind them.
Whether you’re an investor, founder, operator, alum, or simply interested in entrepreneurship at CBS, we invite you to join us and meet the next generation of CBS founders. Disclaimer: Participation in this event does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or solicitation by Columbia University or Columbia Business School with respect to any company, security, or investment opportunity presented.
Whether you’re an investor, founder, operator, alum, or simply interested in entrepreneurship at CBS, we invite you to join us and meet the next generation of CBS founders. Disclaimer: Participation in this event does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or solicitation by Columbia University or Columbia Business School with respect to any company, security, or investment opportunity presented.