Impact Studio Incubator
On Central and North campus
Our Ecosystem Partners
Choose your path
Founders
For current U-M students who are serious about launching their idea into the world. No prior entrepreneurial experience required!
Applebaum Impact Design Fellowship
For current U-M students with technical skills who wants to work alongside and collaborate with student founders.
Applications are now open! Apply by September 8 at NOON.
Read below and submit your application today.
Fall 2026 Program Dates
September 8
Application deadline
12:00pm
September 10
Group Interviews
6:30pm - 9:00pm @ Ross
September 17 - 19
Kickoff Retreat
Various times and locations
September 27
BCG Office Visit
11:00am - 5:00pm @ Detroit
Bus provided
October 2
Friday Coworking kicks off!
9:00am - 12:00pm (Central)
12:30pm - 2:30pm (North)
November 13
Pitching Workshop
9:00am - 12:00pm @ Ann Arbor SPARK
For founders
Community
Meet with students from across campus during coworking and community events
Expert Coaching
Receive mentorship and coaching from visiting social entrepreneurs and leaders, as well as Ross faculty and staff
Fellow Support
Applebaum Impact Design Fellows will support and direct you to appropriate resources
Funding
Receive funding to build out your prototype
Food, Space & Perks
Complimentary meals, workspace, stationary, craft supplies, and more
Networking
Access a broad network of alumni, community partners, and entrepreneurs
-
This program is for current U-M students from any degree program who are serious and committed to taking steps to develop and launch their idea into the world. You do not need prior entrepreneurial experience. Expect to commit 6-8 hours per week to your venture and meet with the community on Friday mornings.
Founders must be available to attend weekly Friday coworkings at 9:00am-12:00pm for Central Campus OR 12:30pm-2:30pm for North Campus.
Founders are evaluated on their venture’s depth of impact (To what extent are your enterprise’s mission, purpose, and model explicitly focused on impact?), ability to commit to the program, and passion for their idea.
-
As a Founder you become part of our collaborative design community. You’ll work together with Applebaum Impact Design Fellows, one another, coaches, and experts to turn your ideas into working prototypes and take steps to bring them to life. On a given week, you will join a weekly coworking session in the Impact Studio to advance your idea by doing activities such as:
designing an impact business model
analyzing and making sense of user research
interviewing stakeholders
creating a marketing plan
developing and testing a working prototype
receiving coaching and guidance on strategy to build your venture
sharing venture ideas, challenges, and feedback with cohort
synthesizing feedback received from experts on campus and beyond
For venture-related work inside and outside the Studio, you should expect 6-8 hours per week of time committed to your venture. You do not need prior entrepreneurial experience. You do need a can-do and coachable attitude, an open mind, and a willingness to work with others.
“The Impact Studio was the most transformative part of my MBA experience. It allowed me to tap into parts of my passion that I had not yet nurtured. The continued guidance, along with the programmatic elements, have helped me walk away with the confidence and community to guide me forward in this journey of entrepreneurship”
- Joi James, Founder of finding joi, MBA ‘23
For Applebaum Impact Design Fellows
Community
Meet with and learn from students from across campus during coworking and community events
Expert Coaching
Receive mentorship and coaching from visiting social entrepreneurs and leaders, as well as Ross faculty and staff
Entrepreneurial Experience
Get real-world experience of growing an impact startup alongside a student founder
Compensation
Receive competitive hourly compensation for your skills
Food, Space & Perks
Complimentary meals, workspace, stationary, craft supplies, and more
Networking
Access a broad network of alumni, community partners, and entrepreneurs
-
Applebaum Impact Design Fellows are current U-M students who become part of an interdisciplinary cohort working to support the Impact Studio Founders Program. Two Fellow tracks will be offered in Fall 2026: Strategy and Technical (see below for more details). Fellows roll up their sleeves to help impact-driven creators and innovators bring impactful ideas to life that build a better world. Using their technical skills, business knowledge, design tools, and research, Fellows work with Founders to accomplish great things.
Fellows will be placed on either the Central or North campus incubator cohort. On Fridays, Central Campus cohort meets 9:00am-12:00pm and North Campus cohort meets 12:30pm-2:30pm.
For Fellow-related work inside and outside the Studio, you should expect to work starting the week of September 17, 2026 at an hourly rate of $20. Strategy Fellows should expect to work on average 6-8 hours per week, and Technical Fellows should expect to work on average 4-6 hours per week. There is a possible extension through winter term.
As a Fellow you will engage with the studio community through:
Weekly Breakfasts & Friday Morning Coworking Sessions: You will meet with your assigned coach and founders to work on projects. You will also participate in community standups to hear what other founders are working on and provide advice/feedback.
Working Meetings with Matched Founders: As needed, you will meet outside of the coworking sessions with founders to work on specific projects or milestones.
Venture Work: You’ll keep track of venture status and needs and identify and complete value-add projects for the founders you’re working with.
Asynchronous Communication: You will collaborate with your assigned coach and founders throughout the week.
Throughout the semester, there may be other meetings/events that the Impact Studio coaches will ask you to attend.
-
Strategy Fellows act as embedded project managers and go-to business experts for founders at the Impact Studio. You'll support competitive-landscape research, pitch development, and business model creation — scoping deliverables, delegating work, and running 1:1s with your teams. Strategy Fellows should expect to work 6-8 hours per week.
How Strategy Fellows might support founders:
Project Management: Meeting lead, milestone tracking, work delegation
Business Model Development: Impact business model creation, customer discovery, market assessment
Product Development: Product or service conceptualization, product market fit
Marketing and Sales: Brand strategy, marketing & PR planning, social media content creation, sales strategy
Financial Impact: Financial forecasting and projections, KPI development, unit economics, financing strategies, grant applications
-
Technical Fellows provide build support across the Impact Studio — you'll support venture development through providing technical expertise, own build/ship/UI-UX/tech-stack decisions, and stay in an async feedback loop with Strategy Fellows on various projects for founders. Technical Fellows should expect to work 4-6 hours per week.
How Technical Fellows might support founders:
UX Design: User research, feature evaluation, wireframe mapping, UI/UX front-end prototypes
AI-Powered Workflows: Implement AI-augmented processes with low/no-code tools to help founders manage back-end operations
Web and App Development: Create user-friendly websites and mobile app prototypes and pilots to test
Data Analysis and Improvement: Continuously test and evaluate prototypes through capturing and analyzing data from user interviews and focus groups