JMU Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship

Freedom, Reflection, and Progress.

Today is Juneteenth, a day to honor resilience, celebrate liberation, and recognize the ongoing journey toward equality while uplifting diverse voices, ideas, and communities for future generations.

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The 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort had the opportunity to learn from James Madison University alumnus and serial entrepreneur Shy Pahlevani ('07), who shared his experiences from building companies such as HUNGRY, LiveSafe, and HonestPet.

Students gained valuable insights on attracting investors, offering products for free to gain early traction, starting small before scaling, building trust with customers, and creating mission-driven businesses. Throughout the session, students asked thoughtful questions, and Shy generously shared advice drawn from his entrepreneurial journey.

Thank you, Shy, for investing in our students and supporting the next generation of JMU entrepreneurs! 🚀

The 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort recently visited Pure Shenandoah, where co-founder Abner Johnson provided a tour of his business. The students gained insight into the many aspects of running a business, including retail, marketing, production, and product development. One key takeaway for our founders: know your product inside and out. A deep understanding of what you sell can help build trust, strengthen your brand, and better serve your customers.

Meet the Founders at Demo Day! ✨
June 26, 2026 | 4:00PM – 7:30PM | Hartman Hall | Room 2021

Come support the 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort as they showcase and pitch the businesses they’ve been building this summer. 💡

Featuring:
• Adara Fox — JoeHustle
• Tremain Fergerson — Solace Studios
• Logan McIntire — Battletown Beef Co.
• Esther Villa Mateo — LaRoze
• Melanie Wightman — MEL'S RIBBON
• Will Acgtblu — Yefyra
• Will Hart — MacroMate
• Brendan Laferty — Laferty Digital
• Jt Kouame Yao — UnitED
• Alex Rankin — THYRSUS

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RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/2026DemoDay

The 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort welcomed Noelle Allen ('00), founder of PhillyWine, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, and embracing the unexpected. She shared lessons on trademarks, the importance of having the right legal representation, and the reminder that success is rarely a straight path. Noelle encouraged our founders to learn from the messy moments just as much as the wins.

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Demo Day Is Coming Up Fast! 🚨
June 26, 2026 | 4:00 - 7:30PM | Hartman Hall | Room 2021

The 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort is getting ready to showcase the businesses they’ve been building all summer long! Come and meet the founders, walk through their startup tables, explore their businesses, and hear their pitches.

Powered by CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union

RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/2026DemoDay

Last Tuesday, the 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort visited Local Print House and met with founder Chris Ashley ('17). Chris gave students a behind-the-scenes look into the business. He gave a quick shop tour and explained the process of making t-shirts. He also shared insights on outreach, building strong customer relationships, pricing, naming a business, and the differences between digital printing and screen printing.

Earlier this week, social media influencer Jaeda Skye ('24), founder of Jaeda Skye Media, zoomed in with our 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort to share valuable insights on content creation, online brand awareness, and how founders can grow their businesses through social media. A valuable insight from the discussion: “Don’t make yourself too available [for brand partnerships].” 📱✨

As part of last week’s speaker sessions, the 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort had the opportunity to hear from Brett Danielson ('18), founder of BarTrack and member of the 2018 DVA cohort! 🚀

After sharing the story behind his company and entrepreneurial journey, students asked several questions covering different aspects of entrepreneurship, from marketing tactics, persistent networking, growth, and decision making. One of the key takeaways from his talk was the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you.

Last week, our 2026 Dukes Venture Accelerator cohort had the opportunity to hear from Kevin Tucker ('93), founder of SOLitude Lake Management.

Along with sharing insights from his entrepreneurial journey, students had the chance to ask questions about navigating tough decisions, balancing responsibilities as a founder, and knowing when and how to hire the right people.

Thank you, Kevin, for your time and for sharing your experience with our founders as they continue building their ventures! 💬💡