NCEA is the national league for student founders.
$100,000 national tournament.
Join the league for a season of coaching, feedback and real building, and pitch your way to the live final in Philadelphia.
Sign up now and start the day we go live.
One League. Democratizing Student Entrepreneurship.
The NCEA is a new national league for college founders — built to give students at any school a real path to a national stage.
- 01 · The core
The League
A national association and season for student founders, with member universities, published rules and standings.
- Open to every eligible student
- Season-long, not one weekend
- Standings for schools
- 02 · Build by doing
The Learning & Founder Experience
Turn curiosity into action with signature moments, mentors, investors and Ben™, your AI co-founder.
- Mentors, VCs & founders
- Year-round events
- Real ventures, not just plans
- 03 · NCEA Founders Cup
The National Tournament
Win your campus, advance through national rounds and compete for $100,000 in total prizes at the Founders Cup championship every March.
- From any school in the country
- Fair, scored judging
- $100,000 in total prizes
- 04 · Learn · build · grow
The Online Platform
One place to learn, build your company, enter competitions and connect with founders in your space.
- Work from any campus
- Track your progress
- Connect your campus to nationals
$100,000
in total prizes
Every applicant
gets a scored feedback report
Philadelphia
live final, March 30–31, 2027
Free
for student founders at member schools
From sign-up to the national final
Sign up now, start the day the league opens, and work your way through the rounds.
Nov 4
League opens
Jan 20
Enter by
Feb 4 – Mar 1
Rounds
Mar 30–31
Philadelphia
Real people stand behind the league
Named people and institutions authenticate the season. AI powers the experience; people are accountable for it.
Mike Carter
Founder · EMG
“Entrepreneurs are the athletes of the 21st century.”
Dan Gallagher
Leader
Runs the league and owns the learning experience.
Mike P
Builder
Builds the competition platform and Ben.ai.
Ben Daugherty
Operator
Works with campuses to get their founders into the field.
Dave Taddei
Designer
Connects the product and the technology.
Jake
Promoter
Works the on-campus and digital promotions.
Your school joins the league. You compete.
When your school joins, every student founder on campus can compete. Not a member yet? Ask your entrepreneurship program to join.
Your campus competition counts
Registration, judging, scoring and live leaderboards run for you — or your school keeps the contest it already runs and the results feed straight into the national rounds.
Founding members go to Philadelphia
Each founding member school sends a founder to the Founders Cup finals in Philadelphia on March 30–31, 2027. Travel is covered.
Your campus competition becomes the first round of a national championship.