Bench Top Innovations at the University of Richmond

Bench Top Innovations is a year-long student-managed course where 16 students collaborate, ideate, iterate, and commercialize a consumer packaged food or beverage product concept. Yes, students create and run a revenue-generating business! In the first semester, students work (and compete) in teams to ideate and develop innovative yet practical food or beverage product concepts for commercialization. The first semester ends with a public demo day where the UR and RVA startup community samples your products and watches you pitch Shark Tank style. A food and beverage expert panel selects which has the most commercial viability. During the second semester, students work as one unit (all 16 company "employees"), launching and scaling your business. Throughout, your instructors, advisors, and guest speakers will supplement your experience with content applicable to the issues being faced by your company. Students make all decisions — which product to launch, which students will hold what roles, what experiments to invest in, and what pivots need to be made. We promise you the opportunity to learn. Hopefully, you will learn about yourself, dealing with co-workers, managing through uncertainty, and overcoming adversity.