Red and white crossword puzzle background and man with beard, Entrepreneurship at Cornell Celebration Ezra words across bottom

The Statler Hotel, Ithaca NY

April 10 – 11, 2025

About

Celebration Ezra, named in honor of Cornell’s entrepreneurial founder, is a two day entrepreneurship conference held every spring to bring together students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community participants. Highlights this year will include fireside chats with featured speakers, eLab Demo Day, Student Business of the Year recognition, the BenDaniel Venture Challenge, and the recognition of the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Sponsors

Autodesk logo
Big Red in shadow letters with a bear in the center wearing sunglasses, black and white version of image
Cooley
Pfizer
Student Agencies Foundation
Wayfair
WilmerHale
Adobe
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
JPMorganChase in black letters
Armory Square Ventures logo
Bay Club in white letters inside a black circle
Center for Technology Licensing at Cornell University
Blackstone Charitable Foundation
Cornell Entrepreneur Network logo
Cornell Silicon Valley logo
Upstate Venture Connect

Agenda

*denotes session will be livestreamed

April 9 – Wednesday

6:00 – 8:30 PM

Celebration Ezra Kick-off – Networking@Rev: Campus to Community Connections

Grab a drink and some delicious local eats as you relax and mingle with familiar faces, student startups, and some of the biggest companies in the local startup scene. Please register for this event separately.

Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, 314 East State Street (Parking available at Seneca Street Garage, 215 North Tioga Street)
[Free & Open to the Public]

April 10 – Thursday

2:00 – 4:00PM

Entrepreneurship at Cornell Advisory Council Meeting

Advisory Council Members and Invited Guests ONLY

Taylor Room, The Statler Hotel

4:30 – 6:30 PM

eLab Demo Day

Discover Cornell’s leading student startups at eLab Demo Day. In this special presentation, startups from eLab, Cornell’s student accelerator program, showcase their businesses.

Statler Ballroom, The Statler Hotel

6:30 – 8:00 PM

Networking Reception

Ballroom Foyer, The Statler Hotel
[Free & Open to the Public]

April 11 – Friday 

All events taking place in the Statler Carrier Grand Ballroom, The Statler Hotel

8:30 – 10:00 AM

BenDaniel Venture Challenge and Breakfast

The BenDaniel Venture Challenge (BVC) is Big Red Venture’s annual pitch competition that gives five companies the chance to pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors. Companies based in New York or with a Cornell affiliation are eligible to apply for their chance to win a $25K cash prize and an additional $25K in matching funds if the company’s technology is licensed through Cornell.

10:15 – 11:00 AM

Kirsten Barker ’92, Program Director, Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell

11:00 – 11:45 AM*

Bringing Back Manufacturing to the U.S. Through Hardtech Entrepreneurship

Hosted by the Center for Regional Economic Advancement

12:00 – 1:30 PM

Entrepreneurship Awards Lunch

BenDaniel Venture Challenge
Student Business of the Year
Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year, honor conferred by Michael Kotlikoff, Interim President, Cornell University

Lunch sponsored by Acquisition Group

1:45 – 2:30 PM*

John Bicket ’02, Co-founder and CTO, Samsara

Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2025

Fireside chat moderated by Zach Shulman ’87, JD ’90, Director, Entrepreneurship at Cornell

2:30 – 3:15 PM*

CTL Panel

3:15 – 4:30 PM

Reception

Sponsored by President’s Council of Cornell Women (PCCW)

Ballroom Foyer, The Statler Hotel

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Entrepreneurship at Cornell?

EaC is a diverse, university-wide program that finds and fosters the entrepreneurial spirit in participants from every college, every field, and in every stage of life.

Why did the name of the conference change to Celebration Ezra?

To honor Cornell University’s first entrepreneur, Ezra Cornell, we decided to change the name of our spring conference to “Celebration Ezra”.  Check out a list of other high profile Cornell entrepreneurs here.  You may be surprised to find that Ezra created Western Union!

What is Student Business of the Year?

The Student Business of the Year (SBOY) is awarded to the student and/or team that is committed to developing and operating a successful business while pursuing an education. The award is determined by a selection committee and other criteria.

What is EaC Advisory Council?

The EaC Advisory Council is made up of alumni and other business leaders who are interested in fostering the growth of entrepreneurship at Cornell. Membership offers great networking and mentorship opportunities while learning about new initiatives and getting frequent updates on our program and the Cornell entrepreneurship ecosystem.

How can I stay up to date on all entrepreneurial things at Cornell?

Join our listserv! There are multiple events and news items that come out each week to keep you “in the know” of everything entrepreneurial at Cornell. Scroll to the bottom of this page to find the listserv form in the footer.

“CELEBRATION EZRA IS FOR ANYONE WHO IS AN ENTREPRENEUR AT HEART,
BRINGING YOU TWO DAYS OF IDEAS, INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION”

– Zach Shulman ’87 JD ’90, Director – Entrepreneurship at Cornell

Featured Speakers and Moderators