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.
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.