Gener8tor giving 10 college graduates 5 weeks and $3,000 to build a business

Milwaukee-based startup accelerator gener8tor will hire 10 recent college graduates who will get $3,000 and five weeks to build a new product or service.

Gener8tor is accepting applications for its new “5th Year” program through July 21. The virtual program runs from July 27 to Aug. 28. It is open to all but is intended for recent college graduates looking to start their careers.

The 10 people selected for the 5th Year program will be called Venture Residents and receive a $3,000 stipend to focus on creating a product or service during the program. Gener8tor wants applicants who can work 40 hours a week through the program.

“Given the unprecedented uncertainty and change these graduates have entered into, we want to give them an opportunity to explore entrepreneurship as a career path and use their talents to help build the world they want to live in for the rest of their lives,” Ben Stanley, managing director of gener8tor Milwaukee, said in a news release.

The Venture Residents will own their intellectual property produced during the program. After the 5th Year program, participants will be able to apply for gener8tor’s 16-week accelerator that comes with a $100,000 investment from gener8tor.

The 5th Year residency is one of the new programs gener8tor has launched in response to the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted the economy. It started an emergency response program for small business that hundreds of Wisconsin companies have used to navigate the pandemic.

RICK WOOD / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Gener8tor provides a creative environment to help clients accelerate their growth. While in the gener8tor class, the high-tech startup founders also can spend time playing ping pong, air hockey, basketball and with light-up Sphero balls.