America250, the nonpartisan organization charged by Congress with leading the national celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, today named 10 new members to the Investor Council for America’s Startup, its national collegiate startup competition.

America’s Startup is one of America250’s signature tentpole programs, built to recognize the ideas that will shape America’s next 250 years. No other national initiative brings student innovators together across campuses and regions at this scale. The spring 2026 pilot drew applications from almost 200 colleges and universities across 42 states.

Undergraduate students (or the equivalent) at accredited U.S. colleges, universities, and trade schools have until 7:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, October 8, 2026, to submit a written proposal and short pitch video. Teams are competing for a share of a $1 million total prize pool, including up to $50,000 in non-dilutive grant funding per team, national mentorship, and a live Pitch Weekend in Washington, D.C., in mid-December.

“The ideas that will shape America’s next 250 years are taking shape right now in dorm rooms, campus labs and university quads. The depth of experience from this year’s Investor Council offers student founders unparalleled access to entrepreneurs and business executives who know what it takes to build something that lasts. To every student with an idea: don’t wait, apply today. Applications close Thursday,” said Rosie Rios, Chair of America250.

“Many of the best founders I’ve worked with started out young, underestimated and determined to build anyway. America’s Startup goes looking for those founders on every kind of campus, not just in a handful of zip codes, and connects them with people who can help them move faster. I’m glad to be part of it,” said Sameer Gandhi, Partner at Accel.

A Growing Investor Council

The five new members join a council that already includes venture capitalist Tim Draper, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar, and Liquid 2 Ventures co-founder Joe Montana. Investor Council members are leaders who have backed emerging technologies, products, and services that shape the American economy.

Council members will review the competition’s top 100 proposals and help select the 30 semifinalist teams who advance to the finale in Washington, D.C. At their own discretion, members may offer equity investment, long-term mentorship, or educational opportunities to any of the teams they review. Members will also help amplify America’s Startup through their own channels and are invited to attend the December finale.

“I’ve spent my career building the infrastructure behind what comes next, from silicon photonics to AI compute. The next wave of American innovation won’t come only from established companies. It will come from students who see a hard problem and refuse to leave it unsolved. America’s Startup gets those founders in front of investors early, when guidance and capital make the biggest difference,” said Alexis Bjorlin, Chief Strategy Officer at General Catalyst.

New America’s Startup Investor Council Members

Sameer Gandhi, Partner, Accel. Sameer joined Accel in 2008 and focuses on AI, enterprise IT, and consumer companies. He is responsible for Accel’s investments in Anthropic, Brivo, CrowdStrike (CRWD), Diapers.com (acquired by Amazon), Dropbox (DBX), Dropcam (acquired by Google), Flipkart (acquired by Walmart), Freshworks (FRSH), Jet (acquired by Walmart), Mind Robotics, New Relic, Perplexity, Plex (acquired by Rockwell Automation), Public, Sonatype (acquired by Vista), Spotify (SPOT), Venmo (acquired by Braintree/PayPal), and Wonder.

Alexis Bjorlin, Chief Strategy Officer, General Catalyst. Alexis has over 25 years of leadership experience across optics, semiconductors, networking, HPC, and AI infrastructure, including senior roles at Nvidia, Meta, Intel and Broadcom. With General Catalyst, she leads transformation companies in advancing large-scale AI systems and building the economic infrastructure to support the next era of AI-powered innovation.

Cathie Wood, CEO & Chief Investment Officer, ARK Invest. With more than 40 years of investment management experience, Cathie founded ARK Investment Management in 2014, establishing a firm focused exclusively on disruptive innovation. She leads its investment philosophy and decisions, drawing on prior leadership roles at AllianceBernstein, Tupelo Capital Management, and Jennison Associates.

Bill Reichert, General Partner, Pegasus Tech Ventures. Bill invests in deep technologies including AI, quantum computing, advanced chips, materials science, and medical technology. A venture capital investor for 20 years, he co-founded Garage Technology Ventures and now serves as Chief Evangelist for Startup World Cup. He is co-author of Getting to Wow! Silicon Valley Pitch Secrets for Entrepreneurs.

Michelle Bernier, Chief of Staff, Liberty Ventures. Michelle builds values-aligned capital and operating ecosystems at the intersection of entrepreneurship, freedom, and human flourishing. Her experience spans nonprofit leadership across Latin America, startup mentoring, and venture capital, and she is a founding-team leader at Liberty Ventures and Principled Business.

Rob Biederman, Managing Partner, Asymmetric Capital Partners. Before founding Asymmetric, Rob was co-CEO of Catalant Technologies, where he now serves as Chairman. A former private equity investor at Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital, he is an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School and co-author of Reimagining Work. Rob holds an A.B. in Economics and Finance from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Sarah Unger Biggs, Partner & Chief Operating Officer, Asymmetric Capital Partners. Sarah brings extensive experience in fundraising, investor relations, and fund development from leadership roles at Long Wharf Capital, Bain Capital, and Goldman Sachs. She holds an A.B. in English from Princeton University and lives in Boston.

Robert S. Katz, CEO & Executive Director, World Innovation Network (WIN). Robert S. Katz transforms space into Earth’s ultimate high-ground for security and sustainability. Having pioneered “space-for-earth” breakthroughs, including wireless email, global tracking, and the Star Wars program, he spearheads freedom-focused innovation acceleration. Robert boosts beyond merely Connecting-the-Dots… to Connecting-the-Thoughts. With this he ensures, for all interests, skills, majors, and backgrounds, “There’s a Place, In Space, For Every Face.”

Chase Prather, Venture Capital Senior Associate, ARK Invest. Chase is a venture capital professional and entrepreneur-focused investor who has supported startups with fundraising and go-to-market strategy. He recently joined the prestigious Kauffman Fellows Program.

Christine Tsai, CEO & Founding Partner, 500 Global. Christine has grown 500 Global since 2010 to $2 billion in assets under management, more than 3,000 portfolio companies, and a founder community across 80+ countries. She previously held product marketing and operating roles at Google and YouTube. Christine holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

What Student Founders Can Win

  • Top 100 Entries: Shared with the Investor Council for review and optional equity investment, plus an invitation to apply to NVIDIA’s Inception program for startups.

  • 30 Semifinalist Teams: Invited to the America’s Startup Finale weekend in Washington, D.C., featuring a live pitch competition, peer-to-peer networking, and welcome and closing receptions. The weekend will be filmed for a documentary.

  • 10 Finalist Teams: Each receives $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding, optional equity investment, and an invitation to a Draper University Residency, along with other educational opportunities.

  • 3 Grand Prize Winners: Each earns an additional $25,000 grant, for a total of $50,000 in non-dilutive funding.

Key Competition Timeline

  • Application Deadline (Thursday, October 8, 2026): Submissions close at 7:59 p.m. EDT.

  • National Review (October – November 2026): Entries are scored on innovation, feasibility, market potential, and team strength. The Investor Council reviews the top 100 and helps select 30 semifinalists.

  • America’s Startup Finale in Washington, D.C. (Early-December 2026): 30 semifinalist teams pitch live before leading investors and business executives.

To review eligibility and the Official Contest Rules, or to apply before Thursday’s deadline, visit America250.org/Americas-Startup/apply/.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest began at 12:01 a.m. ET on 8/17/26 and ends at 7:59 p.m. ET on 10/8/26. Open to legal residents of the U.S. 13+, who are current undergraduate students at an accredited university, college or trade school in the U.S. Semi-finalists must travel in early-mid December 2026. See Official Rules at america250.org/americas-startup/contest-rules/ for full details. Void where prohibited.

About America250

America250 is the non-partisan national organization charged by Congress to plan the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026 with the backing of all three branches of the federal government and its independent agencies. America250 is working to provide the most inspiring celebration this great nation has ever seen, both with the moments and the movement that will resonate through 2026 and beyond. America250 plans on engaging all 350 million Americans (“350 for 250”) through its values-based programming and extensive network of partners, sponsors and stakeholders. To learn more, visit America250.org.

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