MatchNOLA is TEA’s new project that seeks to connect Tulane students with local business professionals seeking assistance in their entrepreneurial ventures. This page will allow both entrepreneurs and students to find each other in order to meet their respective professional needs.
MatchNOLA offers both students and entrepreneurs the opportunity to find each other and fulfill a professional need. In doing so, students are able to find the work experience they need while in school in order to further develop their business skills. On the other hand, entrepreneurs can locate qualified academic candidates who will assist them in their business endeavors. By providing this platform, we hope to increase Tulane students’ exposure to entrepreneurial ventures, as well as their involvement in the efforts to rebuild New Orleans. The overarching goal is to enhance the students’ academic experience by providing situations in which they can apply the skill set developed at Tulane. In doing so, we STRONGLY encourage participating students to enter the ventures on which they work in the Tulane Business Plan Competition.
Download MatchNOLA Requirements II Download MatchNOLA student application II Download MatchNOLA entrepreneur application
The Process
TEA will use the page titled “MatchNOLA” on its website to make available the applications for students and entrepreneurs. Before applying, Tulane students will form 3-4 person teams consisting of various skill sets. There will be a two-week application process to screen and select student teams interested in working on entrepreneurial projects throughout the city. After all applications are submitted, judges will use a specific set of criteria to choose the most qualified teams (see judging criteria for more information). Once the teams have been formed, we will have a two-week application process for local entrepreneurs seeking assistance from student teams. TEA judges will then choose the most qualified ventures for this program and release a public announcement stating the teams chosen to participate. Once we have determined which student teams and entrepreneurial ventures will be participating, TEA will match them based on the skill sets of students and the needs and of the entrepreneurs.
Contracts
Once the application process is complete, MatchNOLA administrators will meet with the newly matched teams and entrepreneurs in order to review guidelines for the program and outline expectations. In doing so, we will insist both parties sign a scope of work and a contract that explicitly states the expectations of both the student teams and the entrepreneurs as MatchNOLA participants. Contracts are not intended to “trap” students or entrepreneurs in an agreement for long periods of time. Rather, they will be used to ensure both parties respect each other’s time and follow through with their obligations. If a member of the agreement fails to meet the terms of the contract, he/she will not be allowed to participate in the MatchNOLA program in the future. The terms of the contracts will loosely define the expectations of each party in the professional relationship. It will be up to the individual parties to further define any areas of the partnership.
Selection Criteria
Student teams and entrepreneurial ventures will be chosen to participate based on specific criteria. Each of the following areas will be judged using a 1-7 point scale (7 being the highest). The scores for each section will summed and the teams with the highest scores will be selected to participate.
Student Team Criteria
1) Diversity of Skill Set
2) Professional Experience
3) The ability to spend at least 50-60 hours on the project.
4) A commitment to the client and the completion of the project
Entrepreneurial Venture Criteria
1) Effectiveness of management team
2) Current financial needs of company
3) Overall need for student team support
4) Alignment of Stakeholders’ Interest and Principles of Conscious Capitalism
5) Scalability of Venture
6) Viability of Venture
Business Plan Competition & TEA Workshops
Participants in the MatchNOLA program are strongly encouraged to participate in the Business Plan Competition and our workshop series throughout the year. It is our goal to increase the number of plans submitted from Tulane students and the local community. We believe that striving to reach this goal will help us meet our overall objectives of increasing TEA’s visibility within the local community and enhancing the educational experience of our students.
Application Process
Student teams must complete the application above and email it to Liz Hardin at ehardin@tulane.edu.
Entrepreneurial ventures can apply to the program by completing the application above and emailing it to Liz Hardin at ehardin@tulane.edu
Both students and entrepreneurs should download the requirements above.