Start-ups and Entrepreneurship in Los Angeles

Key Information
Eligibility
About

Key Information

Information

Application Deadline: 07/02/22 at 9:00 am

Ref: 10006425

Dates

Departure Date: 09/04/22

Return Date: 14/04/22

Costs

£900: the estimated cost for flights, accommodation and transfers (excluding DMU Global funding). Students will also be required to pay for: in-country travel, visits, food and drink, visa/ESTA

Funding

DMU Global Bursary: £400

Booking

Accommodation: Accommodation will be booked by DMU as part of the trip, with students staying in shared rooms in a hotel/hostel

Travel: Flights will be booked by DMU

Contact

General Enquiries: dmuglobal@dmu.ac.uk

Trip Lead: simon.baines@dmu.ac.uk

Eligibility

All DMU students are eligible to participate on this opportunity. Students wishing to apply will need to have an idea for a business which they intend to launch.  Students who are accepted on to the trip will also be required participate in a short series of mandatory start-up business workshops and the trip will form part of the business launch process.

 

There are a maximum of 25 places available, with a minimum of 10 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.

About

Trip description

The purpose of this trip to Los Angeles is to inspire DMU students to take their business ideas forward and execute them with our support.  By hearing first hand from students elsewhere, as well as founders and businesses, this will be achieved. This trip will be organised and delivered by DMUworks Enterprise staff.

As part of this trip there is the plan to visit at least two educational establishments such as Loyola Marymount University and Graziado Business School which is located in Malibu, California.

In addition, the group will visit the Viterbi Start-up Garage at the University of Southern California which is unique incubator for early-stage technology start-ups. Located in the heart of Silicon Beach in Marina Del Rey students will gain an insight into the support for start-ups with a focus on Deep Technology, Machine Learning and AI-Enabled companies. Students will participate in a lunch and learn session and met with early-stage technology startups and participate in a pitching session with them.

There will also be a visit Le Kretz Innovation Campus,  renowned centre for sustainability, where students will tour the Cleantech Incubator, visiting the prototyping facilities and meet entrepreneurs in the Collaborative work and office space. If possible, there will also be a visit to Ernst Everything, a brand design agency who work for clients including Nike to hear about their work how the company’s brand was formed, and engage in a Q&A session with the directors.

Whilst in Los Angeles, students will participate in workshops delivered by DMU’s enterprise team around the subject of entrepreneurial skills and start-ups.

The above detail is for guidance and is subject to change.

Learning objectives

Participating in a DMU Global opportunity can help you develop a range of employability skills and competencies that enhance your studies. The objectives of this entrepreneurship trip to Los Angeles are as follows:

  • Students will learn how being part of a local eco-system will benefit their start-up business activities
  • Students will develop employability skills, around areas such as networking and planning
  • Students will hear first hand how some of the world’s leading universities for entrepreneurship work with their students and will be able to form their own ideas to bring back to DMU.

As mentioned above, all students will be required to participate in a short series of workshops before and after the trip. This trip is specifically for those students who have a business idea but haven’t yet launched it. The workshops will give them the skills and know-how on how to launch the idea, which we will work with them to do in a workshop following the trip itself.


Cultural activities

Los Angeles has an almost endless list of cultural opportunities, many of which are free of charge and others which are once in a lifetime opportunities. Students can choose to hike the Hollywood Hills to see the Hollywood sign, or visit the Warner Bros studios.

Alternatively, there will be free time in the itinerary for students to take a stroll along the iconic Malibu Beach or to visit Santa Monica and its famous pier. Many iconic television shows are filmed in Los Angeles, with free tickets available via online sources in advance, and students are recommended to decide prior to travel if interested. Also, as part of the trip, students may also get a chance to see The Weeknd in the flesh!

Please note that all cultural visits and activities are subject to COVID-19 regulations in Los Angeles.

COVID-19 information

  • Travel to USA is permitted according to the travel rules for England as listed on UK Government website.
  • Students are required to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine prior to travel due to the US entry requirements. Only full vaccinated travellers are permitted entry without quarantine.
  • Accurate and up-to-date information about the entry and testing requirements for USA can be found on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website. Before boarding a flight to the USA, most passengers – regardless of vaccination status – are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 1 day before travel. In addition, travellers returning to the UK need to take a lateral flow or PCR test within 2 days arriving back in England. Further Information can be found on the UK Government website.
  • For fully vaccinated travellers, the estimated costs for the required COVID-19 tests are £100-120. Students are required to arrange and pay for these tests independently.
  • All students that are offered a place on this DMU Global opportunity will receive further COVID-19 advice and guidance by email and in pre-departure briefing sessions. More details and COVID-19 Travel Information can be found here.

Please note the details outlined above are for information only. Whilst we endeavour to conduct all specified activities as stated for this DMU Global experience, it may not be possible to execute some or all parts of this as envisaged, as they may be beyond the reasonable control of DMU. At the discretion of the Trip Leader and DMU, activities may be rescheduled, adapted or cancelled as appropriate with the health and safety of our students and staff paramount. Where this case may arise, the Trip Lead will communicate with you.