Trinity and the Culinary Institute of America Launch Joint Entrepreneurial Bootcamp

What happens when students steeped in critical thinking meet students schooled in culinary innovation … and there's a deadline? Twenty-six students are about to find out in a one-week entrepreneurial bootcamp that blends creativity, business strategy, and real-world product development, ending with a final competition and public tasting of a top-secret product at the Pearl Farmers Market.

Trinity University and the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will bring together students from both institutions for an immersive, hands-on experience from January 5 to 11, 2026. Over the course of the week, students will learn how to turn ideas into real ventures through teamwork, iteration, and storytelling.

Ten Trinity students and 16 CIA students will work in mixed teams to learn how to promote a product by creating a story that engages audiences and positions the product in the marketplace. Combining Trinity's strengths in the arts, sciences, and business with the CIA's expertise in culinary and hospitality fields, the program offers both classroom learning and hands-on experience.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Trinity and CIA students to work together and learn from each other about what it takes to be an entrepreneur," said Vanessa Beasley, president of Trinity University. "We have the Pearl and Silver Ventures to thank for providing a world-class location that brings us all together."

To support the process, participants will gain access to successful entrepreneurs and mentors, who will lead workshops, provide feedback, and help students connect classroom insights to industry practice. Guest speakers and panelists from both institutions and the San Antonio community will offer guidance on how products are launched, communicated, and sustained.

The bootcamp is designed to push students beyond their usual academic settings. By collaborating with peers from a different educational and professional culture, students will broaden how they approach marketing challenges, teamwork, and creative problem-solving.

The bootcamp will take place on both campuses. The CIA's San Antonio location at the Pearl is only minutes from Trinity, allowing students to move easily between both campuses. The proximity of the Pearl and Trinity also highlights San Antonio as a place where institutions and industries can partner quickly and productively, reinforcing the city's appeal as a destination for collaborative education and innovation.

At the end of the week, the public is encouraged to attend as students get a taste of customer interaction and sales strategy by selling their products at the Pearl Farmers Market. The program culminates in a grand finale on Sunday, January 11, 2026, beginning at 10 a.m., where the community is invited to sample students' creations and vote on who should be named the winner of the competition.

The opportunity for Trinity students to create and market a product in real time with collaborators is consistent with the University's emphasis on "hands-on" experiential learning, Beasley said.

"At Trinity, we teach students how to think critically, creatively, and across multiple contexts. This bootcamp adds a valuable new dimension: How do you learn to think like an entrepreneur? These are lessons that will support Trinity and CIA students' success long after they graduate."