Champlain College and Hula Announce Formal Partnership

Champlain College President Alex Hernandez announced a new partnership between Champlain College and Hula at his inauguration ceremony earlier this month. The college and business incubator are committed to working together to support the growth of the entrepreneurial community and be an economic engine of opportunity for Vermont.

The partnership will begin with an “Entrepreneurship Master Class” at Hula, extending the Champlain College classroom footprint onto the Hula campus. The class will host a series of Hula members as speakers and provide opportunities to learn from a variety of entrepreneurs in the start-up community.  Champlain will also embed an “innovation hub project manager” at HULA to facilitate opportunity matching between Hula company needs and Champlain College student talent.

“Champlain College is constantly innovating new ways to deliver a career-focused education and prepare students to be ready for work, ready for life, and ready to make a difference,” said Alex Hernandez, Champlain College President. “We believe in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and giving students transformative hands-on experiences.”

Champlain’s R/evolutionary 2030 Strategic Plan boldly charts a path for expansion into new STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). Building upon its rich history of technology, design, and business, Champlain will expand its academic portfolio, including new programs in health and bio-life sciences. 

Hula, a technology-driven coworking campus, business incubator, and venture capital fund, is focused on elevating Vermont-based start-ups and entrepreneurs. The fund invests in tech sectors with a particular interest in Deeptech, Greentech, Medtech, AI/ML, Electric Propulsion, Saas, and Battery Tech. 

The partnership highlights a shared mission between Champlain and Hula to create economic and entrepreneurial opportunities in Vermont. "Hula is thrilled to be working with Alex and the Champlain College team to help bridge the divide between the classroom and the entrepreneurial community,” said Russ Scully,  Founder of Hula. “Hula was created with exactly this kind of collaboration in mind."

Both institutions are excited about future opportunities to promote deeper collaboration between Champlain’s Lakeside Campus and Hula, such as education programs and upskilling, internships, faculty collaborations, student projects, and shared collaborative space.