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About

MISSION

Franklin CREATE! is an experiential learning and culture-building initiative that empowers arts and sciences students with entrepreneurial confidence—an essential attribute for launching startups or excelling in any career. Franklin CREATE! provide knowledge, skills, and experiences that enable graduates to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities and launch real startups through problem-based learning and discipline-embedded curricular and extracurricular experiences. Franklin CREATE! enhances Franklin faculty’s pedagogical training and professional development to grow students’ entrepreneurial mindset, while increasing access to alumni and industry expertise. 

Franklin CREATE! builds new and wider paths for more students to benefit from the resources of the UGA Entrepreneurship Program’s and the UGA Innovation District, serving as a model for discipline-embedded entrepreneurial activity across the university. Leading to new startups and engagement and support from alumni, friends, incubators, and VCs, Franklin CREATE! empowers students and faculty in the arts and sciences to accelerate Franklin’s startup potential.

LEADERSHIP

Paula Lemons, Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Academic Innovation, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and Franklin CREATE!

Paula Lemons

Lemons leads Franklin’s Office of Academic Innovation; the home of Franklin CREATE! and its long-term vision and strategy. Dr. Lemons and her team guide the program's development, foster key partnerships, and champion innovation in entrepreneurial education. In this role, Dr. Lemons ensures continued excellence and national relevance of the Franklin CREATE! program participants in the arts and sciences, while strengthening collaboration with UGA’s Entrepreneurship Program and Innovation District.

Anna Stenport, Senior Advisor

Anna Stenport

As Dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Anna Stenport serves as a senior advisor to Franklin CREATE!, contributing strategic vision and support for growing the program’s donor relations and industry partnerships.

 

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

This faculty position is currently open, with a search ongoing for a start in early 2026.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

PROGRAM MANAGER

Image of Dr. Laura Williams

Dr. Laura Williams holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Biology from Illinois Wesleyan University. After completing her postdoctoral training, she joined the Department of Biology at Providence College as an assistant professor, where she earned tenure and advanced to associate professor. Laura comes to UGA from Georgia Tech, where she served as Director of Undergraduate Research and led campus-wide initiatives that helped students engage in research as a transformative learning experience. Laura will be officially joining the team on January 29, 2026. 

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Image of Debbie Tonks

Debbie Tonks is a Double Dawg at UGA holding a M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Development from the Mary Frances Early College of Education and a B.S. in Computer Science. Debbie recently retired from the University after a 30-year career that spanned roles in IT support, classroom design and finally the IT Associate Director at Franklin College. Debbie is excited to be back at Franklin College working with Franklin CREATE! and can be reached at dtonks@uga.edu. 

 

ALUMNI RELATIONS, EXTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD, AND DEVELOPMENT LIAISON 

Interested in learning more about how you can support our student startups and become involved as a mentor, coach, or member of the external advisory board? Click on the link below or contact Meredith Metcalf, Senior Director of Development at mmetcalf@uga.edu

Franklin CREATE! Supporter

FACULTY AMBASSADORS AND COACHES

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences faculty serve as ambassadors and coaches for Franklin CREATE!, supporting curricular innovation and designing new courses, providing instruction to students, leading study away, and guiding program development from their disciplinary perspectives. The first group of faculty ambassadors started in January 2026, representing all five divisions of the college (Fine and Performing Arts, Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Biological Sciences; and Physical and Mathematical Sciences).

Our eight Franklin CREATE! Summer 2026 Launch Ambassadors are: 

  • Toyin Alli - Department of Mathematics
  • Marguerite Brickman - Department of Plant Biology
  • Lindsey Harding - Department of English
  • Brandon Quarles - Hugh Hodgson School of Music
  • Lakshmish Ramaswamy - School of Computing
  • Danielle Riebe - Department of Anthropology
  • Ash Eliza Smith - Lamar Dodd School of Art
  • Katie Springthorpe - Department of Plant Biology

OUR PROGRAM: LEARN…MAKE…LAUNCH

Students in Franklin CREATE! will have access to a three-component experiential learning model: LEARN, MAKE, and LAUNCH (Summer Startup Academy). This model provides hands-on experiential learning, mentorship, access to critical resources, and funds to launch a company. 

LEARN:

Students enrolled in LEARN courses gain knowledge of problem-based customer discovery, early-stage startup processes, and the methodology of evidence-based entrepreneurial thinking within the context of their Franklin educational pathways, from the fine and performing arts to humanities, life sciences, social and behavioral sciences, computing, and the physical and mathematical sciences. Leveraging their formal academic journey as a zero-risk opportunity, students can test their startup ideas to identify customer interest and market viability using evidence-based entrepreneurship principles to prospect product to market fit.

Components of the LEARN phase also include additional experiential learning opportunities during the academic year, such as treks, study away, engagement with startup mentors, and support to participate in competitions and pitches. The first LEARN class is expected to start in fall of 2026 and will run annually every fall semester. 

LEARN courses are expected to count as electives for the UGA Entrepreneurship Certificate. Startups launched or further developed through LEARN will be invited to participate in the campus-wide Student Startup Showcase held in early fall semester.

 

MAKE:

The MAKE program consists of research and prototyping through applied, active learning opportunities that enable students to overcome technology or product design barriers that might lie in the way of them identifying customer fit and launching a successful startup. It provides students with support, mentorship, and curricular credit as they create intellectual property, design hands-on solutions, and build prototypes toward their venture idea. The first MAKE class is expected to start in spring of 2027 and will run annually every spring semester. Capstone courses, internships, and applied research projects are open to consideration for completion of the MAKE component. 

MAKE courses are expected to count as electives for the UGA Entrepreneurship Certificate. Startups launched or further developed through MAKE will be invited to participate in the campus-wide Student Startup Showcase held in early fall semester. 

LAUNCH:

The Franklin CREATE! Summer Startup Academy (LAUNCH) is an accelerated, intensive, full-time, hands-on and transformational experience for student-led teams who want to take their projects from idea stage (or beyond) into operational and viable startups. Upon completion of the Franklin CREATE! Summer Startup Academy (mid-May through mid-June), teams will join the UGA Entrepreneurship Program's Summer Launch Program (June 23-August 4, 2026) to complete their 12-week training. 

LAUNCH provides teams with seed funding (up to $7,500 per team) and other in-kind services, with the expectation that all teams will incorporate as part of the program. Startups selected for the Summer Startup Academy will have a connection to a Franklin area of study and must have at least one Franklin student-founder per team, while additional founders can include other Franklin students, UGA students enrolled in other colleges, students from another institution, and/or recent UGA graduates. 

Summer Startup Academy (LAUNCH) provides training in early stage problem-based entrepreneurial inquiry and customer discovery, while providing access to legal and accounting assistance, coaching, space, marketing consulting, mentorship, and guidance on IP protection. No previous entrepreneurship experience is required; student founders from first-year to final year PhD are encouraged to apply. 

STUDENT STARTUP SHOWCASE

The campus-wide Student Startup Showcase celebrates UGA student startups to potential investors, partners, alumni, media, and the broader community. It will be held in early fall 2026.

Student Startup Showcase

STAY CONNECTED

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UPCOMING EVENTS 

Summer Startup Academy (LAUNCH) in Collaboration with UGA's ENTR Summer Launch Program: May to July 2026

  • Student applications available online: Apply Now for Summer Launch!
  • Virtual Information Sessions: 5 PM on Monday February 9 and 16; March 16 and 23. Click Here to Register
  • PRIORITY DEADLINE: February 20, 2026
  • Student applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Meet Your Co-Founder: Student-to-student networking. 5-6:30 PM on Tuesday February 10 and 17; March 17 and 24. Click Here to Register 

Mentor applications available online: February 2026

Panels, mentors, and alumni events: Starting in spring 2026

External Advisory Board: Starting in summer 2026. 

Student Startup Showcase - Campuswide Celebration: Early fall 2026

LEARN courses: Starting in fall 2026

MAKE courses: Starting in spring 2027