Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School Announces Partnership With Creative Destruction Lab
Nine-month mentorship program aims to accelerate early-stage energy and space technology startups.
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School is proud to announce the launch of Creative Destruction Lab-Texas through a partnership with Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a global nonprofit organization founded at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto that provides a world-class mentorship program aimed at scaling early-stage science and technology-based companies.
Joining the global CDL network, CDL-Texas will feature a specialized Energy Stream, focusing on driving scientific discovery and innovation in the energy sector. It will leverage the strengths of the Texas A&M University community and its expertise in energy, engineering and research to foster groundbreaking advancements in sustainable energy solutions.
“We are thrilled to welcome Creative Destruction Lab to Aggieland,” said Nate Y. Sharp, dean of Mays Business School. “CDL-Texas is a gamechanger for Mays Business School, for Texas A&M University and for the state of Texas. This program will take innovation, entrepreneurship and experiential learning to a whole new level for every current or former student who engages with the incredible opportunities CDL-Texas is bringing to our school.”
Beginning this fall, the nine-month mentorship program will connect founders of early-stage startups focusing on energy and space technologies with Texas A&M University students, who will play a role in helping the innovative ventures succeed and scale.
The launch of CDL-Texas marks a milestone in CDL’s mission to support founders with the potential to build transformative companies. “We’re thrilled to expand our CDL network to Texas with Texas A&M, a hub of energy innovation,” says Sonia Sennik, CEO of Creative Destruction Lab. “The addition of CDL-Texas builds on CDL’s ability to offer unparalleled opportunities for founders to collaborate with world-class entrepreneurs, investors and scientists, developing the next generation of energy technologies.”
The addition of this second Energy Stream builds on the success of the CDL-Rockies’ Energy stream. Operating from the epicenter of the Canadian energy industry at the University of Calgary, the CDL-Rockies Energy stream began in 2018 and focuses on transformative solutions that will support the evolution toward a net-zero future. Graduates from this stream include ventures such as Eavor Technologies, Antora Energy, Summit Nanotech, DISA and Ayrton Energy. “We are excited to see how each stream’s unique focus — driven by regionally rooted expertise — will contribute to a sustainable and resilient energy future,” says Heather Marshall, site lead, CDL-Rockies.
Applications for the inaugural CDL-Texas Energy Stream cohort will open in April 2025, with the program set to begin in September 2025. Founders interested in applying can visit the CDL website for more information.
CDL-Texas will also be joining the Space Stream, a global network from Toronto, Paris, and Atlanta focused on supporting founders pursuing commercial space opportunities.
