C-Suite Executive Track (CEO / COO / CTO / CPO)

🚀 C-Suite Executive Track (CEO / COO / CTO / CPO)

Venture Formation | xFoundry@UMD Xperience Competition

📍 College Park, MD | Hybrid

🎓 Eligibility: University System of Maryland (USM) students or alumni only

🧠 Executive-Track | Equity-Linked | Venture-Backed Potential

About the Role

We are forming the founding executive leadership team for a venture being built through the xFoundry@UMD Xperience Competition Track—a year-long, institutional venture-creation pathway designed to take high-impact ideas from concept to funded startup.

This opportunity is structured as an executive-formation role, intended for individuals with C-suite trajectory who want early, real responsibility: setting direction, making strategic decisions, leading multidisciplinary teams, and preparing a venture for post-competition investment and scale.

This is not an internship.

This is not a classroom simulation.

This is a real executive build environment.

Executive Tracks (Final titles set by fit and performance)

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) — Vision, strategy, capital narrative, stakeholder leadership
• Chief Operating Officer (COO) — Execution systems, milestones, delivery discipline
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO) — Technical architecture, feasibility, engineering leadership
• Chief Product Officer (CPO) — Product strategy, user insight, validation, iteration

Executives operate collectively as the venture’s founding leadership table.

Core Responsibilities

• Define venture vision, strategy, and execution roadmap
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams (engineering, product, research, design, ops)
• Make executive-level decisions under ambiguity and time pressure
• Engage directly with mentors, judges, advisors, and institutional stakeholders
• Build investor-grade materials: pitch decks, demos, financial and impact narratives
• Represent the venture in formal reviews, demos, and final competition pitches

Who This Is For

This role is designed for individuals who:

• Think in systems, not tasks
• Are comfortable leading peers and owning outcomes
• Want early exposure to executive-level accountability
• Intend to found, scale, or lead high-impact organizations

Backgrounds may include (but are not limited to):

• Engineering, Computer Science, Data / AI
• Product, UX, Design, or Research Leadership
• Business, Finance, Economics, or Operations
• Public Policy, Health, Education, Safety, Infrastructure

Prior startup experience is helpful, but judgment, clarity, and execution matter more than résumés.

Eligibility (Required)

Applicants must be:

• A current student at a University System of Maryland institution or
• A USM alumnus/alumna (within or beyond two years of graduation)

(UMD, UMBC, Towson, Bowie State, Coppin State, Frostburg State, Salisbury, etc.)

What This Leads To

• Executive-level venture experience with institutional backing
• Eligibility for $250K–$2M in post-competition investment
• Potential continuation as a funded startup executive (salary equity)
• High-signal leadership experience for founders, investors, and future boards

Time Commitment

Part-time during the academic year, scaling with competition milestones. Expectations are explicit, performance-based, and aligned with academic schedules.

How to Express Interest

Send a brief message including:

• The executive role you are targeting
• Your leadership or decision-making experience
• Why you want executive responsibility at this stage

• We are assembling the executive table now.

More information: https://www.xfoundry.umd.edu/programs/xperience/competition-track