TCA: Expect Students to Fail on ABC Family’s ‘Startup U’

Related: Complete Coverage of TCA Summer Press Tour

Beverly Hills, Calif. — School will soon be in session on ABC Family at Startup U.

But the students at Draper University, the subject of Startup U, don’t study your typical curriculum.

“We want each of them to feel what it’s like to fail,” said Tim Draper, founder of Draper University and executive producer of the ABC Family show, at a TCA summer press tour session for Startup U on Wednesday. “We want them to go through something that is really uncomfortable.”

Draper said 400 students have gone through the six-week curriculum, which will be chronicled in Startup U, and out of those about 220 different companies have been started on $22 million in funding.

“I look for entrepreneurs where it comes from the heart and not necessarily the head,” he said of his students.

The venture capitalist was joined on stage by fellow executive producers Tim Duffy and Mike Duffy as well as Draper University program directo Charlie Taibi and Draper University entrepreneur in residence Sequoia Blodgett.

“This is the real deal. This is the actual reality of Silicon Valley at the entry way in,” said executive producer Mike Duffy.

Startup U premieres on Aug. 11 at 10 p.m. ET.

Jessika Walsten

Jessika is an analyst for TVREV and Fabric Media. She previously served in various roles at Broadcasting + Cable, Multichannel News and NextTV, working with the brands since 2013. A graduate of USC Annenberg, Jessika has edited and reported on a variety of subjects in the media and entertainment space, including profiles on industry leaders and breaking news.