BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — [April 2, 2025] — Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a global nonprofit organization founded at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is proud to announce the launch of CDL-Texas, its newest location based at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School. This expansion will feature a specialized Energy Stream, focusing on driving scientific discovery and innovation in the energy sector.
CDL-Texas joins the global CDL network, providing founders with access to a world-class mentorship program aimed at scaling early-stage science and technology-based companies. CDL-Texas’ Energy Stream will leverage the unique strengths of the Texas A&M University community, renowned for its expertise in energy, engineering, and research, to foster groundbreaking advancements in sustainable energy solutions.
“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 launch of CDL-Texas marks a significant milestone in CDL’s mission to support founders with the potential to build transformative companies. “We are thrilled to welcome Creative Destruction Lab to Aggieland,” says 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.”
The addition of this second Energy Stream builds on the success of the CDL-Rockies’ Energy stream. Operating from the epicentre 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 our 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.
About Creative Destruction Lab
Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies. Its nine-month program allows founders to learn from experienced entrepreneurs, increasing their likelihood of success. Founded by Professor Ajay Agrawal in 2012 at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, the program has expanded and now has 12 sites across six countries: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax, Paris, Madison, Seattle, Estonia, Berlin, Melbourne, and College Station. Learn more at creativedestructionlab.com.
About Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a community of scholars dedicated to solving diverse, real-world problems through determination and innovation. Texas A&M opened its doors in 1876 as the state’s first public institution of higher education and is today a tier-one research institution holding the elite triple land-, sea- and space-grant designations. Research conducted at Texas A&M represented annual expenditures of more than $1 billion in fiscal year 2022. Texas A&M’s more than 79,000 students and over half a million former students are known for their commitment to service, as well as dedication to the university’s Core Values and rich traditions.
About Mays Business School
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School is building a better future through business. By providing leadership-centered, experiential education to more than 7,400 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and supply chain management, Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools nationally for its programs and faculty research. Our mission is to develop leaders of character who make a positive difference in the communities where they live, work, and serve. Learn more at mays.tamu.edu.
Press Contact:
Rachel Collins
Director
Creative Destruction Lab
rachel@creativedestructionlab.com
Rebecca Cord
Assistant Director of Communications
Mays Business School
rcord@mays.tamu.edu
