New “Impact + Mastery Accelerator Fund” to Empower Student Leaders With Bold Ideas
JPCatholic’s new initiative will award up to $25,000 in funding each year to student teams who successfully pitch their businesses, films, games, or other projects with cultural impact.
March 4, 2026
ESCONDIDO, Calif. — John Paul the Great Catholic University is pleased to announce the Impact + Mastery Accelerator Fund (IMA Fund), a new initiative designed to empower student-led creative and entrepreneurial projects across all majors.
The IMA Fund represents a strategic evolution in how the University supports student work, expanding the annual Business Pitch Competitions to welcome a wider variety of pitches that includes media projects. By reallocating resources from the Feature Film Program, which will sunset this year, this new initiative will empower students to bring their own creative visions to life. Students of all majors will have the opportunity to pitch ventures that are rooted in innovation, mission, and cultural impact.
“Our founding vision was never simply to teach creative arts and entrepreneurship, but to cultivate an ecosystem of dynamic companies, studios, and storytellers who could change culture for Christ. The IMA Fund allows us to invest directly in the next generation of leaders with bold ideas, who will carry that vision forward while developing projects they are deeply passionate about,” said President Derry Connolly.
The IMA Fund allows students to pitch original ideas, including feature films, TV pilots, video games, novels, startups, and other cultural initiatives, competing for real seed funding to bring those ideas to life. Each year, up to $25,000 in total awards will be distributed among winning teams, with individual grants ranging from $1,000 to $15,000.
In addition to financial support, winners will receive two quarters of mentorship post-graduation, access to campus facilities and equipment, and in-kind production and development resources. Projects are evaluated on mission alignment, market potential, financial viability, team credibility, and cultural impact, reflecting JPCatholic’s mission at the intersection of creative excellence and entrepreneurship.
The IMA Fund pitch events, occurring annually starting next August, will be similar to the Business Pitch Competitions, but will operate within the new structure. Student pitches that are not funded will have the opportunity to pitch again in March after receiving feedback and mentorship to improve their plan.
Learn more about how the IMA Fund works here.
Feature Film Experiences Will Continue
While the University will conclude its faculty-led feature film productions with the upcoming release of Pickle for Pickleball, currently in post-production, JPCatholic remains committed to providing professional feature film experiences through partnerships with external collaborators.
In recent years, JPCatholic has placed students and alumni on faculty films such as Prof. Scoggins’ What Remains and Prof. Simon’s Don’t Get Eaten, as well as referred alumni to external projects such as Triumph of the Heart and One Second After. The University will continue to cultivate these types of relationships, so future students can continue to learn within authentic, working production environments.
This month, JPCatholic is partnering with Coronation Media and EWTN Studios to send a dozen students to Pennsylvania for a hands-on experience on the set of The Shepherd, the first narrative feature film inspired by the life of Blessed Stanley Rother, a Catholic priest who was martyred in Guatemala. The trip is also fostering connections with alumni, such as 2nd AD Katerina Gerlach and Haley Rossi, Associate Creative Director at Coronation, who are both working on the film.
Learn more about feature film collaborations here.