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Entrepreneurship at ASU: A Permanent Revolution Valuing Entrepreneurship As a New American University, Arizona State University is guided by eight design aspirations that influence its growth and transformation. Among these guiding principles is a deep commitment to valuing entrepreneurship in all forms. ASU is known for its unique and effective approach to growing an entrepreneurial enterprise within a public university system. Here entrepreneurship is not confined to a single college or school, nor is it housed in one center or institute. Valuing entrepreneurship means that it is more than just a class or a program; it is a mindset that is woven into the fabric of the university, permeating every activity. ASU students, faculty and staff in every discipline and at every level work to identify local and global needs, articulate how to meet them and implement entrepreneurial solutions. Since President Michael Crow began creating the New American University more than 10 years ago, entrepreneurship and innovation have been at the forefront of the transformation of ASU, from expanding entrepreneurial thought and education across all colleges and programs of study to creating student-led Changemaker Central locations to drive impactful social innovation. As ASU grows and strengthens its entrepreneurial focus, its entrepreneurship classes, programs and initiatives continue to evolve and expand. One thing that remains constant, however, is the university s unwavering commitment to valuing entrepreneurship. Indeed, entrepreneurship at ASU is truly a permanent revolution. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group launched in October 2010 as ASU Venture Catalyst, a unit created as a joint initiative between the Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development and Arizona Technology Enterprises. Originally created to accelerate high-potential startup companies, Venture Catalyst grew to encompass not just startup acceleration but a broad range of entrepreneurship-related activities across the university, the Phoenix metro area and the state. In light of its broadened mission, the unit was renamed the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group in July 2013. The group is based at ASU SkySong in Scottsdale and supports students, faculty and staff as well as alumni and community members in their entrepreneurial endeavors. The group serves as a central point of entry for the ASU community to explore entrepreneurship and innovation and learn about the wide range of entrepreneurship-related classes, programs and resources available throughout the university and within the state s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The group also helps entrepreneurs launch their for-profit, nonprofit and more-than-profit ventures through programs such as the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative and the Furnace Technology Transfer Accelerator, which provide funding, incubation space and mentorship to high-potential startups. ASU helps grow the university s entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing opportunities for students, faculty and staff with an interest in entrepreneurship to come together and share ideas and resources. In addition, ASU works to build Arizona s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leading community-wide initiatives that bring together the state s entrepreneurs, problem-solvers and innovators and provide resources and support to help them move their ideas forward. ASU inspires action. We harness knowledge for innovation and create purposeful ventures. We are entrepreneurial as individuals and as an institution.
10,000 Solutions Alexandria Co-working Network Innovation Challenge GROW AN IDEA Obesity Solutions Funding Challenge Pave Program in Arts Entrepreneurship ASU offers a range of programs designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs take the first step toward developing their ideas. From student programs such as 10,000 Solutions and Innovation Challenge to community-wide initiatives such as the Alexandria Co-working Network, these programs provide resources and support for early-stage entrepreneurs as their ideas begin to take shape. 4
10,000 solutions The 10,000 Solutions Project collects and showcases innovative ideas to solve local and global challenges, leveraging the power of collaborative wisdom to create a solutions bank. The project aims to see what can be accomplished when passionate people join a community that works together to build upon each other s innovative ideas and create change. Alexandria co-working Network + For faculty, staff, alumni and community Being an entrepreneur, inventor or problem-solver is often a lonely task. The Alexandria Co-working Network brings people together in collaboration spaces in public libraries across Arizona, creating a statewide network of places for people to connect, collaborate and find valuable resources. The collaboration spaces, which are free and open to the public during normal library hours, provide access to coworking space as well as resources that people can use to move their ideas forward, including: Experienced mentors from ASU s mentor network Pracademic (taught by practitioners) classes from ASU s Rapid Startup School Physical and digital assets from the libraries Obesity Solutions Funding Challenge, faculty, staff and alumni Based on a comprehensive partnership between Mayo Clinic and ASU, Obesity Solutions is a global effort to develop innovative, scalable obesity solutions that work for real people in the real world. The challenge provides teams from all disciplines with the opportunity to design and develop their ideas and make a difference in the health of their communities. Winners receive up to $10,000 in seed funding as well as support from ASU s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group. Pave Program in Arts Entrepreneurship The Pave Program in Arts Entrepreneurship paves the way to the future of the arts by investing in student innovation and creativity, supporting arts entrepreneurship education and undertaking entrepreneurial activities and research. The program focuses on educating students, artists and educators about how the principles of entrepreneurship can support the development of creative opportunities for all artists. The program includes arts entrepreneurship classes, investment support for arts-based ventures, public programming, and faculty research and development in arts entrepreneurship. Innovation Challenge Innovation Challenge seeks undergraduate and graduate students from across the university who are dedicated to making a difference in our local and global communities through innovation. Students can win up to $10,000 to make their innovative project, prototype, venture or community partnership ideas happen. Participating in Innovation Challenge prepares students for their professional and academic futures by providing an opportunity for them to practice their skills in teamwork, leadership, project development, business plan creation, public speaking and network creation. 5
In the classroom ASU 101 Classes EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Experiential Learning Certificates Degrees Beyond the classroom Rapid Startup School Internships SBIR/STTR Workshops ASU provides a wealth of opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation in the classroom and beyond, offering nearly 90 entrepreneurship classes, numerous degree and certificate programs, and internship opportunities as well as the highly popular Rapid Startup School. 6
In the classroom ASU 101 All first-year students at ASU are required to enroll in ASU 101: The ASU Experience, a one-credit course designed to introduce students to the mission of ASU as a New American University. The course includes a module on entrepreneurship that emphasizes the importance of an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving. entrepreneurship CLASSEs ASU s nearly 90 undergraduate and graduate classes related to entrepreneurship are offered by academic units across all disciplines. A complete list of entrepreneurship classes is available on the Entrepreneurship and Innovation website at entrepreneurship.asu.edu. entrepreneurship Degrees and Certificates ASU offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs focused on entrepreneurship. These give students the skills and experience necessary to bring an entrepreneurial approach to a variety of careers. A complete list of entrepreneurship degrees and certificates is available on the Entrepreneurship and Innovation website at entrepreneurship.asu.edu. experiential learning College of Technology and Innovation GlobalResolve GlobalResolve is a series of interdisciplinary courses where students and faculty work to develop sustainable technologies and programs in the areas of energy, clean water and local economic development for rural communities in the developing world. Through GlobalResolve, ASU students and faculty collaborate with international universities, residents of rural villages, local governments, financial institutions and nongovernmental organizations to develop and disseminate no-tech, low-tech and high-tech solutions that address pressing public health or environmental needs of a developing-world population. Local Entrepreneurs Assistance Program The Local Entrepreneurs Assistance Program (LEAP) brings CTI and Mesa s Neighborhood Economic Development Organization together to support and build the capacity of minority entrepreneurs who have businesses along the light-rail construction area in Mesa. CTI matches interdisciplinary teams of students and faculty to support these entrepreneurs, gain valuable hands-on experience and help grow the creative economy in their local community. MAKE Classes, Workshops and Camps The MAKE class series is a sequence of three one-credit project-based courses in which teams of ASU students from any major or discipline collaborate to make bold ideas happen. In MAKE classes, students work in teams to develop and implement an idea under the mentoring of community and faculty experts. First-year students through seniors are eligible to enroll. In addition, CTI offers MAKE workshops and camps for high school students. Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab The New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab develops cutting-edge new media innovations and conducts research for client companies. It also provides an immersive experience for student entrepreneurs launching digital products and ventures. Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Engineering Projects in Community Service The Engineering Projects in Community Service Program, known as EPICS Gold at ASU, is an award-winning community service and social entrepreneurship program. Students work in teams with peers to design, build and deploy systems to solve engineering-based problems for charities, schools and other nonprofit organizations. EPICS teams have won national and international competitions, earned funding and started businesses. Collaboratory and iprojects The CTI Collaboratory brings faculty, students and external partners together to solve real problems, build the workforce of the future and develop innovative solutions. Through the Collaboratory, CTI offers consulting services and professional development and training to smallbusiness owners and entrepreneurs. Additionally, Collaboratory partnerships provide any CTI student regardless of year of study an opportunity to work with partner companies and agencies on industrysponsored projects known as iprojects. 7
Beyond the classroom Internships ASU s Sun Devil CareerLink (SDCL) connects entrepreneurially minded students to Valley entrepreneurs who have a need for student talent. Through student internships, part-time employment and full-time career opportunities, SDCL is dedicated to providing valuable career experiences for ASU students while helping meet the needs of local businesses. Based out of ASU Career Services, SDCL is designed to connect students to opportunities in the community while connecting the community to the broad base of talents and skills found among ASU students. Rapid Startup School, faculty, staff, alumni and community Rapid Startup School offers the opportunity for participants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset while learning the fundamentals of launching a new venture. The training is designed to support entrepreneurs, innovators, inventors, problem-solvers and small-business owners at any stage of development. Rapid Startup School maximizes entrepreneurial impact, focusing on building a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing pracademic (taught by practitioners) training that helps entrepreneurs get their ideas into the marketplace. The classes cover all the topics critical to the success of emerging ventures, including customer development, product development, intellectual property and business modeling, among others. SBIR/sttR Workshops, faculty, staff, alumni and community ASU offers several workshops each year for smallbusiness owners planning to apply for federal grants from the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. 8
Entrepreneur Office Hours Facilities FIND RESOURCES Funding Mentoring Legal Services Strategic Research Areas and Initiatives ASU has a rich array of resources designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs move their ideas forward, offering everything from mentoring to legal services to office space. 9
10 Entrepreneur Office Hours, faculty, staff, alumni and community Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members can get help from experienced entrepreneurs and business professionals at Entrepreneur Office Hours. Office hours are conducted by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group s team of mentors and are held at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, and the Changemaker Central locations on each of the four ASU campuses. Facilities ASU has a variety of space where aspiring entrepreneurs can share ideas, find resources and work on their ventures. ASU SkySong, faculty, staff, alumni and community SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, is a 1.2 million-square-foot mixed-use development located on a 42- acre campus in Scottsdale. It is home to a global business community that links technology, research, education and entrepreneurship to position ASU and Greater Phoenix as global leaders in the knowledge economy. SkySong houses several ASU startup accelerators, including the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative and the Furnace Technology Transfer Accelerator. Changemaker Central ASU s Changemaker Central initiative is part of a national effort to harness the energy, idealism and intellect of college students while providing resources and tools to make ideas and dreams reality. It is a student-led initiative that provides places where student visions of a better future can be realized by sharing ideas about service, social entrepreneurship and change in the community. Changemaker Central locations can be found on each of ASU s four campuses. Maker Space, College of Technology and Innovation The College of Technology and Innovation and ASU s Polytechnic campus are designed to host non-traditional learning environments. Beyond the standard classroom, CTI and the campus have a variety of prototyping, ideation and gathering spaces to support budding student entrepreneurs. Startup Labs and Engineering Studios offer state-of-the-art equipment (including a 3-D printer, laser cutter and ShopBot) that students can operate free of charge. Solutions Space provides headquartering spaces for the non-technical aspects of entrepreneurial ventures, and Changemaker Central is a hub for budding social entrepreneurs. Funding, faculty, staff, alumni and community The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group maintains an extensive list of funding opportunities outside the university, including business plan competitions, elevator pitch contests and startup competitions, on the ASU Entrepreneurship and Innovation website at entrepreneurship.asu.edu. legal services, faculty, staff, alumni and community Innovation Advancement Program The Innovation Advancement Program pairs inventors, technology entrepreneurs, tech transfer professionals and
emerging technology companies with some of ASU s brightest students in law, business, engineering and the sciences. Multidisciplinary student teams undertake a wide array of legal and business planning services that help early-stage ventures solidify their legal and business foundations and avoid many of the mistakes and pitfalls often made when moving technology into the marketplace. Lisa Foundation Patent Law Clinic Students in the Lisa Foundation Patent Law Clinic receive hands-on experience in real-world patent prosecution, licensing and litigation and learn skills needed to recognize and obtain valuable and enforceable patents for clients. Students work with independent inventors and startup companies to draft and prosecute patent applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office under the supervision of licensed patent attorneys. Mentoring, faculty, staff, alumni and community ASU has a pool of more than 300 experienced mentors who can assist aspiring entrepreneurs with legal, financial, business, marketing and other needs. strategic research areas and initiatives, faculty, staff, alumni and community ASU scholars conduct use-inspired research to address global challenges, harnessing knowledge to drive innovation that creates new products and technologies, solves problems and improves the lives of people around the world. From the creation of faculty spinout companies to the commercialization of new technologies, ASU research is the foundation for a wide range of entrepreneurial activity that helps bring ASU discoveries out of the lab and into the marketplace. A complete list of ASU s strategic research areas and initiatives is available on the Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development website at research.asu.edu. 11
Furnace Technology Transfer Accelerator Arizona Technology Enterprises GLC Network LAUNCH A VENTURE ASU Startup Accelerator Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative ASU helps entrepreneurs launch and grow their for-profit, nonprofit and more-than-profit ventures through accelerator programs such as the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative and the Furnace Technology Transfer Accelerator, which provide funding, office space, training and mentorship to high-potential startups. 12
Arizona Technology Enterprises + For faculty and staff Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE) is a nonprofit organization that operates as the exclusive intellectual property management and technology transfer organization for ASU and its research enterprise. AzTE brings together ASU s researchers and industry partners to transform discoveries into marketable products and services, taking innovation out of the lab and into the commercial marketplace. ASU Startup Accelerator + For faculty, staff, alumni and community ASU offers services for Arizona-based companies, including faculty spinouts, alumni ventures and non-asu startups, through the ASU Startup Accelerator, a joint venture between the Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development and Arizona Technology Enterprises. Ventures are selected for the ASU Startup Accelerator by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group based on the nature of the business idea and the team behind it. Participating companies are not required to have any affiliation with ASU. Furnace Technology Transfer Accelerator, faculty, staff, alumni and community The Furnace Technology Transfer Accelerator is a startup accelerator designed to launch new companies created from technologies and intellectual property licensed from premier research institutions. It provides seed funding, office space and access to top industry mentors in order to commercialize discoveries made in university research labs. GLC Network The Great Little Companies (GLC) Network supports up to 30 student startups each year that apply for but are not accepted into the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative. Each startup invited to participate in the network receives $3,000 in grant funding as well as direct mentoring through the Changemaker Central locations on each of ASU s four campuses. Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative gives ASU s student entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop their innovative ideas and launch viable startup companies. The initiative offers approximately 20 student-led teams each year up to $20,000 each in seed funding as well as office space, training and mentorship to help launch and grow their for-profit, nonprofit or more-than-profit ventures. 13
Changemaker Central Conferences and Events Education Innovation Network BUILD COMMUNITY Startup Village Student Clubs and Organizations ASU helps grow the university s entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing opportunities for students, faculty and staff with an interest in entrepreneurship to come together and share ideas and resources. In addition, ASU works to build Arizona s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leading communitywide initiatives that bring together the state s entrepreneurs, problem-solvers and innovators and provide resources and support to help them move their ideas forward. 14
Changemaker Central ASU s Changemaker Central initiative is part of a national effort to harness the energy, idealism and intellect of college students while providing resources and tools to make ideas and dreams reality. It is a student-led initiative that provides places where student visions of a better future can be realized by sharing ideas about service, social entrepreneurship and change in the community. Changemaker Central locations can be found on each of ASU s four campuses. ASU was selected as a Changemaker Campus in fall 2010 by Ashoka U, a nonprofit that catalyzes social innovation in higher education through a global network of entrepreneurial students, faculty and community leaders. Conferences and Events, faculty, staff, alumni and community Each year a number of different conferences and events take place across the university in support of entrepreneurship and innovation. These include: Arizona Collegiate Venture Competition Nonprofit Conference on Sustainability Strategies, ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation Pave Biennial Symposium on Entrepreneurship and the Arts, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts Scripps Howard Journalism Entrepreneurship Institute, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Spirit of Enterprise Awards, W. P. Carey School of Business Thing on Thursday, College of Technology and Innovation Education Innovation Network + For faculty, staff, alumni and community ASU s Education Innovation Network is an open innovation platform where entrepreneurs can find the resources to validate concepts, accelerate growth and reach transformative scale to improve the learning outcomes among students in Arizona, across the nation and around the world. EIN s annual Education Innovation Summit brings together the world s most visionary, passionate and energetic players in the innovation space. Startup Village Startup Village is a residential community based at the Polytechnic campus that is open to ASU students of all majors who wish to live and work in a unique environment that promotes their startups success. Startup Village meets the needs of student entrepreneurs by providing living arrangements that promote collaboration, ideation and around-the-clock access to the human capital of fellow student entrepreneurs. Student Clubs and Organizations ASU is home to many student-led organizations dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation. A complete list of entrepreneurship clubs and organizations is available on the Entrepreneurship and Innovation website at entrepreneurship.asu.edu. 15
A Permanent Revolution Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group ASU SkySong 1475 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 200 Scottsdale, AZ 85257 entrepreneurship.asu.edu