About Edson
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The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative harnesses the entrepreneurial energy, excitement and creativity found in ASU’s student body. It provides funding, office space and training for teams of students across the university to explore their innovative ideas for business products and services in partnership with faculty, researchers and successful entrepreneurs from both the academic and private sectors. The program will help students succeed in any enterprise, large or small, for-profit or not-for-profit, domestic or global.
Giving ASU Students the Resources to Launch Their Ideas
and Make Them a Reality
Funding
The endowment provides a total of $200,000 annually in seed funding. Each year, 10 to 15 teams will be granted $5,000 to $20,000 to help subsidize expenses for developing their new venture. Money granted could be used for such things as market research, building a prototype, and legal fees to name a few.
Office Space
Awarded teams will be provided office space at SkySong, located in South Scottsdale, through their award year. The new SkySong facility provides a professional setting for early stage entrepreneurs to develop their ventures and also to interact and learn from peer entrepreneurs, local, and international businesses.
Training and Coaching
Throughout the award year teams participate in a series of workshops with guest speakers that include successful entrepreneurs and professionals with expertise useful to start-up businesses. Team members also take entrepreneurial training courses offered by ASU Technopolis (www.asutechnopolis.org) and/or nonprofit training courses offered by ASU’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management (http://nonprofit.asu.edu). Furthermore, each team is provided ongoing entrepreneurial coaching by Edson staff.
Advisement
In partnership with faculty, researchers and successful entrepreneurs from both the academic and private sectors, the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative connects teams, not only to those within ASU but with the community at large. Part of this includes matching each team with advisors so that they can receive first hand advice from experts with background and knowledge respective to their venture and its developmental needs.
The scale of the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative—$200,000 per year—places ASU in the national forefront of student entrepreneurial support. Additionally, it leverages students’ talents in support of the University’s economic mission by directly contributing to the development of the regional economy.
The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative has been made possible by an investment of $5.4 million from Orin Edson to the Arizona State University Foundation. A lifelong boater, Mr. Edson started a small company out of his garage that he eventually built up into Bayliner Marine Corp., the world’s largest manufacturer of pleasure and luxury boats. Mr. Edson sold his interest in Bayliner to Brunswick Corporation in 1986.
The objectives of the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative are:
- To generate interest in building new ventures and entrepreneurship as a career path among ASU students.
- To give ASU students the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and perspective.
- To link ASU student entrepreneurs with successful private sector entrepreneurs.
- To increase the number of new companies and products brought to market by ASU students.
- To generate new ventures that provide economic, social and/or financial returns.
