Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative

The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative provides funding, mentorship, and office space to teams of students within all university disciplines. This accelerator gives student entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop their innovative ideas and launch viable businesses. As an integral program of ASU's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, students in the Edson Initiative have access to seasoned entrepreneurs, industry mentors, and other Catalyst startup programs that enable them to advance their enterprises. The Edson Initiative has undergone several significant upgrades within the past year. Expressly, Gordon McConnell, ASU Assistant Vice President for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Venture Acceleration, has set a new vision for the accelerator by leveraging an expanded pool of industry-expert mentors and “pracademic” startup training resources. This reboot, coined “Edson 2.0,” has been designed to directly impact the Edson companies’ ability to successfully execute their business models, deliver valuable products or services, and most importantly, create local jobs. Tracy Lea, a Venture Manager within the ASU Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, has been charged with leading the new Edson Initiative