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Detailed file relating to entrepreneurship at asu an innovation ecosystem.
Progress Report, August 2009
Entrepreneurship
at ASU
An Innovation Ecosystem
Arizona State University is creating an innovation
ecosystem infused with an entrepreneurial spirit. As a New
American University, our vision is to create solutions for the
global challenges before us: access to education, better quality
of life, sustainability. Because this requires radical innovation
at the individual and the institutional level, ASU is committed
to supporting entrepreneurs and being a university as
entrepreneur. We are building a movement of people
and organizations who can be entrepreneurial in applying
innovations to global challenges, improving life for us all.
Join us.
InnovationSpace is a course that brings together ASU
students from business, engineering, industrial design
and visual communication design to create sustainable,
socially responsible, useful and economically feasible
products for large and small clients.
When a team of ASU InnovationSpace students interviewed female firefighters, they discovered that most of the equipment
and clothing firefighters wear is too big for women and smaller-sized men. In response, they developed Aeroflex, a lightweight,
streamlined, ergonomic backpack-oxygen system designed to be fully adjustable to fit male and female firefighters of all sizes.
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Some of the most exciting
developments have taken
the form of solving simple
problems.
GlobalResolve engages ASU students in projects
that directly improve the lives of people throughout
the world.
The only fuel sources available in the village of Domeabra, Ghana are wood, charcoal or dung—all of which cause serious health
problems for the villagers. ASU’s GlobalResolve is working to alleviate this problem by developing an alternative gel fuel that is
cleaner to burn and will also help stimulate the area’s economy. The village will soon produce and sell the gel fuel themselves,
creating a sustainable income in the years to come.
ASU creates knowledge,
products and relationships
that benefit people around
the world.
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With support and funding from the Edson Student
Entrepreneur Initiative, Max Yuan developed an energy-
efficient bike motor. Max’s company will soon be up and
running on its own, completing his evolution at ASU
from student to CEO.
Max Yuan and Blake Orr are stand-out examples. Max, an ASU electrical engineering graduate, is president of his own
company, Max Power Motors. Blake, an ASU finance graduate, is forging his own path for success by growing his clean energy
company and creating new jobs. When he graduated from ASU in May 2009, Blake was already the CEO of his own company,
Echo Energies, Inc. Blake reports that his company has created full-time employment for five people and estimates the
company’s target revenue for 2009 at $750,000.
ASU graduates are well-
equipped to contribute to
society and the economy.
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Mohamed Abdalla (“Moe”) is the student business
owner of Skycafe, a specialty coffee shop at ASU
SkySong. A social entrepreneur, Moe uses his share
of Skycafe’s proceeds for another venture he’s
organized—“Business for Doctors” in Tanzania, which
brings medical care to orphanages.
Creating an
innovation
ecosystem
Arizona State University boasts 122 entrepreneurship-
related courses, more than $120 million in investments
in ASU Technopolis-mentored companies alone and
102 new ventures created through university programs
since 2003. But these figures only scratch the surface
of ASU’s entrepreneurship efforts.
At Arizona State University, entrepreneurship is not a
single program or suite of programs. It is a way of life.
A culture. An innovation ecosystem. Our landscape
of many structural innovations provides a framework
for entrepreneurship, and our climate increases
connectivity and new relationships.
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100%
ASU colleges and schools
engaged in entrepreneurship:
ASU is flexible, adaptable and able to
respond to the ever-changing needs of
our society. We understand the value of diversity
and the advantage of taking multiple approaches. We
see fruits of our efforts in the positive impact we make
in our community and our energy supply is the best
there is: infinite and renewable, found in the passion
and ideas and creativity of all those who comprise our
university.
At ASU, we are developing an innovation ecosystem,
built to support entrepreneurship at every level.
At ASU’s Center for Health Innovation and Clinical
Trials, Linda Mottle is helping to advance healthcare
by getting the most innovative medical products and
service ideas to market. The center is beginning to
transform the industry with advanced sources for
research, testing and innovation.
We need entrepreneurship now more than ever. To
give our students a chance to follow their dreams, to
continue to improve our economy, to ensure that we
meet the global challenges before us. We need radical
innovation. Entrepreneurship is more than invention,
creativity or self-employment. It’s collaboration. It’s
about the next big thing, where “big” is measured in
terms of positive impact to society.
Entrepreneurship is about taking risks, bringing your
work into the world, owning the end-to-end process,
dealing with ambiguity and change, using your
capital to innovate and getting people excited about
your ideas. Entrepreneurship grows our economy,
improves our lives and changes the way we think.
Entrepreneurial skills give you the freedom and the
support to fill the voids you see in your community—
whether those voids are cultural, technological, social
or economic.
Advancing entrepreneurship in higher
education
Education builds people’s capacity to innovate
because knowledge provides a base for innovation.
Entrepreneurs take innovation and turn it into impact
by creating an enterprise that places innovation in
society. For higher education to be a catalyst for truly
innovative impact, entrepreneurship has to be a
part of it.
Just as there are many different kinds of
universities, there are many different approaches
to an entrepreneurial education. There exists no
comprehensive, one-size-fits-all plan. The advantage
of ASU is that because it is such a large institution,
many experiments in entrepreneurial education are
able to take place within its walls.
Visionary action
Creating the next big thing
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While universities come in many shapes and sizes,
their programs and approaches tend to differ only
marginally. Too many colleges and universities haven’t
changed, even though society and the market they
serve have.
ASU is becoming a New American University by
recognizing the market and societal changes that
continue to transform all of our lives. The increasing
demand for higher education and the diffuse use
of technology are only two of the major challenges
today’s university faces. The New American University
vision represents an evolution in higher education. It is
a university model in which the institution constantly
adapts to the current environment.
At ASU, we transcend boundaries. We are unafraid,
willing to take ambitious risks. We are optimistic,
seeing the world for what it is and what it can be. We
are visionary, committed to a world that needs big
ideas and bold action. And at ASU, we have the critical
mass and the capacity to effect meaningful change in
order to meet today’s global challenges.
ASU has transformed itself with the belief that
entrepreneurship is an important part of how the
world works and integral to changing the world for
the better.
ASU is committed to excellence, access
and impact in everything we do. We measure
ourselves by those we include, not by those we
exclude and by doing so reach a wellspring of
untapped potential in the spirit of our students, faculty
and staff. ASU pursues research that contributes
to the public good. And ASU assumes major
responsibility for the economic, social and cultural
vitality of the community that surrounds it.
Becoming a New American University
$134K
Clinical trial revenues at the ASU Center
for Health Innovation and Clinical Trials:
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Leverage Our Place
ASU embraces its cultural, socioeconomic and
physical setting.
Transform Society
ASU catalyzes social change by being connected
to social needs.
Value Entrepreneurship
ASU uses its knowledge and encourages
innovation.
Conduct Use-Inspired Research
ASU research has purpose and impact.
Enable Student Success
ASU is committed to the success of each
unique student.
Fuse Intellectual Disciplines
ASU creates knowledge by transcending
academic boundaries.
Be Socially Embedded
ASU connects with communities through mutually
beneficial partnerships.
Engage Globally
ASU engages with people and issues locally,
nationally and internationally.
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In order to become a model for a New American
University, ASU has undergone some substantial
changes in the last few years. Like many universities,
we have hired new faculty, brought in new students
and built new programs. But unlike many of our peers,
we have also undertaken a massive reorganization of
our institution. We have torn down the walls between
disciplines and encouraged collaboration among
diverse units. We have altered the trajectory of the
university by reevaluating the role that universities
play in society, in the economy and in education
at all levels. The university itself has become an
entrepreneur, launching new centers, new programs
and new structures to facilitate research, learning and
positive social change.
Creating knowledge comes with the opportunity to
generate value for society. But this generation doesn’t
happen by itself. As a place where knowledge is
born, as well as an institution that stimulates societal
change, the university itself bridges that gap between
idea and impact. This is why ASU has become a
university entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship is everywhere
At ASU, entrepreneurship is everywhere. It’s evident
in the leadership of the university, in the way faculty
use knowledge to inform and inspire action, and in
curricula that teach students how to learn from the
world around them and then make their ideas really
happen.
ASU has changed the way we prepare students for an
entrepreneurial culture and we have changed the way
we as a university contribute to economic growth.
Design aspirations
Eight design aspirations guide ASU’s transformation
as a New American University. ASU urges its
students, faculty, staff and programs to:
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ASU’s School of Theatre and Film alum Jonathan
Beller puts the spotlight on creative risk-taking and
finds new ways to promote and support the innovative
work of local, national and international artists. The
Phoenix Fringe Festival, which Jonathan helped
to create, showcases innovative, experimental and
provocative theatre.
University as
entrepreneur
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While we usually think of individuals as entrepreneurs,
institutions can be entrepreneurs too. In fact, we may
need more institutions to be entrepreneurs in order to
affect greater societal change.
Laying the landscape
Institutions can change policies and direct resources
in big ways, in ways that then make it easier for
everybody else to innovate and be entrepreneurial.
Structural innovation at ASU has meant establishing a
new campus in downtown Phoenix, building a new hub
for innovation at ASU SkySong and creating 31 new
ASU schools.
Supporting a climate of communication
New conversations have come from new structures.
Faculty from different disciplines are now part of the
same school. Students with different backgrounds are
part of the same learning community. Organizations
big and small are engaging with the university. With
these relationships, ASU is creating a climate of new
conversations.
Continuing to adapt
ASU is helping the Valley to continue to thrive.
Growth in our unique urban desert means there’s a
lot of research to be done in sustainability, but it also
means there’s a huge opportunity to create whole new
industries in renewable energy, in energy efficient
building systems and more.
Drawing on diversity
Experimentation is important to innovation. Diversity
is important to evolution. In ASU’s ecosystem of
innovation, a portfolio approach allows us to try a
variety of things. We’re integrating entrepreneurship
into business and engineering, but also into nursing,
arts and journalism.
Exchanging energy
ASU has a landscape conducive to innovation, a
climate that supports all kinds of connections, a spirit
that is optimistic, flexible and ambitious, thriving on
change and opportunity. With these components in
our ecosystem, we not only are diverse, we encourage
it. There’s a lot of energy here and a lot of energy
exchange, all creating a rich, continually evolving
innovation ecosystem.
An entrepreneur is a person who sees things
differently than others, one who recognizes
opportunity and mobilizes resources to meet that
opportunity, one who builds institutions and connects
ideas, one who creates value. Is it possible
to create entrepreneurs? At ASU, the
answer is yes. We can and we do. But since every
entrepreneur is different, our success lies in the way
we create entrepreneurs.
The entrepreneurial education begins in the
environment that supports it—the innovation
ecosystem. And just as an ecosystem thrives on
its ability to adapt, so must a university be flexible,
adaptable and highly responsive to the world around
it. Within that framework, an entrepreneurial university
should also support individuals as they respond and
adapt to the world around them.
A university should support creative thinking,
innovation and enterprise creation above all else and
on every possible level, as these are the lasting and
vital energy sources in an innovation ecosystem.
By making the university into an entrepreneur itself
and thereby empowering every level of the university
community to be entrepreneurial, we have modeled
behavior for other higher education institutions and
become a place that empowers individuals to be
entrepreneurial.
As a university of 69,000 students, this kind of
transformation cannot happen in simply a few
discreet units. It has to cut across the university in its
entirety—all academic units, all communities within
the university, all campuses, all strata of learners and
teachers must be reached. Toward this goal, ASU
has undertaken the creation of this ecosystem of
innovation: an environment in which change—real,
radical, exciting—happens throughout the institution.
Our strategy has five critical components:
• Structural innovations created throughout the
university at multiple levels of operation
• Increased connectivity between ASU and its
community
• Recognizing and supporting new industries
that arise from societal need
• A portfolio approach built on experimentation
and hands-on experience
• Micro-strategies inspired by a problem-based
focus
ASU is educating entrepreneurs
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Structural innovation
ASU is creating a landscape conducive to finding
innovative solutions to evolving problems. We have
developed new structures at the very highest and at
the very smallest levels of the university’s organization.
These new institutional structures have no precedent.
They are not departments, or research parks, or
colleges or campuses. Instead, they are university-
wide, solution-focused enterprises.
For example, ASU SkySong has been the flagship
venture for catalyzing entrepreneurial activity across
the many disciplines of the university and throughout
corporate structures in the region.
With its combination of resources from ASU, one of
the largest research universities in the U.S., and the
presence of multinational corporations and individual
innovators, SkySong is Arizona’s global portal to the
knowledge economy. It sits at the junction between
local and global interests, and facilitates collaboration
between the business community, the academic
community and the greater community. It creates
working relationships, builds a greater ASU network,
integrates academia with commerce and develops
an interactive relationship among mentors, suppliers,
startup technology companies, subject experts, legal
advisors and investors. ASU SkySong is the
focal point for entrepreneurship.
• ASU Technopolis provides training and mentoring
to entrepreneurs, while also creating linkages with
university research units and larger companies in
ASU SkySong’s network.
• Many of ASU’s student ventures are incubated at
ASU SkySong and supported by programs such
as the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative, the
Entrepreneur Advantage Project and the Sun Devil
Entrepreneurship Network.
• Education for linking product development and
serving societal need is provided by
InnovationSpace.
• Legal expertise is available to ASU students
through a number of firms working with the
Technology Venture Services Group.
• Commercialization of intellectual property is
performed by Arizona Technology Enterprises.
• Venture capital is accessible through the Arizona
Angels and a number of investment firms.
Laying the landscape
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1.2M
Square feet of mixed-used space
at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale
Innovation Center, at full build-out:
ASU has also created other major innovative
structures such as the Global Institute of Sustainability
(GIOS). GIOS is an academic structure that exists
outside of all departments, colleges and traditional
administrative categories. It’s an umbrella structure
that unites disparate subject areas under a set of
common priorities and questions. Through a variety
of programs and centers, as well as the country’s
first School of Sustainability, GIOS serves to address
the many sustainability challenges faced by urban
environments around the world.
University Public Schools, Inc. (UPSI) is another
umbrella-like structure that unites many of the
education initiatives throughout our university and
within our community. A 501(c)3 organization, UPSI
launched its first public charter school in fall 2008
and the second in fall 2009. Through partnerships
between the university and school districts, UPSI
offers pre-kindergarten through 12th grade learning
that scales innovative practices through teacher
training, professional development, curriculum
exchange, data sharing and other mechanisms. This
unique arrangement will better prepare students
to compete in the global entrepreneurial
environment.
Many new centers and programs at ASU have
also enabled us to develop a landscape for
entrepreneurship education.
• Nursing: Center for Health Innovation and Clinical
Trials
• Arts: Performing Arts Venture Experience (p.a.v.e.)
• Journalism: Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship
• Law: Technology Venture Services Group
• Engineering: Entrepreneurial Programs Office
• Business: Spirit of Enterprise Center
Smaller, but equally important landscape designs
in our innovation ecosystem are grants, courses
and certificates we have created as a way to make
entrepreneurship a meaningful part of the work in
which all of our faculty and students engage.
Faculty-level innovation is encouraged through
Pathways to Entrepreneurship Grants (PEG). The PEG
is open to faculty and staff from any discipline and
aims to expand the entrepreneurship network at ASU.
One faculty group created the ASU Four Directions
Program, an educational curriculum focused on
sustainable entrepreneurship and venture development
for Native American students, staff, faculty and
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community members. Teams develop business plans
for tribal-based ventures emphasizing sustainability
and learn how to seek support from other Arizona
institutions. Other faculty have created new courses
in fair trade and entrepreneurship, in engineering
across borders and in more business-linked computer
programming.
Last year, more than 10,000 freshmen enrolled
in ASU 101, which introduced students to ASU
as a New American University. This course helps
raise awareness of ASU’s entrepreneurial culture
by connecting students to available resources
in entrepreneurship and innovation early in their
academic careers.
My Life Venture, a new course in entrepreneurship,
is open to ASU students of any major and is a
component of the recently created Certificate in
Knowledge Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This new
certificate is designed to teach entrepreneurship and
innovation to students of all disciplines.
These are radical departures from
traditional university structures. And they
are exciting. They have set the tone for a full-scale,
cultural transformation of the university, and they have
given the green light to administrators, staff, faculty
and students at all levels to innovate within their
respective areas. With more than 31 new colleges and
schools created in the last seven years, there is a lot
of room for innovation to occur.
From new innovation arenas, to university-wide
institutes, to new centers and programs, to new
courses, there are many levels of variegated
innovation structures at ASU. And what do all of
these new structures have in common? They all
provide individuals with the extensive and diverse
opportunities they need in order to create innovation,
to learn about entrepreneurship and to become
entrepreneurs themselves.
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Companies using ASU SkySong as a base
to expand their regional or global market:
Increased connectivity
A critical element of ASU’s strategy in building our
innovation ecosystem has been diversifying the types
of relationships we create, participate in and support.
By creating a climate of new conversations and unique
relationships, ASU is fostering economic stimulus
that does not come from simply getting more small
startups into the offices of venture capitalists. At
ASU, we know that economic stimulus comes
from increasing connectivity between many
different corners of the corporate, academic and
nonprofit worlds.
This climate of communication allows ASU to prepare
more student entrepreneurs more effectively, puts
ASU in the position to facilitate the transformation of
small businesses into larger businesses, and gives
ASU the opportunity to support and initiate entirely
new industries.
Individual entrepreneurs find financial and strategic
support at ASU through the Edson Student
Entrepreneur Initiative, ASU SkySong’s global
business incubators, and ASU Technopolis, among
other programs. The ASU students, faculty and
community members who are starting, running and
growing businesses are engaging venture capitalists,
entrepreneurs, CEOs, angel investors, service
providers and international business managers
throughout the university and surrounding community.
• The Arizona Technology Investor Forum works at
the local level to provide companies and investors
opportunities to invest in cutting-edge research.
• The Arizona Angel Investor Network, facilitated by
ASU Technopolis, connects local investors
with local entrepreneurs for the purpose of
supporting early-stage technology.
• Operating at the national level is the ASU
Technology Forum which engages investors across
the country with early-stage technologies from ASU
and its partners.
A climate of communication
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• The annual Invest Southwest Capital Conference
is organized by ASU Technopolis and draws
investors from all over the country to discover what
southwestern startups have to offer.
• Internationally, ASU has developed relationships
to help companies globalize. Through our
connections with Tec de Monterrey and TechBA
Arizona, ASU is creating a pipeline for talent and
innovation to the U.S. from Mexico by creating bi-
national innovation pathways.
• ASU recently assisted Rolls-Royce in
commercializing their technology by hosting a
business plan competition at ASU SkySong. This
competition helped Rolls-Royce connect with local
entrepreneurs and gave students a significant
opportunity to take their work to a targeted market
and receive mentorship from a major international
company. A team of four ASU alumni won the
competition with a signature-verification device for
daycare centers called SignHear.
While these examples address increased
connectivity between for-profit entities, ASU has
also initiated relationships and partnerships with
nonprofit organizations. ASU’s nonprofit education
entrepreneurship efforts include the University Public
Schools Initiative and a partnership with Teach For
America. In University Public Schools, ASU faculty
are introducing new curricula, particularly in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics. With
Teach for America, ASU is helping to increase the
capacity of school districts by preparing more highly
qualified teachers.
ASU’s dynamic and multifaceted global engagement
efforts have resulted in an extensive global
network of universities, innovators and
businesses. This network helps ASU-related
businesses and organizations advance their work
in places like Ireland, China, Singapore, Australia,
Mexico, Turkey, Brazil, the United Kingdom and more.
ASU is opening transnational lines of communication
and connecting entrepreneurial efforts around the
globe in new ways.
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ASU student entrepreneurship
ventures and projects funded
over the last five years:
Recognize and support new industries
ASU recognizes sustainability as one of the most
important challenges facing society today. But the
subject area doesn’t just represent issues to study or
problems to tackle conceptually. It also represents
a whole host of opportunities for creating real impact.
Knowledge about sustainability is pushing forward
new technologies, new policies that change the
economic climate, new business paradigms and new
materials. Sustainability is a new industry growing
at an exponential rate and is an incredibly fertile area
for entrepreneurship. ASU is taking advantage of
that potential through activities between the Global
Institute of Sustainability and ASU’s entrepreneurship
programs.
The ASU Global Institute of Sustainability offers
learning opportunities through the country’s first
School of Sustainability and pushes forward new
research through a variety of initiatives. Among
these is an array of different approaches to
producing renewable energy sources.
The real ramifications of these entrepreneurial efforts
will come from the enrichment of Arizona’s innovation
capital and the strength and diversity of its economy in
the decades ahead.
ASU researchers Milt Sommerfeld and Qiang Hu
work toward better adapting to our environment by
investigating more efficient uses of natural
resources at the Laboratory for Algae Research and
Biotechnology (LARB). Their biofuel project uses
algae to produce kerosene-based jet fuel in
collaboration with Boeing. Algal oil is surprisingly
similar to vegetable oils, but algae produce a
significantly higher oil yield, making it a potential
fuel source. Efforts have already moved to the
demonstration and production stage and a team of
ASU students has created a company to help
advance production.
By learning to respond and adapt to our unique urban-
desert setting, a new industry built upon sustainability
is growing in the Valley. And its momentum is
increasing, as evidenced by the 5,000 people in
attendance at the Green Summit. The summit, a one-
day sustainability event focusing on “green” business,
was the entrepreneurial brainchild of Chris Samila, an
ASU political science major.
Our ability to adapt
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Linking knowledge to action means figuring
out how to address the policy, ethics and intricacies
that go along with a new technology. The Desert
Biofuels initiative is led by two former Intel employees
who started a nonprofit organization that advocates
for biofuels in the region as a way to simultaneously
reduce pollution and stimulate the economy. The
team came to the ASU Technopolis Launch Prep
entrepreneurship course, refined their business model
and brought together a group of experts focused
on algae-based biofuel. With the help of the City
of Phoenix, their venture is now planning to build a
biofuels plant prototype. The biofuel created at the
plant will potentially be used to run Phoenix fire trucks.
ASU Technopolis continues to act as a consultant to
the project.
ASU is also pursuing solar power as an energy source.
The Photovoltaic Testing Lab at ASU has initiated
a partnership with TÜV Rheinland Group to more
effectively conduct photovoltaic testing for companies
around the world. The result of the partnership is TÜV
Rheinland PTL, the only lab in the U. S. accredited
for photovoltaic design qualification and now one of
the world’s most comprehensive and sophisticated
facilities for the testing and certification of solar
energy equipment. Simultaneously, ASU students
have started a number of companies, including Desert
Solar, Energy Derived, and Solar Ionix, to help get
solar power to market more efficiently. These efforts
are part of ASU’s larger Light Works approach to
producing renewable energy.
As we continue to explore more efficient and less
damaging means for natural resource use, the new
sustainability industry in Phoenix will only continue
to evolve and grow. These are just some of the many
ways ASU is responding to the changing needs of our
society.
$580K
Funding for 21 projects through ASU
Pathways to Entrepreneurship Grants:
A portfolio approach
Another critical component for ASU in creating an
ecosystem of innovation is a portfolio approach.
Diversity is important to evolution, and experimentation
is important to innovation. So we are trying a number
of different programs, structures, communications and
incentives in order to increase our potential of success.
We can do this because we are a large university, with
a wide range of disciplines and students. We know that
true innovation is constant, and the occasional failure
is inevitable. We are not afraid to fail, and to
learn, as we change and grow as an institution.
An excellent example of how ASU utilizes diverse
entrepreneurial approaches is the ASU College
of Nursing and Health Innovation, which recently
launched its Center for Health Innovation and Clinical
Trials. With the pressing need and the broad market
for health technology and innovation in mind, the
college has designed experiential programs and
curricula built from clinical partnerships in the local
community and real-world application. Masters and
graduate certificate nursing students are encouraged
to undertake capstone projects that focus on
entrepreneurial innovation in the clinical research
enterprise. In health, ASU has created a database of
health information called QUERY, an enterprise made
up of partners from all around the state. The center
has also built a new biomedical partnership between
the University of Arizona and ASU that provides
medical training for doctors in Phoenix.
Today’s technological revolution is all about the way
we absorb information, which demands radically
different approaches to compiling and distributing
that information. And opportunities for entrepreneurial
thinking within this area abound. We’ve all heard of
starving artists. Starving journalists might become
as common a term if contemporary journalism
education does not give students the intellectual and
pragmatic skills they need to create and distribute
new media and new structures for it. ASU has
created two new centers within the Walter Cronkite
School of Journalism and Mass Communication for
this purpose: the New Media Innovation Lab and
Drawing on diversity
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the John S. and James L. Knight Center for Digital
Media Entrepreneurship. The New Media Innovation
Lab poses challenges to students from big media
corporations, offering students the opportunity to
innovate in response, and then place their innovations
within the big corporate media market. The Knight
Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship, on the
other hand, works from the bottom-up. Students
create new digital media processes and products in
response to issues they identify and then find a market
for their innovations.
In the ASU School of Theatre and Film, the Performing
Arts Venture Experience (p.a.v.e.) supports artists as
they take their work into the world either in the form
of production companies, exhibitions, performances,
musical distribution, or anything else students can
come up with. Last year, p.a.v.e. invested in a range
of student ventures, including Rehearsal Assistant
and the Phoenix Fringe Festival. The first version of
Rehearsal Assistant (a software tool for performance
artists) allows choreographers, directors, lighting
designers and others to take notes and record audio
annotations while watching a rehearsal run. The
Phoenix Fringe Festival provides a venue for innovative
and experiential performances from local as well as
international artists for the purpose of supporting
the work of emerging artists and building an urban
audience. By providing practical experience that
directly complements a student’s undergraduate or
graduate curriculum, p.a.v.e. better prepares him or
her for taking on the challenges of bringing art to an
audience after leaving the structure of an institution.
Artists have always been innovators, but
ASU is helping them learn to communicate with a
wider audience through entrepreneurship, so that their
ideas have a broader impact.
ASU’s School of Arts, Media and Engineering fuses
a range of disciplines and finds a commonality in
innovation. When they work together, faculty and
students have created new spaces, such as SMALLab,
an immersive educational environment that, for
example, helps students to understand physics
through their senses, enabling them to hear the range
of frequency in sounds, feel an object in their hands
and see the range of movements. SMALLab connects
the knowledge from various disciplines and applies it
to real-world learning. SMALLab’s learning innovations
are now having a significant impact in local schools.
The Phoenix Innovation Study is an important part of
ASU’s approach to cross-campus entrepreneurship. It
advances ASU’s research mission by helping to define
the university’s role in innovative entrepreneurship.
The research is led by Sander van der Leeuw, the
director of the ASU School of Human Evolution
and Social Change. While van der Leeuw guides
the project, economists, sociologists, geographers,
political scientists and others are also engaged. The
project involves researchers at ASU as well as some
at the University of North Carolina and the University
of Modena (Italy). Individual entrepreneurs are being
studied as are environments like ASU SkySong. It is
a multidisciplinary, generative approach to invention
and innovation studies. And it fills a worrisome void in
the canon of social analysis since very little has been
written to date on the science of innovation.
The great diversity of our approaches has resulted in
many different entrepreneurship programs, structures,
ideas and courses throughout the university. All of
these initiatives are at varying stages of development,
involving any number of ASU faculty and students, with
multiple colleges and departments participating. But
all of these initiatives have two things in common—they
take an entrepreneurial approach, knowing that this
approach is one that affects the greatest impact. And
they all have the backing and support of ASU.
26
27
Micro-strategies
In addition to creating new structures, developing a
heightened connectivity, supporting new industries
and initiating a wide array of programs, ASU continues
to cultivate and support several micro-strategies within
its many initiatives. These strategies work to generate
much needed energy, which inspire and renew all of
ASU’s entrepreneurial efforts.
Transdisciplinary collaboration
ASU has reorganized itself to focus on problems,
rather than disciplines. Subject areas are made to be
useful—to assist students as they learn, research and
give back to their communities. If a university cannot
go beyond its subject areas to meet contemporary
questions, it has failed to fulfill its potential.
The ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration
gathers geologists, astronomers, astrobiologists and
engineers to tackle questions about our universe.
Energy exchanges
The ASU Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and
the Family engages real estate developers, public
finance experts, urban planners, lawyers, community
members and others to increase the quantity and
quality of affordable housing. In its efforts, the center
is creating development opportunities for new and
existing businesses.
InnovationSpace is a course that brings together
students from business, engineering, industrial
design and visual communication design to create
sustainable, socially responsible, useful
and economically feasible products for
large corporate clients.
And the ASU Technology Venture Services Group
offers courses in which students in law, the
sciences, engineering and business help community
entrepreneurs commercialize technologies. Former
students and current clients have also utilized ASU
Technopolis services, creating a network of science
and technology entrepreneurs.
Experiential learning
Experiential learning is an essential part of the
transition from classroom to real-world applications of
knowledge. Students benefit immensely from seeing
real needs and creating and observing solutions to
those needs. Experiential learning inspires students
and faculty, encourages entrepreneurial thought,
and stimulates increased connectivity between the
university and its community, thereby widening the
influence of ASU’s entrepreneurial programs.
An Aerospace Systems Design course brings together
students from ASU, Mexico’s Tec de Monterrey and
Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University to
design parts for Boeing airplanes in response to
actual requests for proposals.
FLEET, Fast and Light Entrepreneurship Experiences
in Technology, is a collaboration between the ASU
College of Technology and Innovation and the ASU
Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness
that pairs student teams with industry experts.
ASU’s GlobalResolve engages students in projects
that directly improve the lives of people in under-
developed nations throughout the world.
The Sun Devil Entrepreneurship Network offers
internship opportunities in fast-growth enterprises.
Problem-focused learning
Both Aerospace Systems Design and InnovationSpace
are courses that bring in corporate clients as a
component of the classroom experience. Boeing,
Herman Miller, Intel, Motorola and a variety of
nonprofit organizations in Phoenix have presented
challenges for ASU students to solve. These real world
learning opportunities heighten students’ awareness
of entrepreneurship and, as shown through evaluation
surveys, increase their entrepreneurial intent.
28
Recognizing the entrepreneurship spectrum
ASU offers students, faculty, staff and community
members access to entrepreneurship support through
a variety of mechanisms. These mechanisms are
designed to meet people where they are on their
own personal trajectory between ideas and action.
For the individual who has never considered what
entrepreneurship is or how it relates to him or her,
ASU offers 122 distinct courses on entrepreneurship-
related topics. For students from any major at ASU,
there is access to the Certificate in Knowledge
Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
For students who are beginning to formulate a plan
of action there are experiential learning opportunities
and starter grants available through the Entrepreneur
Advantage Project, among other sources. For student
teams ready to launch a venture there is the Edson
Student Entrepreneur Initiative, which offers grants
from $5,000-$20,000 in addition to office space,
training and mentorship. For students, faculty and
community members who have launched their
venture and hope to take it to the next level there is
ASU Technopolis and ASU’s Advanced Technology
Innovation Center.
29
To assist with commercialization there is Arizona
Technology Enterprises, the Technology Venture
Services Group and the business services at ASU
SkySong. For companies ready to connect with
investors and for investors looking to connect with
companies, ASU hosts the Invest Southwest Capital
Conference, meetings of the Arizona Angel Investors
Network and the Arizona Technology Investor Forum.
Within these colleges and schools, individual courses,
research centers and programs, ASU allows students
further opportunities to collaborate, diversify their
knowledge and their experiences, and innovate.
Ultimately, it is the knowledge, the passion
and the creative ideas generated by our
entrepreneurs that fuel the outcomes we achieve.
436
Companies receiving training, mentoring and
networking services from ASU Technopolis:
As part of the Phoenix Innovation Study, Gabriella
Sanchez-Evangelista and a team of multidisciplinary
researchers are focusing on how to stimulate
the economy and support local entrepreneurs
by matching resources to community needs for
education, networking and policy change.
ASU is creating a movement in entrepreneurial
education. It’s a movement based on bringing people
together, empowering individuals and groups to
innovate, and giving people entrepreneurial skills to
pair with their knowledge.
If you think about how to get from idea to enterprise
and from enterprise to real value, you often need
knowledge in business, policy, law, design, technology
and art. And so rather than excluding some disciplines,
entrepreneurship at ASU brings all disciplines
together. You need integrated learning. And this is
what ASU provides.
Entrepreneurship is a mindset: being ready to take
risks, thinking creatively to form new enterprises,
introducing new processes and creating new kinds of
value. Studying entrepreneurship by itself or majoring
in entrepreneurship doesn’t make sense to us. At ASU,
entrepreneurship is mapped onto the other topics you
study. It’s about using the knowledge you have and
being committed to taking your work out into the world
and having a real impact.
Creating
a movement
$27.5M
Total external financing for Ulthera, a medical
device company mentored by ASU Technopolis:
31
Entrepreneurship is the pathway between the
world and research, between art and innovation,
between product development and ideas. Because
entrepreneurship can’t be innovatively practiced at
static institutions, ASU has become an innovation
ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship at every
level. It is everywhere we go, a part of everything we
do. At ASU, entrepreneurship is.
Join us
Do you have an idea?
Be part of the innovation ecosystem at Arizona State
University. If you have a story, comment or suggestion
for furthering entrepreneurship at ASU, please
share it!
• How do you engage in entrepreneurship at ASU?
• How do you inspire ASU students to take their work
out into the world and make an impact?
• What does your innovation ecosystem look like?
Please visit the New American University blog and
post your contributions to this ongoing discussion and
read others’ comments at:http://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu
You may also send your responses via email to:
[email protected]
ASU values entrepreneurship. Join us in creating
solutions to meet the global challenges before us.
Together, we can effect positive change in our world.
32
Entrepreneurship at ASU is not limited to a single
center, a single program or a single major. When
it comes to leading discovery and commercializing
new innovations, entrepreneurship abounds from
every field of study, every unit at ASU—the entire
university in fact. You won’t find another university
entrepreneurship program that compares to ASU’s,
because at ASU, entrepreneurship is more than
a program, it’s a way of life. Leadership of the
entrepreneurship initiative comes from ASU President
Michael M. Crow; and Kimberly Loui, associate
vice president and executive director of University
Initiatives.
Major experiential programs and ASU SkySong are
directed by Julia Rosen, associate vice president for
innovation and entrepreneurship. Communication is led
by Terri Shafer, associate vice president for marketing
and strategic communications.
Signature curriculum efforts are led by Elizabeth
D. Capaldi, university provost and executive vice
president; Philip Regier, executive dean, W. P.
Carey School of Business; Bernadette Melnyk,
dean, College of Nursing and Health Innovation;
Christopher Callahan, dean, Walter Cronkite School
of Journalism and Mass Communication; Linda
Essig, director, School of Theatre and Film; Prasad
Boradkar, associate professor of industrial design and
InnovationSpace project leader; Thanassis Rikakis,
director, School of Arts, Media and Engineering.
Research efforts are led by Sander van der Leeuw,
director, School of Human Evolution and Social
Change; Jose Lobo, research professor, School of
Human Evolution and Social Change; Dennis Hoffman,
director, Seidman Research Institute; Nancy Jurik,
professor, School of Justice Studies and Social
Inquiry; Barbara Robles, associate professor, School of
Social Work.
The university entrepreneurship team includes
Margaret Burch, director of evaluation and budget,
Office University Initiatives; Jennifer Pruett,
administrative specialist, Office of University
Initiatives; Audrey Iffert, Innovation Fellow, Office
of University Initiatives; Steven Harper, director,
marketing and strategic communications; Terree
Wasley, director for innovation and entrepreneurship,
Office of the Vice President for Research and
Economic Affairs; Scott Perkofski, program manager
for innovation and entrepreneurship, Office of the
Vice President for Research and Economic Affairs;
Jason Bronowitz, coordinator for entrepreneurship
programs, W. P. Carey School of Business; Linda
Mottle, director, Center for Health Innovation &
Clinical Trials; Dan Gillmor, director, Knight Center for
Digital Media Entrepreneurship; CJ Cornell, professor,
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass
Communication; Miguel Valenti, program director, Film
and Media Production.
Appendix A:
ASU’s entrepreneurship structure
The entrepreneurship network also includes all contacts
in Appendix D.
Entrepreneurship at ASU can be found online athttp://entrepreneurship.asu.edu
33
The framework for entrepreneurship at ASU was laid
years ago, as our colleges and schools recognized
the need for students to acquire entrepreneurial
skills. ASU’s business and engineering schools
offered courses to their students and the ASU
Spirit of Enterprise Center supported community
entrepreneurs.
With the rapid rate of innovation and impact of
entrepreneurship in today’s world, ASU is striving to
provide all of its 69,000 students needed access to
entrepreneurship education.
Before our partnership with the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation, programs like InnovationSpace
existed, but were far less sophisticated than they
are now and served fewer students. ASU had new
entrepreneurial leaders but those leaders had
ideas that needed more resources in order to be
implemented.
What the Kauffman Foundation’s investment allowed
ASU to do was to build on new leadership, add more
elements to successful existing programs, and to
dramatically propel entrepreneurship education
forward at ASU. The Kauffman Foundation has helped
ASU to rapidly expand entrepreneurship programs
across the university and to gain more national
visibility in doing so.
The impact of the Kauffman Foundation’s investment
can be seen in diverse programs throughout ASU.
New programs that were made possible through
the Kauffman Foundation’s investment include the
Center for Health Innovation and Clinical Trials, the
Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship,
the Pathways to Entrepreneurship Grants, the
Entrepreneur Advantage Project, the Phoenix
Innovation Study, the Performing Arts Venture
Experience (p.a.v.e.) and the Certificate in Knowledge
Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Systemic changes have also been made to existing
ASU programs, such as the Technology Ventures
Services Group, InnovationSpace and Arts, Media
and Engineering.
Matching funds from ASU have supported these
programs, as well as communications regarding
entrepreneurship at ASU, development and
management evaluation tools such as the Collegiate
Learning Assessment. Following the Kauffman
Foundation’s lead, additional external sources from the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the National
Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, the
National Science Foundation and IBM, to name a few,
have funded flourishing ASU programs.
As new collaborations develop, the influences of
these programs are being felt beyond their disciplinary
homes of nursing, journalism, business, law, design
and fine arts, and even the university itself.
Appendix B:
The Kauffman Foundation investment
34
35
Appendix C:
The Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship
The Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship
is devoted to the development of new media
entrepreneurship and the creation of innovative digital
media products. As students work on their projects,
they are not only inventing their own jobs but also
helping invent the future of journalism.
The Knight Center is the result of a Knight News
Challenge three-year, $552,000 grant awarded to
the Cronkite School in 2007 from the John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation. The donation is matched
dollar for dollar with a grant from the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation, part of a $5 million gift to
ASU for entrepreneurship programs. The Knight
News Challenge is a five-year, $25 million challenge
designed to encourage new uses of digital media to
transform community news.
Dan Gillmor, an internationally recognized journalist,
author and educator in the areas of digital media and
citizen-based journalism, directs the center. Gillmor and
CJ Cornell, the program’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence,
teach entrepreneurial thinking and skills to a cross-
section of students majoring in such programs as
journalism, computer engineering, design and business.
They also work individually with students developing
innovative digital media products and services.
Cornell, whose expertise is in the business aspects of
launching and sustaining new products and services,
has been a co-founder, executive and investor in
ventures in video, cable television and online media.
Gillmor says entrepreneurial skills are increasingly
essential both for students who end up working in
traditional media companies and those who will create
new media startups. The Knight Center classes help
students become fluent in a variety of digital media
forms and understand the trends that are redefining
journalism, including media economics and product
development, business and marketing.
In June, two years after its Knight News Challenge
funding, the Knight Center has produced another
News Challenge grantee – The Daily Phoenix, a
student project designed to help serve the community
aggregating around the Valley’s light rail corridor. The
Daily Phoenix will offer news and information, games,
social networking features and promotions on a stop-
by-stop basis for light rail commuters. Other student
projects are ongoing and have received outside
funding.
Integrating a culture of entrepreneurship
throughout a New American University
ASU colleges and schools engaged in
entrepreneurship: 100%
Entrepreneurship courses at ASU: 122
Clinical trial revenues at the ASU Center for Health
Innovation and Clinical Trials: $134K
ASU cash awards to student entrepreneurship
ventures and projects: $613K
Square feet of mixed-used space at ASU SkySong,
the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center at full
build-out: 1.2M
Mexican companies engaged in the TechBA Arizona
pre-acceleration program: 32
ASU student entrepreneurship ventures and projects
funded over the last five years: 102
Funding for 21 projects through Pathways to
Entrepreneurship Grants: $580K
Companies formed from ASU inventions and
technologies over the last 6 years: 19
Companies receiving training, mentoring, and
networking services from ASU Technopolis: 436
Companies using ASU SkySong as a base to expand
their regional or global market: 63
Total external financing for Ulthera, a medical device
company mentored by ASU Technopolis: $27.5M
Appendix D:
ASU: entrepreneurship and innovation
36
Appendix E:
Entrepreneurship at ASU
A
Advanced Technology Innovation Center
The Advanced Technology Innovation Center
(ATIC) provides engineering, design and
product development services to entrepreneurs
and small to medium-sized enterprises who
have a solid, innovative product idea. The
ATIC empowers entrepreneurs in the greater
Phoenix area to make use of ASU assets and
take their innovations from paper to prototype.
Contact: Razdan Anshuman, director, Advanced
Technology Innovation Center, razdan@asu.
edu,http://atic. asu.edu/.
Arizona Angels Venture Group, Inc.
The Arizona Angels Venture Group, Inc. , in
partnership with ASU Technopolis and Invest
Southwest, is a group of accredited investors
who invest primarily in Arizona-based early-
stage and developing-growth companies.
The mission of the Arizona Angels is to
find compelling investment opportunities
for its members while contributing to the
economic development of the region. Contact:
Terree Wasley, director for innovation and
entrepreneurship, Office of the Vice President
for Research and Economic Affairs, terree.
[email protected],http://www. arizonaangels.
com/.
Arizona Technology Enterprises
Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE) takes
the university’s technology developments from
the research lab to the marketplace. Working
with emerging technologies in life sciences,
energy, healthcare, biotech, nanotechnology
and other strong portfolio segments with high
growth opportunity, AzTE offers expertise in
technology evaluation, product development,
technology marketing, capital formation,
operations management, intellectual property
management and technology transfer
protection, industry relationships, licensing and
commercialization. Contact: Charlie Lewis, vice
president of venture development, Arizona
Technology Enterprises [email protected],http://www. azte.com/.
Arizona Technology Investor Forum
The Arizona Technology Investor Forum
(ATIF) is an ASU partnership which facilitates
access to the capital, talent, technology and
resources needed to build successful ventures.
ATIF is a nonprofit entity focused on providing
a constant deal flow stream of early-stage
technology ventures. ATIF is managed by the
Entrepreneurial Programs Office in ASU’s Ira
A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. The close
relationship with the university ensures a
steady stream of student, faculty, and alumni-
led technology ventures for ATIF member
review and potential investment. Contact: Ira A.
Fulton Schools of Engineering Dean’s Office,http://atif. asu.edu/.
Arts, Media and Engineering
The School of Arts, Media and Engineering
conducts interdisciplinary research in the
development of experiential media. Contact:
Thanassis Rikakis, director, School of Arts,
Media and Engineering, thanassis.rikakis@asu.
edu,http://ame. asu.edu/.
ASU 101: The ASU Experience
ASU 101 is a primer course for the New
American University required for all first-year
freshman. The course serves as a platform
to raise awareness of ASU’s entrepreneurial
culture and introduce students to learning
resources related to entrepreneurship and
innovation. ASU 101 is designed to plant the
seeds of interest that will lead students to
pursue additional study of entrepreneurship
and innovation.http://dlt. asu.edu/asu101/.
C
Center for Health Innovation and
Clinical Trials
The Center for Health Innovation and Clinical
Trials engages in collaboration, outreach, clinical
trials and educational activities to support the
development of innovative health products,
processes, and educational programs. In addition
to launching the center, the ASU College of
Nursing and Health Innovation offers a master’s
degree in healthcare innovation and a certificate
in clinical research management. Beginning fall
2009, students in the certificate program may
transfer to a master’s degree in clinical research
management. Contact: Linda Mottle, director,
Center for Health Innovation and Clinical Trials,
[email protected],http://nursing. asu.edu/
research/chict/index.htm.
Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities for
ASU: From .edu to .com
Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities for ASU:
From .edu to .com engages students through
collaboration with small and medium enterprises.
The program brings entrepreneurs to campus to
speak to students and hosts PolyTech Day. This
project is a part of the Advanced Technology
Innovation Center (ATIC) in the ASU College of
Technology and Innovation. Contact: Anshuman
Razdan, director, Advanced Technology
Innovation Center, [email protected].
37
D
Designing for Resilience
Designing for Resilience incorporates
resilience theory into the product design and
development process in InnovationSpace.
Resilience theory addresses the ability of
people to recover after destabilizing life events,
such as a serious illness or death of a loved
one. Contact: Prasad Boradkar, associate
professor, School of Design Innovation, prasad.
[email protected],http://innovationspace.
asu.edu/.
E
Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative
The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative
offers students grants of up to $20,000
to launch a new venture. Students receive
mentoring, office space and a network that
helps them turn their idea into an enterprise.
Contact: Scott Perkofski, program manager,
Office of the Vice President for Research and
Economic Affairs, [email protected],http://studentventures. asu.edu/.
The Entrepreneur Advantage Project
The Entrepreneur Advantage Project (EAP)
offers students up to $2,000 in funding for
entrepreneurship-related projects. Contact:
Scott Perkofski, program manager, Office of
the Vice President for Research and Economic
Affairs, [email protected], http://
entrepreneurship. asu.edu/entrepreneur_
advantage_project.
Ethnography & Innovation
Ethnography & Innovation is a course that
provides student training and research
experience through the ethnographic study
of innovation at ASU SkySong. Contact:
Sander van der Leeuw, director, School of
Human Evolution and Social Change,
[email protected].
F
Fast and Light Entrepreneurship
Experiences in Technology
Fast and Light Entrepreneurship Experiences
in Technology (FLEET) is providing a
multidisciplinary experiential learning course
and workshop that teaches students to use
agile methods to create software ventures.
Contact: Kevin Gary, assistant professor,
College of Technology and Innovation,
Department of Engineering, [email protected].
For Forging a Fair Trade Network
For Forging a Fair Trade Network links network
artisan producers in Oaxaca, Mexico to
wholesalers and retailers in Puerto Penasco,
Sonora and Phoenix. Contact: Julie Murphy
Erfani, associate professor of political science,
New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and
Sciences, Division of Social and Behavioral
Sciences, [email protected].
Four Directions
The Four Directions project conducts
workshops that bring together Native American
students, Native American business leaders
and ASU faculty to teach entrepreneurship
for Native American cultures. The workshop is
being developed into a capstone course for the
Knowledge Entrepreneurship and Innovation
certificate. The program will also be launching
a summer entrepreneurship program for Native
American high school students. Contact:
Patricia Mariella, director, American Indian
Policy Institute, [email protected].
G
GlobalResolve
GlobalResolve is a social entrepreneurship
program that involves ASU students in
semester-long projects that address the
challenges faced by people in under-developed
areas throughout the world using sustainable
solutions. Contact: Mark Henderson, professor,
College of Technology and Innovation,
Department of Engineering, mark.henderson@
asu.edu,http://globalresolve. asu.edu/.
I
Innovating for Life: Exploring Biomimicry
Innovating for Life: Exploring Biomimicry utilizes
biomimicry in new product development in
InnovationSpace. Biomimicry looks at the forms,
materials and functions of nature for clues to
solve design and engineering problems. Contact:
Prasad Boradkar, associate professor, School of
Design Innovation, [email protected],http://innovationspace. asu.edu/.
InnovationSpace
InnovationSpace is a multidisciplinary year-long
course teaching students to develop products
that create market value while serving societal
needs. ASU students from industrial design,
visual communication design, engineering and
business work in teams with industry partners
like Herman Miller, Intel, and Procter & Gamble.
Contact: Prasad Boradkar, associate professor,
School of Design Innovation, prasad.boradkar@
asu.edu,http://innovationspace. asu.edu/.
Invest Southwest Capital Conference
The Invest Southwest Capital Conference
provides opportunities for accredited investors
to review quality companies. The companies
seeking capital are rigorously screened by a
panel of investors and venture capitalists from
across the southwest. Contact: Terree Wasley,
director for innovation and entrepreneurship,
Office of the Vice President for Research and
Economic Affairs, [email protected], http://
investsouthwest.org/.
38
K
Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship
The John S. and James L. Knight Center
for Digital Media Entrepreneurship is
devoted to the development of new media
entrepreneurship and the creation of innovative
digital media products. Contact: Dan Gillmor,
director, Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship, [email protected],http://startupmedia.org/.
M
My Life Venture and Certificate in
Knowledge Entrepreneurship and
Innovation
My Life Venture and the Certificate in
Knowledge Entrepreneurship and Innovation
consists of three university-wide My Life
Venture courses and a two-course capstone
experience in the college or school of the
student’s major. The three core classes are:
1) My Life Venture: self-discovery and personal
aspects of entrepreneurship, personal finance
and career paths; 2) Creativity and Innovation:
practice of creating and innovating for success
in entrepreneurship; and 3) Venture Creation:
business aspects of entrepreneurship. Contact:
Jason Bronowitz, coordinator, W. P. Carey
School of Business, jason.bronowitz@asu.
edu,http://wpcarey. asu.edu/undergraduate/
current-students/academics/my-life-venture.
cfm.
P
Pathways to Entrepreneurship Grant
The primary goal of the Pathways to
Entrepreneurship Grant (PEG) is to increase
university-wide involvement in entrepreneurship
education and research. The goal is to
strengthen the overall entrepreneurship efforts
at ASU through program development grants
for ASU faculty and staff. Contact: Margaret
Burch, director of evaluation and budget
for entrepreneurship, Office of University
Initiatives, [email protected], http://
entrepreneurship. asu.edu/.
p.a.v.e.
Performing Arts Venture Experience (p. a.v.e.)
offers organizational and financial support
for student ventures in the arts. p. a.v.e. also
develops curriculum enhancements, hosts an
biannual arts entrepreneurship symposium
as well as speakers. Contact: Linda Essig,
director, School of Theatre and Film, linda.
[email protected],http://theatrefilm. asu.edu/
initiatives/pave.php.
Phoenix Innovation Study
The Phoenix Innovation Study brings together
researchers from several disciplines to discover
ways to remove the obstacles that restrict the
innovative potential of small- and medium-
sized business in the Phoenix-metro area.
This research will help create an environment
that facilitates entrepreneurship in the region.
Contact: Sander van der Leeuw, director,
School of Human Evolution and Social Change,
[email protected],http://entrepreneurship.
asu.edu/phoenix_innovation_study.
S
SkySong, ASU Scottsdale Innovation
Center
SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation
Center, has become one of the most important
economic drivers for Arizona and the Southwest
region by uniting the resources at ASU with the
economic needs of surrounding communities.
ASU established this global hub of innovation
and venture creation to assist entrepreneurs
and innovators with local, national and global
market expansions. ASU SkySong connects
local and global enterprises with ASU’s
expertise, technologies and workforce pipeline.
Contact: Julia Rosen, associate vice president
for innovation and entrepreneurship, Office of
the Vice President for Research and Economic
Affairs, [email protected],http://skysong.
asu.edu
Spirit of Enterprise Center
The Spirit of Enterprise Center supports the
entrepreneurial needs of students and the
community by serving as a point of contact for
companies in the community. The center provides
key resources to hundreds of businesses every
year and supports academic entrepreneurship by
hosting the annual Spirit of Enterprise awards.
Contact: Gary C. Naumann, director, Spirit of
Enterprise Center, [email protected], www.
spiritofenterprise.org.
Sun Devil Entrepreneurship Network
The Sun Devil Entrepreneurship Network (SDEN)
provides ASU students with internships and
full-time placement at entrepreneurial companies
in the Phoenix-metro area. Contact: Janice
Kleinwort, ASU SkySong corporate liaison,
[email protected],http://internship.
entrepreneurship. asu.edu/.
39
T
ASU-Teach for America Partnership
Aiming to address Arizona’s most pressing
educational needs, ASU and Teach For
America are collaborating in four specific
areas: recruitment of ASU students into Teach
For America, teacher support and development,
alumni leadership, and the Teach For America
Phoenix Summer Institute. Specifically, this
partnership fosters innovation in education to
ensure the future success of children and the
state through the development of an induction,
master’s and certification program; educational
incentives such as full fellowships and
recruitment activities; and the selection of ASU
as the Teach For America Phoenix Summer
Institute site. The impact of this partnership
is evident through the number of Teach For
America corps members enrolled in ASU’s
education programs, the increased attention
toward high-needs schools, the enhanced
collaboration between ASU faculty and local
school districts and the dramatic increase
in ASU students’ Teach For America corps
member applications. Contact: Heather Carter,
director of community engagements and
communication, College of Teacher Education
and Leadership, [email protected].
Technology Ventures Services Group
The Technology Ventures Services Group
provides legal and consulting services to
ASU-affiliated entrepreneurs. Students from
law, business, engineering and the sciences
participate in patent investigation, business
modeling, deal structuring, market assessment
and research. Contact: Eric Menkhus, director,
Technology Ventures Services Group, eric.
[email protected],http://law. asu.edu/
techventures.
Technopolis
ASU Technopolis provides rigorous programs
that educate, coach and connect innovators
and entrepreneurs. Technopolis brings together
service providers, venture capitalists, investors,
attorneys and accountants side-by-side with
entrepreneurs across ASU and across the
globe. Contact: Terree Wasley, director for
innovation and entrepreneurship, Office of the
Vice President for Research and Economic
Affairs, [email protected],http://www.
asutechnopolis.org/.
U
University Public Schools
University Public Schools, Inc. is a nonprofit
organization that works in collaboration with ASU
to increase student achievement in public schools.
University Public Schools operates PreK through
grade 12 schools in partnership with select school
districts, community partners and educational
service providers for the purpose of delivering an
innovative curriculum and learning environment.
Through University Public Schools, ASU can
embed research into curriculum development,
professional development and the application
of learning to technology—with the goal of
developing innovative education models that can
be scaled across the state and nation to increase
academic achievement of all children. The first
school opened in August 2008 at the ASU
Polytechnic campus. The second school opened
in downtown Phoenix in August 2009. Contact:
Eugene Garcia, vice president, Office of Education
Partnerships, [email protected], http://
universitypublicschools. asu.edu/.
40
Produced by Arizona State University
Office of University Initiatives
August 2009
Photography: Eliza Gregory, Jeff Noble and Bradley Rogers
© 2009 Arizona Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Arizona State University
Office of University Initiatives
PO Box 873203
Tempe, AZ 85287-3203http://ui.asu.edu
About ASU
Arizona State University is the largest public research
university in the United States under a single administration.
ASU serves more than 67,000 students in 17 schools at four
campuses across metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona.
For more information, please visit:http://entrepreneurship.asu.edu
www.fsc.org
© 1996 forest Stewardship CounciI
Cert no. SCS-C0C-001816
30%
Mixed Sources
Product group from weII-managed
forests, controIIed sources and
recycIed wood or fibrehttp://entrepreneurship.asu.edu
doc_443684509.pdf
Detailed file relating to entrepreneurship at asu an innovation ecosystem.
Progress Report, August 2009
Entrepreneurship
at ASU
An Innovation Ecosystem
Arizona State University is creating an innovation
ecosystem infused with an entrepreneurial spirit. As a New
American University, our vision is to create solutions for the
global challenges before us: access to education, better quality
of life, sustainability. Because this requires radical innovation
at the individual and the institutional level, ASU is committed
to supporting entrepreneurs and being a university as
entrepreneur. We are building a movement of people
and organizations who can be entrepreneurial in applying
innovations to global challenges, improving life for us all.
Join us.
InnovationSpace is a course that brings together ASU
students from business, engineering, industrial design
and visual communication design to create sustainable,
socially responsible, useful and economically feasible
products for large and small clients.
When a team of ASU InnovationSpace students interviewed female firefighters, they discovered that most of the equipment
and clothing firefighters wear is too big for women and smaller-sized men. In response, they developed Aeroflex, a lightweight,
streamlined, ergonomic backpack-oxygen system designed to be fully adjustable to fit male and female firefighters of all sizes.
03
Some of the most exciting
developments have taken
the form of solving simple
problems.
GlobalResolve engages ASU students in projects
that directly improve the lives of people throughout
the world.
The only fuel sources available in the village of Domeabra, Ghana are wood, charcoal or dung—all of which cause serious health
problems for the villagers. ASU’s GlobalResolve is working to alleviate this problem by developing an alternative gel fuel that is
cleaner to burn and will also help stimulate the area’s economy. The village will soon produce and sell the gel fuel themselves,
creating a sustainable income in the years to come.
ASU creates knowledge,
products and relationships
that benefit people around
the world.
05
With support and funding from the Edson Student
Entrepreneur Initiative, Max Yuan developed an energy-
efficient bike motor. Max’s company will soon be up and
running on its own, completing his evolution at ASU
from student to CEO.
Max Yuan and Blake Orr are stand-out examples. Max, an ASU electrical engineering graduate, is president of his own
company, Max Power Motors. Blake, an ASU finance graduate, is forging his own path for success by growing his clean energy
company and creating new jobs. When he graduated from ASU in May 2009, Blake was already the CEO of his own company,
Echo Energies, Inc. Blake reports that his company has created full-time employment for five people and estimates the
company’s target revenue for 2009 at $750,000.
ASU graduates are well-
equipped to contribute to
society and the economy.
07
Mohamed Abdalla (“Moe”) is the student business
owner of Skycafe, a specialty coffee shop at ASU
SkySong. A social entrepreneur, Moe uses his share
of Skycafe’s proceeds for another venture he’s
organized—“Business for Doctors” in Tanzania, which
brings medical care to orphanages.
Creating an
innovation
ecosystem
Arizona State University boasts 122 entrepreneurship-
related courses, more than $120 million in investments
in ASU Technopolis-mentored companies alone and
102 new ventures created through university programs
since 2003. But these figures only scratch the surface
of ASU’s entrepreneurship efforts.
At Arizona State University, entrepreneurship is not a
single program or suite of programs. It is a way of life.
A culture. An innovation ecosystem. Our landscape
of many structural innovations provides a framework
for entrepreneurship, and our climate increases
connectivity and new relationships.
09
100%
ASU colleges and schools
engaged in entrepreneurship:
ASU is flexible, adaptable and able to
respond to the ever-changing needs of
our society. We understand the value of diversity
and the advantage of taking multiple approaches. We
see fruits of our efforts in the positive impact we make
in our community and our energy supply is the best
there is: infinite and renewable, found in the passion
and ideas and creativity of all those who comprise our
university.
At ASU, we are developing an innovation ecosystem,
built to support entrepreneurship at every level.
At ASU’s Center for Health Innovation and Clinical
Trials, Linda Mottle is helping to advance healthcare
by getting the most innovative medical products and
service ideas to market. The center is beginning to
transform the industry with advanced sources for
research, testing and innovation.
We need entrepreneurship now more than ever. To
give our students a chance to follow their dreams, to
continue to improve our economy, to ensure that we
meet the global challenges before us. We need radical
innovation. Entrepreneurship is more than invention,
creativity or self-employment. It’s collaboration. It’s
about the next big thing, where “big” is measured in
terms of positive impact to society.
Entrepreneurship is about taking risks, bringing your
work into the world, owning the end-to-end process,
dealing with ambiguity and change, using your
capital to innovate and getting people excited about
your ideas. Entrepreneurship grows our economy,
improves our lives and changes the way we think.
Entrepreneurial skills give you the freedom and the
support to fill the voids you see in your community—
whether those voids are cultural, technological, social
or economic.
Advancing entrepreneurship in higher
education
Education builds people’s capacity to innovate
because knowledge provides a base for innovation.
Entrepreneurs take innovation and turn it into impact
by creating an enterprise that places innovation in
society. For higher education to be a catalyst for truly
innovative impact, entrepreneurship has to be a
part of it.
Just as there are many different kinds of
universities, there are many different approaches
to an entrepreneurial education. There exists no
comprehensive, one-size-fits-all plan. The advantage
of ASU is that because it is such a large institution,
many experiments in entrepreneurial education are
able to take place within its walls.
Visionary action
Creating the next big thing
11
While universities come in many shapes and sizes,
their programs and approaches tend to differ only
marginally. Too many colleges and universities haven’t
changed, even though society and the market they
serve have.
ASU is becoming a New American University by
recognizing the market and societal changes that
continue to transform all of our lives. The increasing
demand for higher education and the diffuse use
of technology are only two of the major challenges
today’s university faces. The New American University
vision represents an evolution in higher education. It is
a university model in which the institution constantly
adapts to the current environment.
At ASU, we transcend boundaries. We are unafraid,
willing to take ambitious risks. We are optimistic,
seeing the world for what it is and what it can be. We
are visionary, committed to a world that needs big
ideas and bold action. And at ASU, we have the critical
mass and the capacity to effect meaningful change in
order to meet today’s global challenges.
ASU has transformed itself with the belief that
entrepreneurship is an important part of how the
world works and integral to changing the world for
the better.
ASU is committed to excellence, access
and impact in everything we do. We measure
ourselves by those we include, not by those we
exclude and by doing so reach a wellspring of
untapped potential in the spirit of our students, faculty
and staff. ASU pursues research that contributes
to the public good. And ASU assumes major
responsibility for the economic, social and cultural
vitality of the community that surrounds it.
Becoming a New American University
$134K
Clinical trial revenues at the ASU Center
for Health Innovation and Clinical Trials:
12
Leverage Our Place
ASU embraces its cultural, socioeconomic and
physical setting.
Transform Society
ASU catalyzes social change by being connected
to social needs.
Value Entrepreneurship
ASU uses its knowledge and encourages
innovation.
Conduct Use-Inspired Research
ASU research has purpose and impact.
Enable Student Success
ASU is committed to the success of each
unique student.
Fuse Intellectual Disciplines
ASU creates knowledge by transcending
academic boundaries.
Be Socially Embedded
ASU connects with communities through mutually
beneficial partnerships.
Engage Globally
ASU engages with people and issues locally,
nationally and internationally.
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
In order to become a model for a New American
University, ASU has undergone some substantial
changes in the last few years. Like many universities,
we have hired new faculty, brought in new students
and built new programs. But unlike many of our peers,
we have also undertaken a massive reorganization of
our institution. We have torn down the walls between
disciplines and encouraged collaboration among
diverse units. We have altered the trajectory of the
university by reevaluating the role that universities
play in society, in the economy and in education
at all levels. The university itself has become an
entrepreneur, launching new centers, new programs
and new structures to facilitate research, learning and
positive social change.
Creating knowledge comes with the opportunity to
generate value for society. But this generation doesn’t
happen by itself. As a place where knowledge is
born, as well as an institution that stimulates societal
change, the university itself bridges that gap between
idea and impact. This is why ASU has become a
university entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship is everywhere
At ASU, entrepreneurship is everywhere. It’s evident
in the leadership of the university, in the way faculty
use knowledge to inform and inspire action, and in
curricula that teach students how to learn from the
world around them and then make their ideas really
happen.
ASU has changed the way we prepare students for an
entrepreneurial culture and we have changed the way
we as a university contribute to economic growth.
Design aspirations
Eight design aspirations guide ASU’s transformation
as a New American University. ASU urges its
students, faculty, staff and programs to:
13
ASU’s School of Theatre and Film alum Jonathan
Beller puts the spotlight on creative risk-taking and
finds new ways to promote and support the innovative
work of local, national and international artists. The
Phoenix Fringe Festival, which Jonathan helped
to create, showcases innovative, experimental and
provocative theatre.
University as
entrepreneur
15
While we usually think of individuals as entrepreneurs,
institutions can be entrepreneurs too. In fact, we may
need more institutions to be entrepreneurs in order to
affect greater societal change.
Laying the landscape
Institutions can change policies and direct resources
in big ways, in ways that then make it easier for
everybody else to innovate and be entrepreneurial.
Structural innovation at ASU has meant establishing a
new campus in downtown Phoenix, building a new hub
for innovation at ASU SkySong and creating 31 new
ASU schools.
Supporting a climate of communication
New conversations have come from new structures.
Faculty from different disciplines are now part of the
same school. Students with different backgrounds are
part of the same learning community. Organizations
big and small are engaging with the university. With
these relationships, ASU is creating a climate of new
conversations.
Continuing to adapt
ASU is helping the Valley to continue to thrive.
Growth in our unique urban desert means there’s a
lot of research to be done in sustainability, but it also
means there’s a huge opportunity to create whole new
industries in renewable energy, in energy efficient
building systems and more.
Drawing on diversity
Experimentation is important to innovation. Diversity
is important to evolution. In ASU’s ecosystem of
innovation, a portfolio approach allows us to try a
variety of things. We’re integrating entrepreneurship
into business and engineering, but also into nursing,
arts and journalism.
Exchanging energy
ASU has a landscape conducive to innovation, a
climate that supports all kinds of connections, a spirit
that is optimistic, flexible and ambitious, thriving on
change and opportunity. With these components in
our ecosystem, we not only are diverse, we encourage
it. There’s a lot of energy here and a lot of energy
exchange, all creating a rich, continually evolving
innovation ecosystem.
An entrepreneur is a person who sees things
differently than others, one who recognizes
opportunity and mobilizes resources to meet that
opportunity, one who builds institutions and connects
ideas, one who creates value. Is it possible
to create entrepreneurs? At ASU, the
answer is yes. We can and we do. But since every
entrepreneur is different, our success lies in the way
we create entrepreneurs.
The entrepreneurial education begins in the
environment that supports it—the innovation
ecosystem. And just as an ecosystem thrives on
its ability to adapt, so must a university be flexible,
adaptable and highly responsive to the world around
it. Within that framework, an entrepreneurial university
should also support individuals as they respond and
adapt to the world around them.
A university should support creative thinking,
innovation and enterprise creation above all else and
on every possible level, as these are the lasting and
vital energy sources in an innovation ecosystem.
By making the university into an entrepreneur itself
and thereby empowering every level of the university
community to be entrepreneurial, we have modeled
behavior for other higher education institutions and
become a place that empowers individuals to be
entrepreneurial.
As a university of 69,000 students, this kind of
transformation cannot happen in simply a few
discreet units. It has to cut across the university in its
entirety—all academic units, all communities within
the university, all campuses, all strata of learners and
teachers must be reached. Toward this goal, ASU
has undertaken the creation of this ecosystem of
innovation: an environment in which change—real,
radical, exciting—happens throughout the institution.
Our strategy has five critical components:
• Structural innovations created throughout the
university at multiple levels of operation
• Increased connectivity between ASU and its
community
• Recognizing and supporting new industries
that arise from societal need
• A portfolio approach built on experimentation
and hands-on experience
• Micro-strategies inspired by a problem-based
focus
ASU is educating entrepreneurs
16
Structural innovation
ASU is creating a landscape conducive to finding
innovative solutions to evolving problems. We have
developed new structures at the very highest and at
the very smallest levels of the university’s organization.
These new institutional structures have no precedent.
They are not departments, or research parks, or
colleges or campuses. Instead, they are university-
wide, solution-focused enterprises.
For example, ASU SkySong has been the flagship
venture for catalyzing entrepreneurial activity across
the many disciplines of the university and throughout
corporate structures in the region.
With its combination of resources from ASU, one of
the largest research universities in the U.S., and the
presence of multinational corporations and individual
innovators, SkySong is Arizona’s global portal to the
knowledge economy. It sits at the junction between
local and global interests, and facilitates collaboration
between the business community, the academic
community and the greater community. It creates
working relationships, builds a greater ASU network,
integrates academia with commerce and develops
an interactive relationship among mentors, suppliers,
startup technology companies, subject experts, legal
advisors and investors. ASU SkySong is the
focal point for entrepreneurship.
• ASU Technopolis provides training and mentoring
to entrepreneurs, while also creating linkages with
university research units and larger companies in
ASU SkySong’s network.
• Many of ASU’s student ventures are incubated at
ASU SkySong and supported by programs such
as the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative, the
Entrepreneur Advantage Project and the Sun Devil
Entrepreneurship Network.
• Education for linking product development and
serving societal need is provided by
InnovationSpace.
• Legal expertise is available to ASU students
through a number of firms working with the
Technology Venture Services Group.
• Commercialization of intellectual property is
performed by Arizona Technology Enterprises.
• Venture capital is accessible through the Arizona
Angels and a number of investment firms.
Laying the landscape
17
1.2M
Square feet of mixed-used space
at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale
Innovation Center, at full build-out:
ASU has also created other major innovative
structures such as the Global Institute of Sustainability
(GIOS). GIOS is an academic structure that exists
outside of all departments, colleges and traditional
administrative categories. It’s an umbrella structure
that unites disparate subject areas under a set of
common priorities and questions. Through a variety
of programs and centers, as well as the country’s
first School of Sustainability, GIOS serves to address
the many sustainability challenges faced by urban
environments around the world.
University Public Schools, Inc. (UPSI) is another
umbrella-like structure that unites many of the
education initiatives throughout our university and
within our community. A 501(c)3 organization, UPSI
launched its first public charter school in fall 2008
and the second in fall 2009. Through partnerships
between the university and school districts, UPSI
offers pre-kindergarten through 12th grade learning
that scales innovative practices through teacher
training, professional development, curriculum
exchange, data sharing and other mechanisms. This
unique arrangement will better prepare students
to compete in the global entrepreneurial
environment.
Many new centers and programs at ASU have
also enabled us to develop a landscape for
entrepreneurship education.
• Nursing: Center for Health Innovation and Clinical
Trials
• Arts: Performing Arts Venture Experience (p.a.v.e.)
• Journalism: Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship
• Law: Technology Venture Services Group
• Engineering: Entrepreneurial Programs Office
• Business: Spirit of Enterprise Center
Smaller, but equally important landscape designs
in our innovation ecosystem are grants, courses
and certificates we have created as a way to make
entrepreneurship a meaningful part of the work in
which all of our faculty and students engage.
Faculty-level innovation is encouraged through
Pathways to Entrepreneurship Grants (PEG). The PEG
is open to faculty and staff from any discipline and
aims to expand the entrepreneurship network at ASU.
One faculty group created the ASU Four Directions
Program, an educational curriculum focused on
sustainable entrepreneurship and venture development
for Native American students, staff, faculty and
18
community members. Teams develop business plans
for tribal-based ventures emphasizing sustainability
and learn how to seek support from other Arizona
institutions. Other faculty have created new courses
in fair trade and entrepreneurship, in engineering
across borders and in more business-linked computer
programming.
Last year, more than 10,000 freshmen enrolled
in ASU 101, which introduced students to ASU
as a New American University. This course helps
raise awareness of ASU’s entrepreneurial culture
by connecting students to available resources
in entrepreneurship and innovation early in their
academic careers.
My Life Venture, a new course in entrepreneurship,
is open to ASU students of any major and is a
component of the recently created Certificate in
Knowledge Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This new
certificate is designed to teach entrepreneurship and
innovation to students of all disciplines.
These are radical departures from
traditional university structures. And they
are exciting. They have set the tone for a full-scale,
cultural transformation of the university, and they have
given the green light to administrators, staff, faculty
and students at all levels to innovate within their
respective areas. With more than 31 new colleges and
schools created in the last seven years, there is a lot
of room for innovation to occur.
From new innovation arenas, to university-wide
institutes, to new centers and programs, to new
courses, there are many levels of variegated
innovation structures at ASU. And what do all of
these new structures have in common? They all
provide individuals with the extensive and diverse
opportunities they need in order to create innovation,
to learn about entrepreneurship and to become
entrepreneurs themselves.
19
63
Companies using ASU SkySong as a base
to expand their regional or global market:
Increased connectivity
A critical element of ASU’s strategy in building our
innovation ecosystem has been diversifying the types
of relationships we create, participate in and support.
By creating a climate of new conversations and unique
relationships, ASU is fostering economic stimulus
that does not come from simply getting more small
startups into the offices of venture capitalists. At
ASU, we know that economic stimulus comes
from increasing connectivity between many
different corners of the corporate, academic and
nonprofit worlds.
This climate of communication allows ASU to prepare
more student entrepreneurs more effectively, puts
ASU in the position to facilitate the transformation of
small businesses into larger businesses, and gives
ASU the opportunity to support and initiate entirely
new industries.
Individual entrepreneurs find financial and strategic
support at ASU through the Edson Student
Entrepreneur Initiative, ASU SkySong’s global
business incubators, and ASU Technopolis, among
other programs. The ASU students, faculty and
community members who are starting, running and
growing businesses are engaging venture capitalists,
entrepreneurs, CEOs, angel investors, service
providers and international business managers
throughout the university and surrounding community.
• The Arizona Technology Investor Forum works at
the local level to provide companies and investors
opportunities to invest in cutting-edge research.
• The Arizona Angel Investor Network, facilitated by
ASU Technopolis, connects local investors
with local entrepreneurs for the purpose of
supporting early-stage technology.
• Operating at the national level is the ASU
Technology Forum which engages investors across
the country with early-stage technologies from ASU
and its partners.
A climate of communication
20
21
• The annual Invest Southwest Capital Conference
is organized by ASU Technopolis and draws
investors from all over the country to discover what
southwestern startups have to offer.
• Internationally, ASU has developed relationships
to help companies globalize. Through our
connections with Tec de Monterrey and TechBA
Arizona, ASU is creating a pipeline for talent and
innovation to the U.S. from Mexico by creating bi-
national innovation pathways.
• ASU recently assisted Rolls-Royce in
commercializing their technology by hosting a
business plan competition at ASU SkySong. This
competition helped Rolls-Royce connect with local
entrepreneurs and gave students a significant
opportunity to take their work to a targeted market
and receive mentorship from a major international
company. A team of four ASU alumni won the
competition with a signature-verification device for
daycare centers called SignHear.
While these examples address increased
connectivity between for-profit entities, ASU has
also initiated relationships and partnerships with
nonprofit organizations. ASU’s nonprofit education
entrepreneurship efforts include the University Public
Schools Initiative and a partnership with Teach For
America. In University Public Schools, ASU faculty
are introducing new curricula, particularly in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics. With
Teach for America, ASU is helping to increase the
capacity of school districts by preparing more highly
qualified teachers.
ASU’s dynamic and multifaceted global engagement
efforts have resulted in an extensive global
network of universities, innovators and
businesses. This network helps ASU-related
businesses and organizations advance their work
in places like Ireland, China, Singapore, Australia,
Mexico, Turkey, Brazil, the United Kingdom and more.
ASU is opening transnational lines of communication
and connecting entrepreneurial efforts around the
globe in new ways.
102
ASU student entrepreneurship
ventures and projects funded
over the last five years:
Recognize and support new industries
ASU recognizes sustainability as one of the most
important challenges facing society today. But the
subject area doesn’t just represent issues to study or
problems to tackle conceptually. It also represents
a whole host of opportunities for creating real impact.
Knowledge about sustainability is pushing forward
new technologies, new policies that change the
economic climate, new business paradigms and new
materials. Sustainability is a new industry growing
at an exponential rate and is an incredibly fertile area
for entrepreneurship. ASU is taking advantage of
that potential through activities between the Global
Institute of Sustainability and ASU’s entrepreneurship
programs.
The ASU Global Institute of Sustainability offers
learning opportunities through the country’s first
School of Sustainability and pushes forward new
research through a variety of initiatives. Among
these is an array of different approaches to
producing renewable energy sources.
The real ramifications of these entrepreneurial efforts
will come from the enrichment of Arizona’s innovation
capital and the strength and diversity of its economy in
the decades ahead.
ASU researchers Milt Sommerfeld and Qiang Hu
work toward better adapting to our environment by
investigating more efficient uses of natural
resources at the Laboratory for Algae Research and
Biotechnology (LARB). Their biofuel project uses
algae to produce kerosene-based jet fuel in
collaboration with Boeing. Algal oil is surprisingly
similar to vegetable oils, but algae produce a
significantly higher oil yield, making it a potential
fuel source. Efforts have already moved to the
demonstration and production stage and a team of
ASU students has created a company to help
advance production.
By learning to respond and adapt to our unique urban-
desert setting, a new industry built upon sustainability
is growing in the Valley. And its momentum is
increasing, as evidenced by the 5,000 people in
attendance at the Green Summit. The summit, a one-
day sustainability event focusing on “green” business,
was the entrepreneurial brainchild of Chris Samila, an
ASU political science major.
Our ability to adapt
22
23
Linking knowledge to action means figuring
out how to address the policy, ethics and intricacies
that go along with a new technology. The Desert
Biofuels initiative is led by two former Intel employees
who started a nonprofit organization that advocates
for biofuels in the region as a way to simultaneously
reduce pollution and stimulate the economy. The
team came to the ASU Technopolis Launch Prep
entrepreneurship course, refined their business model
and brought together a group of experts focused
on algae-based biofuel. With the help of the City
of Phoenix, their venture is now planning to build a
biofuels plant prototype. The biofuel created at the
plant will potentially be used to run Phoenix fire trucks.
ASU Technopolis continues to act as a consultant to
the project.
ASU is also pursuing solar power as an energy source.
The Photovoltaic Testing Lab at ASU has initiated
a partnership with TÜV Rheinland Group to more
effectively conduct photovoltaic testing for companies
around the world. The result of the partnership is TÜV
Rheinland PTL, the only lab in the U. S. accredited
for photovoltaic design qualification and now one of
the world’s most comprehensive and sophisticated
facilities for the testing and certification of solar
energy equipment. Simultaneously, ASU students
have started a number of companies, including Desert
Solar, Energy Derived, and Solar Ionix, to help get
solar power to market more efficiently. These efforts
are part of ASU’s larger Light Works approach to
producing renewable energy.
As we continue to explore more efficient and less
damaging means for natural resource use, the new
sustainability industry in Phoenix will only continue
to evolve and grow. These are just some of the many
ways ASU is responding to the changing needs of our
society.
$580K
Funding for 21 projects through ASU
Pathways to Entrepreneurship Grants:
A portfolio approach
Another critical component for ASU in creating an
ecosystem of innovation is a portfolio approach.
Diversity is important to evolution, and experimentation
is important to innovation. So we are trying a number
of different programs, structures, communications and
incentives in order to increase our potential of success.
We can do this because we are a large university, with
a wide range of disciplines and students. We know that
true innovation is constant, and the occasional failure
is inevitable. We are not afraid to fail, and to
learn, as we change and grow as an institution.
An excellent example of how ASU utilizes diverse
entrepreneurial approaches is the ASU College
of Nursing and Health Innovation, which recently
launched its Center for Health Innovation and Clinical
Trials. With the pressing need and the broad market
for health technology and innovation in mind, the
college has designed experiential programs and
curricula built from clinical partnerships in the local
community and real-world application. Masters and
graduate certificate nursing students are encouraged
to undertake capstone projects that focus on
entrepreneurial innovation in the clinical research
enterprise. In health, ASU has created a database of
health information called QUERY, an enterprise made
up of partners from all around the state. The center
has also built a new biomedical partnership between
the University of Arizona and ASU that provides
medical training for doctors in Phoenix.
Today’s technological revolution is all about the way
we absorb information, which demands radically
different approaches to compiling and distributing
that information. And opportunities for entrepreneurial
thinking within this area abound. We’ve all heard of
starving artists. Starving journalists might become
as common a term if contemporary journalism
education does not give students the intellectual and
pragmatic skills they need to create and distribute
new media and new structures for it. ASU has
created two new centers within the Walter Cronkite
School of Journalism and Mass Communication for
this purpose: the New Media Innovation Lab and
Drawing on diversity
24
25
the John S. and James L. Knight Center for Digital
Media Entrepreneurship. The New Media Innovation
Lab poses challenges to students from big media
corporations, offering students the opportunity to
innovate in response, and then place their innovations
within the big corporate media market. The Knight
Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship, on the
other hand, works from the bottom-up. Students
create new digital media processes and products in
response to issues they identify and then find a market
for their innovations.
In the ASU School of Theatre and Film, the Performing
Arts Venture Experience (p.a.v.e.) supports artists as
they take their work into the world either in the form
of production companies, exhibitions, performances,
musical distribution, or anything else students can
come up with. Last year, p.a.v.e. invested in a range
of student ventures, including Rehearsal Assistant
and the Phoenix Fringe Festival. The first version of
Rehearsal Assistant (a software tool for performance
artists) allows choreographers, directors, lighting
designers and others to take notes and record audio
annotations while watching a rehearsal run. The
Phoenix Fringe Festival provides a venue for innovative
and experiential performances from local as well as
international artists for the purpose of supporting
the work of emerging artists and building an urban
audience. By providing practical experience that
directly complements a student’s undergraduate or
graduate curriculum, p.a.v.e. better prepares him or
her for taking on the challenges of bringing art to an
audience after leaving the structure of an institution.
Artists have always been innovators, but
ASU is helping them learn to communicate with a
wider audience through entrepreneurship, so that their
ideas have a broader impact.
ASU’s School of Arts, Media and Engineering fuses
a range of disciplines and finds a commonality in
innovation. When they work together, faculty and
students have created new spaces, such as SMALLab,
an immersive educational environment that, for
example, helps students to understand physics
through their senses, enabling them to hear the range
of frequency in sounds, feel an object in their hands
and see the range of movements. SMALLab connects
the knowledge from various disciplines and applies it
to real-world learning. SMALLab’s learning innovations
are now having a significant impact in local schools.
The Phoenix Innovation Study is an important part of
ASU’s approach to cross-campus entrepreneurship. It
advances ASU’s research mission by helping to define
the university’s role in innovative entrepreneurship.
The research is led by Sander van der Leeuw, the
director of the ASU School of Human Evolution
and Social Change. While van der Leeuw guides
the project, economists, sociologists, geographers,
political scientists and others are also engaged. The
project involves researchers at ASU as well as some
at the University of North Carolina and the University
of Modena (Italy). Individual entrepreneurs are being
studied as are environments like ASU SkySong. It is
a multidisciplinary, generative approach to invention
and innovation studies. And it fills a worrisome void in
the canon of social analysis since very little has been
written to date on the science of innovation.
The great diversity of our approaches has resulted in
many different entrepreneurship programs, structures,
ideas and courses throughout the university. All of
these initiatives are at varying stages of development,
involving any number of ASU faculty and students, with
multiple colleges and departments participating. But
all of these initiatives have two things in common—they
take an entrepreneurial approach, knowing that this
approach is one that affects the greatest impact. And
they all have the backing and support of ASU.
26
27
Micro-strategies
In addition to creating new structures, developing a
heightened connectivity, supporting new industries
and initiating a wide array of programs, ASU continues
to cultivate and support several micro-strategies within
its many initiatives. These strategies work to generate
much needed energy, which inspire and renew all of
ASU’s entrepreneurial efforts.
Transdisciplinary collaboration
ASU has reorganized itself to focus on problems,
rather than disciplines. Subject areas are made to be
useful—to assist students as they learn, research and
give back to their communities. If a university cannot
go beyond its subject areas to meet contemporary
questions, it has failed to fulfill its potential.
The ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration
gathers geologists, astronomers, astrobiologists and
engineers to tackle questions about our universe.
Energy exchanges
The ASU Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and
the Family engages real estate developers, public
finance experts, urban planners, lawyers, community
members and others to increase the quantity and
quality of affordable housing. In its efforts, the center
is creating development opportunities for new and
existing businesses.
InnovationSpace is a course that brings together
students from business, engineering, industrial
design and visual communication design to create
sustainable, socially responsible, useful
and economically feasible products for
large corporate clients.
And the ASU Technology Venture Services Group
offers courses in which students in law, the
sciences, engineering and business help community
entrepreneurs commercialize technologies. Former
students and current clients have also utilized ASU
Technopolis services, creating a network of science
and technology entrepreneurs.
Experiential learning
Experiential learning is an essential part of the
transition from classroom to real-world applications of
knowledge. Students benefit immensely from seeing
real needs and creating and observing solutions to
those needs. Experiential learning inspires students
and faculty, encourages entrepreneurial thought,
and stimulates increased connectivity between the
university and its community, thereby widening the
influence of ASU’s entrepreneurial programs.
An Aerospace Systems Design course brings together
students from ASU, Mexico’s Tec de Monterrey and
Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University to
design parts for Boeing airplanes in response to
actual requests for proposals.
FLEET, Fast and Light Entrepreneurship Experiences
in Technology, is a collaboration between the ASU
College of Technology and Innovation and the ASU
Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness
that pairs student teams with industry experts.
ASU’s GlobalResolve engages students in projects
that directly improve the lives of people in under-
developed nations throughout the world.
The Sun Devil Entrepreneurship Network offers
internship opportunities in fast-growth enterprises.
Problem-focused learning
Both Aerospace Systems Design and InnovationSpace
are courses that bring in corporate clients as a
component of the classroom experience. Boeing,
Herman Miller, Intel, Motorola and a variety of
nonprofit organizations in Phoenix have presented
challenges for ASU students to solve. These real world
learning opportunities heighten students’ awareness
of entrepreneurship and, as shown through evaluation
surveys, increase their entrepreneurial intent.
28
Recognizing the entrepreneurship spectrum
ASU offers students, faculty, staff and community
members access to entrepreneurship support through
a variety of mechanisms. These mechanisms are
designed to meet people where they are on their
own personal trajectory between ideas and action.
For the individual who has never considered what
entrepreneurship is or how it relates to him or her,
ASU offers 122 distinct courses on entrepreneurship-
related topics. For students from any major at ASU,
there is access to the Certificate in Knowledge
Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
For students who are beginning to formulate a plan
of action there are experiential learning opportunities
and starter grants available through the Entrepreneur
Advantage Project, among other sources. For student
teams ready to launch a venture there is the Edson
Student Entrepreneur Initiative, which offers grants
from $5,000-$20,000 in addition to office space,
training and mentorship. For students, faculty and
community members who have launched their
venture and hope to take it to the next level there is
ASU Technopolis and ASU’s Advanced Technology
Innovation Center.
29
To assist with commercialization there is Arizona
Technology Enterprises, the Technology Venture
Services Group and the business services at ASU
SkySong. For companies ready to connect with
investors and for investors looking to connect with
companies, ASU hosts the Invest Southwest Capital
Conference, meetings of the Arizona Angel Investors
Network and the Arizona Technology Investor Forum.
Within these colleges and schools, individual courses,
research centers and programs, ASU allows students
further opportunities to collaborate, diversify their
knowledge and their experiences, and innovate.
Ultimately, it is the knowledge, the passion
and the creative ideas generated by our
entrepreneurs that fuel the outcomes we achieve.
436
Companies receiving training, mentoring and
networking services from ASU Technopolis:
As part of the Phoenix Innovation Study, Gabriella
Sanchez-Evangelista and a team of multidisciplinary
researchers are focusing on how to stimulate
the economy and support local entrepreneurs
by matching resources to community needs for
education, networking and policy change.
ASU is creating a movement in entrepreneurial
education. It’s a movement based on bringing people
together, empowering individuals and groups to
innovate, and giving people entrepreneurial skills to
pair with their knowledge.
If you think about how to get from idea to enterprise
and from enterprise to real value, you often need
knowledge in business, policy, law, design, technology
and art. And so rather than excluding some disciplines,
entrepreneurship at ASU brings all disciplines
together. You need integrated learning. And this is
what ASU provides.
Entrepreneurship is a mindset: being ready to take
risks, thinking creatively to form new enterprises,
introducing new processes and creating new kinds of
value. Studying entrepreneurship by itself or majoring
in entrepreneurship doesn’t make sense to us. At ASU,
entrepreneurship is mapped onto the other topics you
study. It’s about using the knowledge you have and
being committed to taking your work out into the world
and having a real impact.
Creating
a movement
$27.5M
Total external financing for Ulthera, a medical
device company mentored by ASU Technopolis:
31
Entrepreneurship is the pathway between the
world and research, between art and innovation,
between product development and ideas. Because
entrepreneurship can’t be innovatively practiced at
static institutions, ASU has become an innovation
ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship at every
level. It is everywhere we go, a part of everything we
do. At ASU, entrepreneurship is.
Join us
Do you have an idea?
Be part of the innovation ecosystem at Arizona State
University. If you have a story, comment or suggestion
for furthering entrepreneurship at ASU, please
share it!
• How do you engage in entrepreneurship at ASU?
• How do you inspire ASU students to take their work
out into the world and make an impact?
• What does your innovation ecosystem look like?
Please visit the New American University blog and
post your contributions to this ongoing discussion and
read others’ comments at:http://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu
You may also send your responses via email to:
[email protected]
ASU values entrepreneurship. Join us in creating
solutions to meet the global challenges before us.
Together, we can effect positive change in our world.
32
Entrepreneurship at ASU is not limited to a single
center, a single program or a single major. When
it comes to leading discovery and commercializing
new innovations, entrepreneurship abounds from
every field of study, every unit at ASU—the entire
university in fact. You won’t find another university
entrepreneurship program that compares to ASU’s,
because at ASU, entrepreneurship is more than
a program, it’s a way of life. Leadership of the
entrepreneurship initiative comes from ASU President
Michael M. Crow; and Kimberly Loui, associate
vice president and executive director of University
Initiatives.
Major experiential programs and ASU SkySong are
directed by Julia Rosen, associate vice president for
innovation and entrepreneurship. Communication is led
by Terri Shafer, associate vice president for marketing
and strategic communications.
Signature curriculum efforts are led by Elizabeth
D. Capaldi, university provost and executive vice
president; Philip Regier, executive dean, W. P.
Carey School of Business; Bernadette Melnyk,
dean, College of Nursing and Health Innovation;
Christopher Callahan, dean, Walter Cronkite School
of Journalism and Mass Communication; Linda
Essig, director, School of Theatre and Film; Prasad
Boradkar, associate professor of industrial design and
InnovationSpace project leader; Thanassis Rikakis,
director, School of Arts, Media and Engineering.
Research efforts are led by Sander van der Leeuw,
director, School of Human Evolution and Social
Change; Jose Lobo, research professor, School of
Human Evolution and Social Change; Dennis Hoffman,
director, Seidman Research Institute; Nancy Jurik,
professor, School of Justice Studies and Social
Inquiry; Barbara Robles, associate professor, School of
Social Work.
The university entrepreneurship team includes
Margaret Burch, director of evaluation and budget,
Office University Initiatives; Jennifer Pruett,
administrative specialist, Office of University
Initiatives; Audrey Iffert, Innovation Fellow, Office
of University Initiatives; Steven Harper, director,
marketing and strategic communications; Terree
Wasley, director for innovation and entrepreneurship,
Office of the Vice President for Research and
Economic Affairs; Scott Perkofski, program manager
for innovation and entrepreneurship, Office of the
Vice President for Research and Economic Affairs;
Jason Bronowitz, coordinator for entrepreneurship
programs, W. P. Carey School of Business; Linda
Mottle, director, Center for Health Innovation &
Clinical Trials; Dan Gillmor, director, Knight Center for
Digital Media Entrepreneurship; CJ Cornell, professor,
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass
Communication; Miguel Valenti, program director, Film
and Media Production.
Appendix A:
ASU’s entrepreneurship structure
The entrepreneurship network also includes all contacts
in Appendix D.
Entrepreneurship at ASU can be found online athttp://entrepreneurship.asu.edu
33
The framework for entrepreneurship at ASU was laid
years ago, as our colleges and schools recognized
the need for students to acquire entrepreneurial
skills. ASU’s business and engineering schools
offered courses to their students and the ASU
Spirit of Enterprise Center supported community
entrepreneurs.
With the rapid rate of innovation and impact of
entrepreneurship in today’s world, ASU is striving to
provide all of its 69,000 students needed access to
entrepreneurship education.
Before our partnership with the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation, programs like InnovationSpace
existed, but were far less sophisticated than they
are now and served fewer students. ASU had new
entrepreneurial leaders but those leaders had
ideas that needed more resources in order to be
implemented.
What the Kauffman Foundation’s investment allowed
ASU to do was to build on new leadership, add more
elements to successful existing programs, and to
dramatically propel entrepreneurship education
forward at ASU. The Kauffman Foundation has helped
ASU to rapidly expand entrepreneurship programs
across the university and to gain more national
visibility in doing so.
The impact of the Kauffman Foundation’s investment
can be seen in diverse programs throughout ASU.
New programs that were made possible through
the Kauffman Foundation’s investment include the
Center for Health Innovation and Clinical Trials, the
Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship,
the Pathways to Entrepreneurship Grants, the
Entrepreneur Advantage Project, the Phoenix
Innovation Study, the Performing Arts Venture
Experience (p.a.v.e.) and the Certificate in Knowledge
Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Systemic changes have also been made to existing
ASU programs, such as the Technology Ventures
Services Group, InnovationSpace and Arts, Media
and Engineering.
Matching funds from ASU have supported these
programs, as well as communications regarding
entrepreneurship at ASU, development and
management evaluation tools such as the Collegiate
Learning Assessment. Following the Kauffman
Foundation’s lead, additional external sources from the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the National
Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, the
National Science Foundation and IBM, to name a few,
have funded flourishing ASU programs.
As new collaborations develop, the influences of
these programs are being felt beyond their disciplinary
homes of nursing, journalism, business, law, design
and fine arts, and even the university itself.
Appendix B:
The Kauffman Foundation investment
34
35
Appendix C:
The Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship
The Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship
is devoted to the development of new media
entrepreneurship and the creation of innovative digital
media products. As students work on their projects,
they are not only inventing their own jobs but also
helping invent the future of journalism.
The Knight Center is the result of a Knight News
Challenge three-year, $552,000 grant awarded to
the Cronkite School in 2007 from the John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation. The donation is matched
dollar for dollar with a grant from the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation, part of a $5 million gift to
ASU for entrepreneurship programs. The Knight
News Challenge is a five-year, $25 million challenge
designed to encourage new uses of digital media to
transform community news.
Dan Gillmor, an internationally recognized journalist,
author and educator in the areas of digital media and
citizen-based journalism, directs the center. Gillmor and
CJ Cornell, the program’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence,
teach entrepreneurial thinking and skills to a cross-
section of students majoring in such programs as
journalism, computer engineering, design and business.
They also work individually with students developing
innovative digital media products and services.
Cornell, whose expertise is in the business aspects of
launching and sustaining new products and services,
has been a co-founder, executive and investor in
ventures in video, cable television and online media.
Gillmor says entrepreneurial skills are increasingly
essential both for students who end up working in
traditional media companies and those who will create
new media startups. The Knight Center classes help
students become fluent in a variety of digital media
forms and understand the trends that are redefining
journalism, including media economics and product
development, business and marketing.
In June, two years after its Knight News Challenge
funding, the Knight Center has produced another
News Challenge grantee – The Daily Phoenix, a
student project designed to help serve the community
aggregating around the Valley’s light rail corridor. The
Daily Phoenix will offer news and information, games,
social networking features and promotions on a stop-
by-stop basis for light rail commuters. Other student
projects are ongoing and have received outside
funding.
Integrating a culture of entrepreneurship
throughout a New American University
ASU colleges and schools engaged in
entrepreneurship: 100%
Entrepreneurship courses at ASU: 122
Clinical trial revenues at the ASU Center for Health
Innovation and Clinical Trials: $134K
ASU cash awards to student entrepreneurship
ventures and projects: $613K
Square feet of mixed-used space at ASU SkySong,
the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center at full
build-out: 1.2M
Mexican companies engaged in the TechBA Arizona
pre-acceleration program: 32
ASU student entrepreneurship ventures and projects
funded over the last five years: 102
Funding for 21 projects through Pathways to
Entrepreneurship Grants: $580K
Companies formed from ASU inventions and
technologies over the last 6 years: 19
Companies receiving training, mentoring, and
networking services from ASU Technopolis: 436
Companies using ASU SkySong as a base to expand
their regional or global market: 63
Total external financing for Ulthera, a medical device
company mentored by ASU Technopolis: $27.5M
Appendix D:
ASU: entrepreneurship and innovation
36
Appendix E:
Entrepreneurship at ASU
A
Advanced Technology Innovation Center
The Advanced Technology Innovation Center
(ATIC) provides engineering, design and
product development services to entrepreneurs
and small to medium-sized enterprises who
have a solid, innovative product idea. The
ATIC empowers entrepreneurs in the greater
Phoenix area to make use of ASU assets and
take their innovations from paper to prototype.
Contact: Razdan Anshuman, director, Advanced
Technology Innovation Center, razdan@asu.
edu,http://atic. asu.edu/.
Arizona Angels Venture Group, Inc.
The Arizona Angels Venture Group, Inc. , in
partnership with ASU Technopolis and Invest
Southwest, is a group of accredited investors
who invest primarily in Arizona-based early-
stage and developing-growth companies.
The mission of the Arizona Angels is to
find compelling investment opportunities
for its members while contributing to the
economic development of the region. Contact:
Terree Wasley, director for innovation and
entrepreneurship, Office of the Vice President
for Research and Economic Affairs, terree.
[email protected],http://www. arizonaangels.
com/.
Arizona Technology Enterprises
Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE) takes
the university’s technology developments from
the research lab to the marketplace. Working
with emerging technologies in life sciences,
energy, healthcare, biotech, nanotechnology
and other strong portfolio segments with high
growth opportunity, AzTE offers expertise in
technology evaluation, product development,
technology marketing, capital formation,
operations management, intellectual property
management and technology transfer
protection, industry relationships, licensing and
commercialization. Contact: Charlie Lewis, vice
president of venture development, Arizona
Technology Enterprises [email protected],http://www. azte.com/.
Arizona Technology Investor Forum
The Arizona Technology Investor Forum
(ATIF) is an ASU partnership which facilitates
access to the capital, talent, technology and
resources needed to build successful ventures.
ATIF is a nonprofit entity focused on providing
a constant deal flow stream of early-stage
technology ventures. ATIF is managed by the
Entrepreneurial Programs Office in ASU’s Ira
A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. The close
relationship with the university ensures a
steady stream of student, faculty, and alumni-
led technology ventures for ATIF member
review and potential investment. Contact: Ira A.
Fulton Schools of Engineering Dean’s Office,http://atif. asu.edu/.
Arts, Media and Engineering
The School of Arts, Media and Engineering
conducts interdisciplinary research in the
development of experiential media. Contact:
Thanassis Rikakis, director, School of Arts,
Media and Engineering, thanassis.rikakis@asu.
edu,http://ame. asu.edu/.
ASU 101: The ASU Experience
ASU 101 is a primer course for the New
American University required for all first-year
freshman. The course serves as a platform
to raise awareness of ASU’s entrepreneurial
culture and introduce students to learning
resources related to entrepreneurship and
innovation. ASU 101 is designed to plant the
seeds of interest that will lead students to
pursue additional study of entrepreneurship
and innovation.http://dlt. asu.edu/asu101/.
C
Center for Health Innovation and
Clinical Trials
The Center for Health Innovation and Clinical
Trials engages in collaboration, outreach, clinical
trials and educational activities to support the
development of innovative health products,
processes, and educational programs. In addition
to launching the center, the ASU College of
Nursing and Health Innovation offers a master’s
degree in healthcare innovation and a certificate
in clinical research management. Beginning fall
2009, students in the certificate program may
transfer to a master’s degree in clinical research
management. Contact: Linda Mottle, director,
Center for Health Innovation and Clinical Trials,
[email protected],http://nursing. asu.edu/
research/chict/index.htm.
Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities for
ASU: From .edu to .com
Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities for ASU:
From .edu to .com engages students through
collaboration with small and medium enterprises.
The program brings entrepreneurs to campus to
speak to students and hosts PolyTech Day. This
project is a part of the Advanced Technology
Innovation Center (ATIC) in the ASU College of
Technology and Innovation. Contact: Anshuman
Razdan, director, Advanced Technology
Innovation Center, [email protected].
37
D
Designing for Resilience
Designing for Resilience incorporates
resilience theory into the product design and
development process in InnovationSpace.
Resilience theory addresses the ability of
people to recover after destabilizing life events,
such as a serious illness or death of a loved
one. Contact: Prasad Boradkar, associate
professor, School of Design Innovation, prasad.
[email protected],http://innovationspace.
asu.edu/.
E
Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative
The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative
offers students grants of up to $20,000
to launch a new venture. Students receive
mentoring, office space and a network that
helps them turn their idea into an enterprise.
Contact: Scott Perkofski, program manager,
Office of the Vice President for Research and
Economic Affairs, [email protected],http://studentventures. asu.edu/.
The Entrepreneur Advantage Project
The Entrepreneur Advantage Project (EAP)
offers students up to $2,000 in funding for
entrepreneurship-related projects. Contact:
Scott Perkofski, program manager, Office of
the Vice President for Research and Economic
Affairs, [email protected], http://
entrepreneurship. asu.edu/entrepreneur_
advantage_project.
Ethnography & Innovation
Ethnography & Innovation is a course that
provides student training and research
experience through the ethnographic study
of innovation at ASU SkySong. Contact:
Sander van der Leeuw, director, School of
Human Evolution and Social Change,
[email protected].
F
Fast and Light Entrepreneurship
Experiences in Technology
Fast and Light Entrepreneurship Experiences
in Technology (FLEET) is providing a
multidisciplinary experiential learning course
and workshop that teaches students to use
agile methods to create software ventures.
Contact: Kevin Gary, assistant professor,
College of Technology and Innovation,
Department of Engineering, [email protected].
For Forging a Fair Trade Network
For Forging a Fair Trade Network links network
artisan producers in Oaxaca, Mexico to
wholesalers and retailers in Puerto Penasco,
Sonora and Phoenix. Contact: Julie Murphy
Erfani, associate professor of political science,
New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and
Sciences, Division of Social and Behavioral
Sciences, [email protected].
Four Directions
The Four Directions project conducts
workshops that bring together Native American
students, Native American business leaders
and ASU faculty to teach entrepreneurship
for Native American cultures. The workshop is
being developed into a capstone course for the
Knowledge Entrepreneurship and Innovation
certificate. The program will also be launching
a summer entrepreneurship program for Native
American high school students. Contact:
Patricia Mariella, director, American Indian
Policy Institute, [email protected].
G
GlobalResolve
GlobalResolve is a social entrepreneurship
program that involves ASU students in
semester-long projects that address the
challenges faced by people in under-developed
areas throughout the world using sustainable
solutions. Contact: Mark Henderson, professor,
College of Technology and Innovation,
Department of Engineering, mark.henderson@
asu.edu,http://globalresolve. asu.edu/.
I
Innovating for Life: Exploring Biomimicry
Innovating for Life: Exploring Biomimicry utilizes
biomimicry in new product development in
InnovationSpace. Biomimicry looks at the forms,
materials and functions of nature for clues to
solve design and engineering problems. Contact:
Prasad Boradkar, associate professor, School of
Design Innovation, [email protected],http://innovationspace. asu.edu/.
InnovationSpace
InnovationSpace is a multidisciplinary year-long
course teaching students to develop products
that create market value while serving societal
needs. ASU students from industrial design,
visual communication design, engineering and
business work in teams with industry partners
like Herman Miller, Intel, and Procter & Gamble.
Contact: Prasad Boradkar, associate professor,
School of Design Innovation, prasad.boradkar@
asu.edu,http://innovationspace. asu.edu/.
Invest Southwest Capital Conference
The Invest Southwest Capital Conference
provides opportunities for accredited investors
to review quality companies. The companies
seeking capital are rigorously screened by a
panel of investors and venture capitalists from
across the southwest. Contact: Terree Wasley,
director for innovation and entrepreneurship,
Office of the Vice President for Research and
Economic Affairs, [email protected], http://
investsouthwest.org/.
38
K
Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship
The John S. and James L. Knight Center
for Digital Media Entrepreneurship is
devoted to the development of new media
entrepreneurship and the creation of innovative
digital media products. Contact: Dan Gillmor,
director, Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship, [email protected],http://startupmedia.org/.
M
My Life Venture and Certificate in
Knowledge Entrepreneurship and
Innovation
My Life Venture and the Certificate in
Knowledge Entrepreneurship and Innovation
consists of three university-wide My Life
Venture courses and a two-course capstone
experience in the college or school of the
student’s major. The three core classes are:
1) My Life Venture: self-discovery and personal
aspects of entrepreneurship, personal finance
and career paths; 2) Creativity and Innovation:
practice of creating and innovating for success
in entrepreneurship; and 3) Venture Creation:
business aspects of entrepreneurship. Contact:
Jason Bronowitz, coordinator, W. P. Carey
School of Business, jason.bronowitz@asu.
edu,http://wpcarey. asu.edu/undergraduate/
current-students/academics/my-life-venture.
cfm.
P
Pathways to Entrepreneurship Grant
The primary goal of the Pathways to
Entrepreneurship Grant (PEG) is to increase
university-wide involvement in entrepreneurship
education and research. The goal is to
strengthen the overall entrepreneurship efforts
at ASU through program development grants
for ASU faculty and staff. Contact: Margaret
Burch, director of evaluation and budget
for entrepreneurship, Office of University
Initiatives, [email protected], http://
entrepreneurship. asu.edu/.
p.a.v.e.
Performing Arts Venture Experience (p. a.v.e.)
offers organizational and financial support
for student ventures in the arts. p. a.v.e. also
develops curriculum enhancements, hosts an
biannual arts entrepreneurship symposium
as well as speakers. Contact: Linda Essig,
director, School of Theatre and Film, linda.
[email protected],http://theatrefilm. asu.edu/
initiatives/pave.php.
Phoenix Innovation Study
The Phoenix Innovation Study brings together
researchers from several disciplines to discover
ways to remove the obstacles that restrict the
innovative potential of small- and medium-
sized business in the Phoenix-metro area.
This research will help create an environment
that facilitates entrepreneurship in the region.
Contact: Sander van der Leeuw, director,
School of Human Evolution and Social Change,
[email protected],http://entrepreneurship.
asu.edu/phoenix_innovation_study.
S
SkySong, ASU Scottsdale Innovation
Center
SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation
Center, has become one of the most important
economic drivers for Arizona and the Southwest
region by uniting the resources at ASU with the
economic needs of surrounding communities.
ASU established this global hub of innovation
and venture creation to assist entrepreneurs
and innovators with local, national and global
market expansions. ASU SkySong connects
local and global enterprises with ASU’s
expertise, technologies and workforce pipeline.
Contact: Julia Rosen, associate vice president
for innovation and entrepreneurship, Office of
the Vice President for Research and Economic
Affairs, [email protected],http://skysong.
asu.edu
Spirit of Enterprise Center
The Spirit of Enterprise Center supports the
entrepreneurial needs of students and the
community by serving as a point of contact for
companies in the community. The center provides
key resources to hundreds of businesses every
year and supports academic entrepreneurship by
hosting the annual Spirit of Enterprise awards.
Contact: Gary C. Naumann, director, Spirit of
Enterprise Center, [email protected], www.
spiritofenterprise.org.
Sun Devil Entrepreneurship Network
The Sun Devil Entrepreneurship Network (SDEN)
provides ASU students with internships and
full-time placement at entrepreneurial companies
in the Phoenix-metro area. Contact: Janice
Kleinwort, ASU SkySong corporate liaison,
[email protected],http://internship.
entrepreneurship. asu.edu/.
39
T
ASU-Teach for America Partnership
Aiming to address Arizona’s most pressing
educational needs, ASU and Teach For
America are collaborating in four specific
areas: recruitment of ASU students into Teach
For America, teacher support and development,
alumni leadership, and the Teach For America
Phoenix Summer Institute. Specifically, this
partnership fosters innovation in education to
ensure the future success of children and the
state through the development of an induction,
master’s and certification program; educational
incentives such as full fellowships and
recruitment activities; and the selection of ASU
as the Teach For America Phoenix Summer
Institute site. The impact of this partnership
is evident through the number of Teach For
America corps members enrolled in ASU’s
education programs, the increased attention
toward high-needs schools, the enhanced
collaboration between ASU faculty and local
school districts and the dramatic increase
in ASU students’ Teach For America corps
member applications. Contact: Heather Carter,
director of community engagements and
communication, College of Teacher Education
and Leadership, [email protected].
Technology Ventures Services Group
The Technology Ventures Services Group
provides legal and consulting services to
ASU-affiliated entrepreneurs. Students from
law, business, engineering and the sciences
participate in patent investigation, business
modeling, deal structuring, market assessment
and research. Contact: Eric Menkhus, director,
Technology Ventures Services Group, eric.
[email protected],http://law. asu.edu/
techventures.
Technopolis
ASU Technopolis provides rigorous programs
that educate, coach and connect innovators
and entrepreneurs. Technopolis brings together
service providers, venture capitalists, investors,
attorneys and accountants side-by-side with
entrepreneurs across ASU and across the
globe. Contact: Terree Wasley, director for
innovation and entrepreneurship, Office of the
Vice President for Research and Economic
Affairs, [email protected],http://www.
asutechnopolis.org/.
U
University Public Schools
University Public Schools, Inc. is a nonprofit
organization that works in collaboration with ASU
to increase student achievement in public schools.
University Public Schools operates PreK through
grade 12 schools in partnership with select school
districts, community partners and educational
service providers for the purpose of delivering an
innovative curriculum and learning environment.
Through University Public Schools, ASU can
embed research into curriculum development,
professional development and the application
of learning to technology—with the goal of
developing innovative education models that can
be scaled across the state and nation to increase
academic achievement of all children. The first
school opened in August 2008 at the ASU
Polytechnic campus. The second school opened
in downtown Phoenix in August 2009. Contact:
Eugene Garcia, vice president, Office of Education
Partnerships, [email protected], http://
universitypublicschools. asu.edu/.
40
Produced by Arizona State University
Office of University Initiatives
August 2009
Photography: Eliza Gregory, Jeff Noble and Bradley Rogers
© 2009 Arizona Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Arizona State University
Office of University Initiatives
PO Box 873203
Tempe, AZ 85287-3203http://ui.asu.edu
About ASU
Arizona State University is the largest public research
university in the United States under a single administration.
ASU serves more than 67,000 students in 17 schools at four
campuses across metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona.
For more information, please visit:http://entrepreneurship.asu.edu
www.fsc.org
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