Arizona State University’s Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative is now in its 11th year. Each year, student start-ups apply to be chosen for this prestigious program. The program is dedicated to refining and growing innovative student-led start-ups that have the potential to make an impact on our local community and the world. For the 2015-2016 school year, there are 21 start-ups participating.
Once chosen for the program, students receive support and guidance from advisors and mentors at the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at ASU SkySong. Many alums of the program stay involved, making themselves available as peer mentors to current students, which creates a real sense of community in the Edson program. In addition to the support students receive, the start-ups are given office space, up to $20,000 in seed funding, and access to educational programs such as the ASU Startup School.
The investor community recognizes the talent and potential in these Edson start-ups. Last year, the companies in the program were able to raise almost $3 million in external funding.
Some examples of the start-ups chosen for this year include a non-profit organization that aims to fight sex-trafficking in the US, a company that makes inexpensive building materials using recycled paper, a team focused on making e-readers that can be operated by individuals with a wide range of disabilities, and an interactive program designed to help users plant and care for their garden, as well as 17 other start-ups. There is a large variety of companies chosen this year, and all have the potential to be highly useful and helpful in our local and global communities.
To read the original article, and to see the complete list of start-ups, click here.