May 2011

The Kauffman Foundation is searching for the world's most promising new companies for its second annual Startup Open competition, a global competition to identify the world's best startups. 

Audrey Iffert leads a presentation at Phoenix's Community Jobs Forum on how entrepreneurs play a large role in bolstering the U.S. economy through job creation.

You might not be able to tell from looking at me in four-inch heels today, but growing up, I worked construction.
 
My dad is a self-employed contractor. I was one of only four employees in a job that called for all hands on deck. In fact, when my dad was reroofing a house, I was reroofing a house; when he was installing ceramic tile, I was installing ceramic tile; and when he was sanding drywall, I was sanding drywall.

ASU graduate Elie Chmouni received his masters in Mechanical Engineering in 2011 and has gone on to start a new venture called Blue Dream. He is also a 2011 Edson grant winner. Photo by Kyle Patton

Elie Chmouni is a 2009 graduate from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. He received his bachelors in mechanical engineering and went on to complete his masters in the same field in 2011. Chmouni and his company, Blue Dream, recently won a $2,000 grant and office space at ASU SkySong from the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative,  a funding opportunity open to ASU students. Blue Dream is a one-stop shop for development, design and production of video, audio, graphics and marketing material. Chmouni and his team have already won two national awards for work in video and have a growing collection of guaranteed contracts. Blue Dream will fully-launch later this year.

Kimberlee Headlee poses for a picture. Headlee, a master's student in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering is developing technology to aid in music therapy. Photo by Kyle Patton

Kim Headlee is a master’s student in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering (AME) and has spent her academic career dedicated to the study of music. Recently, Headlee, an aspiring singer, has changed the direction of her passion from performance to helping develop innovative ways to use music as a therapeutic tool.