In September 2020, Arizona State University proudly named the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute in recognition of J. Orin Edson’s transformational endowed gift and his longstanding commitment to empowering entrepreneurs. The naming honored a legacy that began in 2005 with the creation of the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative. It also reaffirmed a bold commitment to expanding entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities for generations to come. Read the original announcement here.
Over the past year, we’ve celebrated this milestone alongside the students, founders, faculty, mentors, educators, partners and supporters who make our entrepreneurial ecosystem so remarkable. But anniversaries aren’t simply about looking back. They’re an opportunity to recognize how far we’ve come, and to recommit ourselves to building what comes next.
Five years after becoming the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, one thing is abundantly clear: J. Orin Edson’s belief in the power of entrepreneurship continues to create opportunity every day.
A Legacy That Continues to Create Opportunity
J. Orin Edson believed that innovation could improve lives. His generosity established a lasting foundation for an entrepreneurial ecosystem designed to help people transform ideas into action. Today, Edson E+I has grown into one of the nation’s largest and most accessible university entrepreneurship communities, built around the simple but powerful belief that entrepreneurship is for everyone.
From middle school students discovering innovation for the first time to college students exploring a startup, faculty researchers commercializing groundbreaking discoveries and community founders building a small business, our role is to create pathways that help you succeed. Edson E+I has intentionally built an interconnected continuum of experiences, including education, mentorship, venture development, innovation spaces, funding opportunities and community partnerships. These experiences allow innovators to enter wherever they are and access the resources they need as they grow. That vision has guided everything we’ve built over the last five years.
A Remarkable Fifth Year by the Numbers
The impact of J. Orin Edson’s investment continues to grow. During FY2026* alone, Edson E+I achieved extraordinary impact:
- Reached more than 77,000 innovators through entrepreneurship programming
- Actively engaged more than 11,000 entrepreneurs and innovators across our programs
- Awarded more than $770,000 in non-dilutive funding to founders
- Provided more than 800 hours of mentorship across our entrepreneurial ecosystem
The ventures themselves also demonstrate the power of this ecosystem:
- 70% of surveyed founders** launched a new product or service
- 63% generated revenue
- 42% secured outside investment
Behind every one of these numbers is a person willing to solve a problem, take a risk, build a company, improve a community or create something that didn’t exist before. These outcomes demonstrate the lasting impact of J. Orin Edson’s investment in ASU’s entrepreneurial future.
*FY2026 represents the 12-month period of July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
*57 founders completed the FY26 impact survey, representing ventures from across multiple Edson E+I programs.
Building an Ecosystem That Serves Every Entrepreneur
One of the defining characteristics of Edson E+I today is that entrepreneurship isn’t limited to one college, one discipline or one stage of life. Our work spans the entire innovation pipeline.
Young learners across Arizona discover creative confidence through programs like Invention Convention Arizona and Verizon Innovative Learning Labs, inspiring thousands of future innovators before they even reach college. During FY2026, more than 6,500 Arizona K–12 students participated in Invention Convention Arizona, while more than 40,000 middle school students nationwide engaged through Verizon Innovative Learning Labs.
At ASU, Venture Devils continues to help students transform ideas into ventures. This past year, the program welcomed 563 new student ventures and awarded more than $590,000 in non-dilutive seed funding.
Entrepreneurship continues to reach new audiences through SPORTx, which helps ASU student-athletes translate the discipline, resilience and leadership developed through sport into entrepreneurial opportunities. Created in partnership with Sun Devil Athletics, with funding support from GoDaddy and in collaboration with NACDA, the program equips athletes with mentorship, entrepreneurial education and tools for personal branding, venture creation and career development. In FY2026, SPORTx engaged more than 500 student-athletes and supported the creation of more than 350 athlete-owned digital brands.
Faculty researchers are also finding new pathways to impact. Through Innovation2Market programming, Edson E+I supported more than 205 faculty ventures, awarded funding and helped researchers move discoveries from the laboratory into the marketplace.
Across Arizona’s broader entrepreneurial community, programs like Venture Start, in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), expanded access to entrepreneurship through free statewide programming, engaging more than 420 founders in its inaugural year while strengthening connections across Arizona’s innovation ecosystem.
Together, these programs reflect Edson E+I’s commitment to expanding opportunity through entrepreneurship, creating pathways for innovators at every stage to explore ideas, develop solutions and create meaningful impact.
Community Makes Entrepreneurship Possible
At Edson E+I we believe that entrepreneurship is a human endeavor. The relationships built through mentors, collaborators, partners and peers often provide the support that transforms promising ideas into lasting impact. Today, Edson E+I’s mentor network includes 72 active mentors. During FY26, E+I mentors served 356 ventures through more than 838 hours of mentorship.
Across four Place-Based Innovation Spaces (PBIS), entrepreneurs, students, faculty and community members came together through nearly 1,400 events, welcoming more than 2,400 space users to environments intentionally designed for innovation and collaboration. These spaces—and the communities within them—reflect the philosophy that has guided Edson E+I from the beginning: innovation flourishes where people feel connected, supported and empowered.
As one entrepreneur shared:
“Thank you for this amazing space to be innovative, safe to make mistakes and learn and to share your resources.”
The Next Five Years Begin Today
The fifth anniversary was never intended to be simply a celebration of what has already been accomplished. Instead, it has served as a reminder that entrepreneurship is fundamentally about possibility. Every year brings new challenges, new technologies and new opportunities to serve entrepreneurs in more meaningful ways.
Looking ahead, the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute remains committed to expanding access to entrepreneurship, strengthening Arizona’s innovation ecosystem, building new partnerships, supporting founders from every background and creating opportunities that help ideas become lasting impact. None of this would have been possible without the generosity and vision of J. Orin Edson and the continued support of the Edson family. Their investment has empowered thousands of students, researchers, founders, educators and community leaders—and its impact continues to grow every year.
As our 5th anniversary celebration concludes, our mission remains the same as it was five years ago:
Expand opportunity.
Build community.
Create lasting impact.
We invite you to explore our full FY2026 Impact Report to learn more about the people, programs and partnerships driving this work and to celebrate what we’ve accomplished together over the past year.