{"id":3824,"date":"2023-08-31T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entrepreneurship.asu.edu\/blog\/?p=3824"},"modified":"2023-08-29T18:52:09","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T18:52:09","slug":"new-school-year-new-reason-to-just-start-on-your-entrepreneurial-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entrepreneurship.asu.edu\/blog\/2023\/08\/31\/new-school-year-new-reason-to-just-start-on-your-entrepreneurial-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"New School Year, New Reason to \u2018Just Start\u2019 on Your Entrepreneurial Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It\u2019s that time of the year again! Staff and faculty are gearing up to welcome new and returning students to ASU for new classes and new experiences. A new school year brings many new opportunities. If you\u2019re a student, then you\u2019re likely thinking about the welcome week events you\u2019re going to attend, which student organizations you might join, which programs you might engage with, and other ways that you can make the most out of your time at ASU this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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For eight years in a row, ASU has been<\/span> ranked #1 in Innovation by U.S. News & World Report<\/span><\/a> but we aren\u2019t planning on stopping at eight. So we hope you\u2019ll join us this year by not only being part of all of the innovation happening around you, but also by leaning into your own innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial aspirations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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At the <\/span>J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute<\/span><\/a>, we create communities, programming, resources and opportunities for you as a student to be innovative and feel encouraged and supported in exploring your ideas. Our Executive Director, <\/span>Linda Ricchiuti<\/span><\/a>, has some tips and words of encouragement for ASU students this upcoming year. As an entrepreneur herself, Linda views entrepreneurship as a problem-solving endeavor. While she never attended a formal entrepreneurship program, she considers herself a practitioner who has learned by doing and asking for help along the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Linda Ricchiuti, Executive Director, J. Orin Edson\u00a0<\/em>
Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

It can sometimes be challenging to see yourself as an innovator or an entrepreneur, especially if you always hear things like \u201centrepreneurs are born, not made\u201d or \u201centrepreneurship is in your DNA.\u201d Linda challenges that way of thinking. \u201cI can tell you it was not in my DNA, but what <\/span>was <\/span><\/i>in my DNA was being a natural learner. Being interested, having curiosity, and consistently quelling it with fruitful knowledge of your passion is the only leverage and springboard you need to tap into any industry,\u201d Linda said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Edson E+I, we also believe that being entrepreneurial and innovative is about curiosity, leaning into your creativity, solving problems, and challenging the status quo. College is an opportunity to explore, learn, grow, and challenge yourself, so just by being here, you\u2019re already being entrepreneurial.<\/span><\/p>\n

If I\u2019ve convinced you, even a little, that entrepreneurship and innovation are already within you, then I have some great starting points for examining that idea further this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Want to explore what entrepreneurship resources are available to you?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Launch Days<\/b> – Each fall and spring semester, we host a month-long campaign, known as <\/span>Launch Days<\/span><\/a>, for students to learn about entrepreneurship resources and opportunities available, hear from other current student entrepreneurs, and get inspired. This fall, Launch Days will be hosted throughout the month of September with events throughout the month. All of the details can be found <\/span>on the Launch Days website<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Training and Development Resources<\/b> – We have a multitude of on-demand resources known as Training and Development Resources (TDR), which are free, digital tools and modules centered on various entrepreneurial topics. <\/span>Explore the TDR<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ready to work on an idea?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Pitch Events<\/b> – Pitch events are an excellent opportunity to share your idea, practice your pitching skills, get feedback, and even potentially win some funding to move your idea forward. Two pitch events that we host that are low-stakes starting points include Open Pitch Week and Pitch In.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n