About

Owning a business can open many doors in life, but for women and underrepresented minority entrepreneurs, there are often significant barriers to entry, such as access to capital and other resources. A renowned leader in removing these barriers to entry and empowering entrepreneurs of all backgrounds is the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The foundation launched a multimillion-dollar Inclusion Challenge in 2016 that aimed to support more women and underrepresented minorities working to succeed as entrepreneurs, and Arizona State University was one of the first winning organizations. 

ASU launched an initiative to encourage more women and people in diverse backgrounds to enter tech fields and entrepreneurship. 

The award supported the Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute in leading a carefully constructed design thinking process through which many ASU and community-based program leaders received seed funding to pilot ideas that would increase the number of female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color in their programs. 

1st

ASU was one of the first 11 winning organizations, selected by the Kauffman Foundation from a pool of more than 400 applicants.

21

entrepreneur supporting organizations collaborated with the Edson E+I Institute to amplify the impact of the Kauffman Inclusion Challenge grant.

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Our programs for entrepreneurs at ASU and in the community provide guidance and support to help you move your venture to the next level.