Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

In Virginia, a few programs are specifically designed to help immigrant entrepreneurs. The newest of these is Shrivastava Family Refugee and Immigrant Success through Entrepreneurship (RISE), which just launched at George Mason University.

George Mason University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship within the School of Business recently announced the launch of the RISE (Refugee and Immigrant Success through Entrepreneurship) Program as the first phase of the center’s SOAR Initiative this fall.

If you have an idea and a desire to launch a new business and want to be eligible for $40,000 in total prizes, the Patriot Pitch Competition may be for you!

In this article for AACSB Insights, JK Aier, Crystal Fickers, Rebecca Howick, Ajay Vinzé write about how the he SOAR Initiative at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University will provide holistic entrepreneurial training to three populations of aspiring entrepreneurs: refugees and immigrants, people of low socioeconomic status, and residents of rural and emerging communities.

George Mason University is No. 1 among public universities for research performance in entrepreneurship, and No. 2 overall nationally, in the latest report from EduRank.

Fairfax City mayor and George Mason University alumna Catherine S. Read (BA ’84) and George Mason University School of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé will sign a partnership agreement on October 2 aimed at promoting economic growth in the city while giving students access to experiential learning opportunities that will benefit local businesses and students. 

The business school’s SOAR Initiative is a critical building block in George Mason University’s efforts to advance social mobility, or an individual’s ability to improve their socioeconomic status.

The RISE (Refugee and Immigrant Success through Entrepreneurship) Program as a cohort of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's SOAR Initiative. SOAR provides a holistic model for startups and empowers individuals who do not currently have adequate access to entrepreneurship training opportunities. RISE focuses its support on aspiring entrepreneurs from refugee and immigrant backgrounds.

Paula Sorrell, associate vice president for innovation and economic development at Mason, and Ajay Vinzé, dean of Mason's School of Business, discuss how Mason Enterprise is an economic engine for Northern Virginia, and how the School of Business is changing the way business is taught.

Fifteen teams competed for $40K in prizes at the George Mason University School of Business Patriot Pitch Competition during the in-person April 13 event on Mason’s Fairfax Campus.