Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

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.

Join us to hear from keynote speaker and entrepreneur Nicole Washington, nibble on a light lunch from HUNGRY, and network with entrepreneurs, mentors, and Mason's most entrepreneurial students!

The Patriot Pitch Competition supports idea and early-stage business ventures and is open to current Mason students and recent alumni from all majors/fields of study.

While the bill allocates billions in incentives to encourage chip manufacturers to build or expand fabrication plants across the country, it also includes an 'and science' opportunity in the form of small business innovation research and technology grants, which “will play a large role in the university setting and create more funding for R&D, scientific research and innovation,” says Rebecca Howick, Director of Operations for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

To overcome the challenges of running a business during the pandemic, Craftsman Auto Care’s Matt and Judy Curry demonstrated exceptional skill as innovators and entrepreneurs, taking extensive measures to make the vehicle maintenance process as safe and easy as possible for their customers. Following COVID restrictions, the couple has parlayed their company’s successes into a sixth location. Their significant presence and established business expertise in the Northern Virginia community has made them valued partners of the School of Business at George Mason University, most specifically the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE).  

CIE's Fall 2022 Student Design Challenge is open to all #MasonInnovators, inviting students to reinvent the urban agriculture industry. Sign Up Today!