Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute

What Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute does

Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a non-profit division of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, founded around 2000-2001 and headquartered in Salt Lake City. It functions as a student entrepreneurship hub rather than a technology company, delivering a portfolio of programs that span ideation through scale: the Lassonde Studios residential and innovation facility (housing 400 students across four residential floors plus an open ground-floor innovation space), the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge statewide collegiate competition (over $75,000 in prizes), the Tim Draper High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge ($30,000 in prizes for Utah students ages 14-18), the Lassonde DevLab software incubator, the Lassonde+X experiential undergraduate program, milestone-based Get Seeded grants, the Hours with Experts one-on-one mentorship program (roughly 20+ professional advisors), the Lassonde Founders residential track, and the Master of Business Creation MBA-level accelerator (52 founders in the Fall 2025 cohort, including participants from the U.S. and Africa). All programs are offered free to eligible University of Utah students and participating Utah college and high school students. Lassonde does not develop proprietary technology; the underlying platform is its physical infrastructure, community programming, and mentor network. The institute is funded through University of Utah institutional budgets, private donations (notably a $500,000 gift from Tim Draper in January 2025), and corporate sponsorships (Wells Fargo, Sherwin-Williams, Workman Nydegger, Actium, Doxyme). Its customer base is concentrated in University of Utah students, with secondary reach to Utah State University and Brigham Young University students through statewide competitions and a small global cohort via the Master of Business Creation program. The institute is nationally ranked — #8 for undergraduate entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report (2026), top-10 across multiple ranking bodies, and #1 for odds of starting a unicorn according to a Stanford report — and is led by Executive Director Scott Holley, who succeeded Troy D'Ambrosio in 2025 during the institute's 25th anniversary year.

Name

Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute

Legal name

Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute

Website

https://lassonde.utah.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a non-profit university division at the University of Utah that operates a portfolio of free entrepreneurship programs — including residential innovation space, statewide competitions, grants, mentorship, and an MBA accelerator — for University of Utah students, other Utah college and high school students, and a small global founder cohort.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI)

Keywords

• Student entrepreneurship programs
• University innovation hub
• Startup incubation services
• Entrepreneurship education programs
• Business model competitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. University Funding: Funded as a division of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah through institutional budgets and allocations.
2. Private Donations and Grants: Major gifts such as Tim Draper's $500,000 donation to support Utah Entrepreneur Challenge competitions and related programs.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsors fund competitions and programs including logos featured on competition pages and events. Sponsors include Tim Draper, Wells Fargo, Sherwin-Williams, and other companies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is an entrepreneurship hub within the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah that delivers programs, competitions, mentorship, workspace, and milestone grant funding to student entrepreneurs. It runs the statewide Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, the High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, the Lassonde DevLab software incubator, the Lassonde+X experiential course, Hours with Experts mentorship, Get Seeded grants, Lassonde Studios living-learning space, and the Master of Business Creation MBA-level accelerator. All programs and resources are provided free of charge to eligible students at the University of Utah and other Utah colleges.

Product overview

Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a comprehensive entrepreneurship hub at the University of Utah offering a portfolio of programs, competitions, and resources for student entrepreneurs. The institute provides structured pathways including the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (statewide collegiate competition) and Tim Draper High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (high school competition), software incubator (Lassonde DevLab), experiential learning (Lassonde+X), one-on-one mentorship (Hours with Experts), milestone funding (Get Seeded), residential innovation space (Lassonde Studios), and the Master of Business Creation accelerator program. The institute has supported hundreds of student startups across industries including fashion, wellness, AI, biotech, food, and outdoor gear.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge: Statewide business-model competition for college students across Utah with $75,000 in prizes
• Tim Draper High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge
• Lassonde DevLab
• Lassonde+X
• Get Seeded
• Lassonde Studios
• Master of Business Creation
• Hours with Experts
• Lassonde Founders
• Lassonde 400
• Student Innovation @ the U

Products and services

• Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge A statewide business-model competition for college students in Utah managed by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute with over $75,000 in cash and prizes including a $20,000 grand prize.
• Tim Draper High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge A business-model competition for Utah high school students ages 14-18 offering $30,000 in cash and scholarships.
• Lassonde DevLab A software incubator and community for University of Utah students building software and digital product companies, offering mentorship, grants, and coworking space.
• Lassonde+X An experiential program for all undergraduate students from all majors to explore and practice entrepreneurship, with recognition on transcripts.
• Hours with Experts One-on-one mentorship sessions connecting University of Utah students with expert advisors in fields including law, accounting, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
• Get Seeded A milestone grant program providing funding to student startups at various stages of development.
• Lassonde Studios A living-learning space at the University of Utah combining residential housing for 400 students with innovation workspace, makerspace, workshops, and community open to all campus students.
• Master of Business Creation An MBA-level accelerator program at the David Eccles School of Business helping entrepreneurs scale startups through mentorship and resources, with online, in-person, and global options.
• Lassonde Founders A residential entrepreneur program for student founders living at Lassonde Studios, admitting a selective cohort of student entrepreneurs each academic year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of startups launched through the institute's programs and support
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• David Eccles School of BusinessflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe institute is a division of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. The partnership provides academic integration, shared resources, program coordination including the Master of Business Creation program, and joint branding through the David Eccles School.
• Utah State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating university in the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge statewide competition. Students from Utah State compete in the annual business model competition.
• Brigham Young UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating university in the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge statewide competition. BYU students compete alongside other Utah college students for competition prizes.
• University of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome institution of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. The University provides institutional support, facilities, and student access for all programs.
• University of Utah David Eccles School of Business Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in supporting MBC program, marketing agency, and student entrepreneurship initiatives through alumni engagement and mentorship.
• Miller CafeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOn-campus dining option located within Lassonde Studios, serving student entrepreneurs and residents.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) / StartX: Stanford's entrepreneurship center offers student programs, mentorship, and the StartX student startup accelerator. It is a direct peer — both are university-based entrepreneurship hubs offering incubator, accelerator, and education programs to student founders.
• Rice University - Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Rice's entrepreneurship hub runs accelerator programs, mentorship, and funding competitions for student founders. Comparable as a university-based entrepreneurship center offering structured programs, competitions, and incubation.
• Harvard Innovation Labs (i-lab): Harvard's innovation lab provides workspace, mentorship, and venture support for student founders across all Harvard schools. Directly comparable as a top-tier university entrepreneurship center serving student founders.
• Babson College - Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship: Babson's entrepreneurship center, repeatedly ranked #1 for entrepreneurship by US News, runs accelerator programs, funding competitions, and student entrepreneurship programs — directly comparable in mission, programming, and audience.
• Northwestern University - The Garage: Northwestern's The Garage is a physical innovation hub for student entrepreneurs offering workspace, mentorship, and programming. Comparable as a university-based living/working entrepreneurship space with structured programs.
• MIT Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship: MIT's entrepreneurship center runs the delta v summer accelerator, mentorship, and competitions for student founders. Directly comparable as a top-ranked university entrepreneurship program with structured incubation offerings.
• University of Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship: University of Michigan's CFE runs student startup programs, competitions, and the TechLab incubator. Directly comparable as a major public-university entrepreneurship center with structured programs, competitions, and incubator offerings.
• University of Virginia Darden School - Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation: UVA Darden's Batten Institute runs student entrepreneurship programs, competitions, and accelerator-style support. Comparable as a top-tier business school-affiliated entrepreneurship center with structured programs and competitions.
• UC Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Program: Berkeley Haas runs student entrepreneurship programs, the LAUNCH accelerator, and competition funding for student founders. Comparable as a top public-university entrepreneurship center with structured acceleration and competitions.

Regional players

• University of Colorado Boulder - Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: CU Boulder's Deming Center runs student entrepreneurship programs, mentorship, and competitions in the Western US. Comparable as a regional public-university entrepreneurship center with overlapping programming, though serving Colorado rather than Utah.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LassondeU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1vjcPTtGOfvXC50XhY5y_g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lassonde-entrepreneur-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/lassonde_u

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute