George Mason University has established a new Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Program to bolster the start-up market and opportunities in the greater Washington, D.C., region and across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Entrepreneur in Residence program at Mason, with the support of Arlington Economic Development, is designed to create a vibrant hub where government and corporate partners interact with Mason faculty and students, where inventors, entrepreneurs, and investors come to create and move new products to market working together with policy makers, and legal experts to focus on solutions to the largest problems facing society
Industry Expertise
Eminent influencers from the defense, biohealth, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence sectors will serve as mentors and coaches, sharing their invaluable knowledge, experience, and insights with entrepreneurs, as well as expand Mason’s partner network.
Innovation Corridor
Based out of Mason’s Fuse pilot space at Mason Square in Arlington, the program will move next year, upon completion of the 345,000-square feet Fuse at Mason Square building in summer 2024. The facility will host 12 advanced laboratories, including robot assembly, testing beds, augmented and virtual reality, and multimedia studios, fostering innovation across various disciplines.
Collaboration Hub
The program will act as a hub for collaboration, connecting startups, federal innovators, venture capitalists, researchers, and thought leaders from Mason in a dynamic and cohesive ecosystem.
“The EIR program positions Mason at the center of an innovation triangle that brings together federal innovators, startups and strategic capital. With our federal and defense partners, we are collectively pushing the boundaries of AI and engineering to solve the greatest challenges of our time.”
- Farhad Chowdhury, serial entrepreneur, CEO of Vianova AI, and founder of the Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program