Who is J. Orin Edson?

Announcing J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute

Orin Edson cared deeply for his community and believed others should have the resources to pursue their entrepreneurial visions.

Edson, who died in 2019 at the age of 87, is best known for founding Bayliner Marine Corp. — the largest manufacturer of luxury boats in its time — and for later acquiring a majority interest in Westport Yachts, growing that into another successful yacht building company. As philanthropists, Edson and his wife Charlene were longtime supporters of Arizona State University’s entrepreneurship and innovation programs.

In September 2020, ASU President Michael M. Crow announced that the university would honor Edson in perpetuity with the establishment of the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at Arizona State University. The naming recognized the Edsons’ longstanding commitment to further entrepreneurship support at ASU and included an additional endowed gift.

We are immensely proud to carry the Edson name into the future as a hallmark of unparalleled entrepreneurial education and practice capable of changing the world.

— Michael M. Crow, ASU president

The newly established institute will continue to provide a home for the hallmark Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative and the Edson Training and Development Network at ASU, while enabling ASU to expand its portfolio of entrepreneurial programs and initiatives in perpetuity.

“Orin Edson was a true believer in ASU students’ potential for innovation,” said Ji Mi Choi, founding executive director of the Edson E+I Institute and associate vice president for ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise. “He will forever be remembered for his generosity and impact, having provided the financial means for so many young entrepreneurs to turn their visions into reality while also pursuing academic studies.”