Looking ahead: The future of Edson E+I

During VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) times, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking may be more valuable than ever. New problems need new solutions. Entrepreneurial approaches to ideation, rapid development, and widespread diffusion and adoption of solutions are invaluable in creating value.

Case study: Globalization

When the possibility of globalization seemed imminent, corporations, organizations and institutions of higher education leaned into that possibility with new global headquarters; international team members; and study abroad sites, locations and even campuses. The premise of Thomas Friedman’s “connect and collaborate” world replacing the former “command and control” linear mode of value creation seemed inevitable, the way things would go in a global community flattened by technological reach. Many institutions of higher education invested heavily in recruiting international students to U.S. campuses and standing up additional sites worldwide.

And yet, it took us decades to truly measure, assess and articulate the value of global study abroad and other globalized and internationalized initiatives in higher education. For evidence of the merits of global study abroad, we accepted participatory metrics. These metrics tell us the growth in number of programs and international agreements over time, but not whether they are having the desired outcomes.

The value of entrepreneurship in education

Similarly, the premise of entrepreneurship as an innovative and essential experience for college and university students (and faculty) is increasingly accepted, but little documented beyond the growth in participation. However, there is growing research on the positive impacts of entrepreneurship on student development, including some we are taking on at ASU. And there certainly is quite a bit known about the economic impacts of entrepreneurship, as well as revitalizing downtowns, reshaping communities that have experienced significant industrial changes and adapting to changing demographics.

In the midst of significant economic turmoil, political uncertainty and social unrest, one emerging theme that we are paying attention to at the Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute is that the future of work may be more like the future of learning — personalized, adaptive, on-demand and portable.

Certainly, this will be true for many people — such as those in knowledge industries and technology-enabled fields – but not all, especially those in lower-wage fields, manual jobs and jobs requiring on-site handling.

Edson E+I takes on the challenge

What responsibility do we have as entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers to foster community and economic resilience, nurture individual development and promote equity of access and opportunity?

At Edson E+I, we are working on three things to address these issues.

1. Responsive, real-time resources

Edson E+I has invested in training and development that seeks to create better access to on-demand training resources as a complement to curricular offerings for students, as well as to be more responsive to community members in real time. Some of the trainings rely on resident expertise at ASU, while others promote high-quality external resources. The right resource at the right time for what individuals need is one of our guiding principles. Edson E+I will launch our training catalog in the spring of 2021.

2. A focus on creating value

We encourage students to shift from asking “what job can I get with my degree?” to asking “what value can I create?” and “what impact can I have?” By working closely with students on their personal and professional development, we advance the possibility that the value of a college degree is more than the transactional nature of “degree = job.” Instead, we suggest that “degree-seeking experience + degree = obtaining lifelong entrepreneurial mindset, learning how to learn and creating impact in ways that are important to me and society.”

3. Accessibility and inclusion

We are keenly focused on fulfilling our vision of making entrepreneurship more accessible to everyone. With inclusion top of mind, we aim to create value, solve problems, iterate and pivot on the supports we offer. We provide repeatable, scalable, high-quality programs for students, faculty, staff, alumni and our greater community.

We have long embraced the idea that inclusive principles and equitable practices foster diversity and a culture of belonging, not just for our team, but also for the people we serve. Entrepreneurship is a central component of ASU’s recently announced 25 actions to support Black students, faculty and staff. Edson E+I is re-energized to meet our purpose of excellence with inclusion and impact at scale.

— Ji Mi Choi

Associate Vice President, ASU Knowledge

Enterprise Founding Executive Director, J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute