Fiscal Year 2021-2022
Zahn Innovation Platform (ZIP) Launchpad Impact Report business.sdsu.edu
Zahn Innovation Platform (ZIP) Launchpad
FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2021-22
Message from Faculty
On behalf of the ZIP Launchpad team and program participants, I want to thank you for your unwavering support throughout 2021. Despite the unique challenges that the pandemic has posed in all of our lives, you continued to support our efforts at the ZIP Launchpad. By doing so, we were able to continue serving and fostering the spirit of innovation within the San Diego State University community. Over the past year, the ZIP Launchpad has most notably exposed 600+ students to the world of innovation and entrepreneurship through our outreach events. We worked closely with 67 teams to help them not only develop innovative solutions and business models but also become stronger leaders. In addition, we provided our program participants with access to invaluable resources that helped them develop confidence and determination to take their entrepreneurial efforts to the next level. While we may never know the collective impact of our efforts at the ZIP Launchpad, the ripple effects are far and wide.
Cathy Pucher Executive Director, ZIP Launchpad
I would like to acknowledge the visionary who made the ZIP Launchpad possible - Mr. Irwin Zahn. On November 16, 2021, Mr. Zahn passed at the age of 95. Mr. Zahn, through the Moxie Foundation, provided generous support to the ZIP Launchpad and the entrepreneurship community as a whole. Without his courageous spirit and generosity, we would not be able to support our students' entrepreneurial dreams. Everything we do is in an effort to make him proud of his legacy. I am honored to have known Mr. Zahn, and I continue to be inspired by his son Peter and his family. We extend our sincerest condolences to the Zahn family and are committed to working diligently to honor Mr. Zahn's vision by empowering innovators in the San Diego State University community for generations to come. As we begin a new year, we reflect in gratitude for each and every one of you who makes our efforts possible. Thank you for helping us inspire students and making their entrepreneurial dreams possible. Points of Pride
368
Fowler College of Business
TEAMS SUPPORTED BY ZIP To date, 368 teams have been supported by the ZIP Launchpad. Thirty of the teams have successfully launched from the ZIP Launchpad program.
$38M
TEAM FUNDRAISING EFFORTS Teams have raised $38 million through their collective fundraising efforts.
$17M
TEAM LIFETIME REVENUE Teams have collectively reached $17 million in lifetime revenue.
We are thrilled to announce that we will be expanding our entrepreneurial offerings with the development of the new Mission Valley Innovation District. This will allow us to support companies at larger stages in development and to expand our offerings to alumni in addition to students, staff, and faculty.
Highlights | ZIP Launchpad Student Spotlight
Team Spotlight: Hempress Hygienics
Making an Impact
Hempress Hygienics is a menstrual product company on a mission to provide products that are healthy for women AND the environment. Hempress Hygienics' menstrual products are 100% hemp based, plastic free, chemical free and carbon neutral. McKenna Avery, cofounder and an SDSU sustainability major ('21), actively participated in the ZIP Launchpad for four semesters.
Through their involvement in the ZIP Launchpad, Hempress Hygienics: Closed their pre-seed funding round at $260,000 Was a top ten finalist at the San Diego Angel Conference Placed third at the Global Social Innovation Competition
Faculty Achievements
Cathy Pucher was recognized as one of the San Diego Business Journal's Top 50 Women of Influence in Technology in 2022.
Mission Valley Innovation District
Over the next few years, the goal is for SDSU's ZIP Launchpad to have a presence in the Mission Valley Innovation District. Within the district, we envision an Entrepreneurial Hub that would allow us to expand our current offerings so that we can serve alumni in addition to the students, staff, and faculty that we currently serve at the ZIP Launchpad on the main campus. The Mission Valley Innovation District is easily accessible by car and mass transit, so it will serve as a convenient meeting place for events and programs for San Diego's entrepreneurs and innovators.
Thank you for supporting student scholarships, the Aztec Cooperative Fund internships, and experiential learning for students participating in the ZIP Launchpad.
Thank you for your generous support.
For questions regarding this report please contact DonorRelations@SDSU.edu or call (619) 594-2448.
Donor Relations University Relations and Development San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182-8030 SDSU.edu