ASU, local Phoenix business inspire entrepreneurship students from Saudi Arabia, Mexico

This summer, Global Launch — a global training unit at Arizona State University — welcomed students from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, via the Institute of International Education, and students from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, to learn about entrepreneurship and communications.

Global Launch, in partnership with ASU Lecturer Steve Cho from the Technology Entrepreneurship and Management Program in the Fulton Schools of Engineering, developed curriculum to teach students about creating their own businesses, learning skills in marketing, finance, advertising and networking with venture mentors from the ASU Entrepreneurship and Innovation Venture Devils program

“This program falls perfectly in line with ASU’s spirit of innovation and President Crow’s mission to solidify relationships with international companies and universities to encourage anyone to make a real change in their community, and to influence and inspire innovation around the world, not just in the U.S.,” said Emilia Gracia, Global Launch program lead.

At the end of the program, students utilized their learned knowledge of entrepreneurship by pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges from CO+HOOTS, a coworking space in the Phoenix metro area.

“Entrepreneurship is all about solving problems, and we don’t just solve problems in America," said CO+HOOTS member Henry Dotson, of JMCT Strategies. "It’s really important to support people that are spending their time and mental energy that are creating something that will better the world. It doesn’t matter where you come from — that should be celebrated.

Global Launch also held a similar Transdisciplinary Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program for students and faculty from a variety of disciplines from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico

The winning pitch from the KAUST group was a communication device for children with autism called “Go Divine”. The team developed a concept for a bracelet with sensors designed to detect how the child is feeling for their caregivers to review.

“We want to give kids with autism and their families a better quality of life while raising autism awareness in our country,” said Taher Othman, from Saudi Arabia.

The winning team from the University of Guadalajara developed disposable and biodegradable tableware made from lily plants called “Lily-ware.”

“There is an excess of water lilies in Guadalajara and they are clogging the lakes," participant Omar Vargas González said. "They need to be removed and the people of Guadalajara need a sustainable solution to use of disposable plastics, especially since plastic bags will soon be banned."

For more information about Global Launch’s innovative programming, contact Dianna Lippincott at dianna.lippincott@asu.edu. For inquiries about CO+HOOTs, contact Odeen Domingo at odeen@cohoots.com. For Zuba Academy contact Lisa Zuba at lisa@zubaacademy.com.