The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute – a top-5 ranked division of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah – welcomed a new group of Lassonde Founders for the 2024-25 academic year. Thirty students, including some returning to the program for the second or third year, were admitted into the residential entrepreneur program for undergraduate students. They moved into Lassonde Studios in August for the 2024-25 academic year. Find a complete listing of the admitted students below.
“The Lassonde Founders program allows students to learn and grow in a community of their peers,” said Anne Bastien, program director at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. “We look forward to working with each of them to help them launch their companies and grow as individuals.”
The students admitted into the program applied by explaining their business idea and why they wanted to learn about entrepreneurship. In the program, they receive a scholarship to live at Lassonde Studios, a nationally recognized innovation center and dorm. They also receive personalized support for their startup ideas from the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute.
Lassonde Founders live with other student entrepreneurs, allowing them to learn from each other. They join entrepreneurship classes and are invited to complete the Lassonde+X program.
Outside of the classroom, students gain practical entrepreneurial experience. They are encouraged to launch their ideas and support their peers while building creative problem-solving skills. Lassonde Founders also have access to grants, workshops, mentor opportunities, makerspace, and much more provided by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute.
The Lassonde Founders admitted this year come from across the country and have many different majors. Their business ideas are even more diverse. The resources and support provided by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute will help them hone their ideas, develop a business model, build prototypes, and much more. They will be working toward creating a sustainable business.
Juliet Hanson is a first-year student in the Lassonde Founders program. She is from Portland, Oregon, and is studying marketing and product design.
“The Lassonde Founders program is an amazing community where I can connect with like-minded students,” she said. “This program is truly a step up from anywhere else and I’m very thankful to experience and grow with the community I’ve made.”
Macy Poll is also a first-year student in the Founders program. She is studying business administration and is from Mercer Island, Washington. As a Lassonde Founder, she hopes to make the outdoors accessible to everyone.
“Through my work in the Lassonde Founders program, I hope to foster a community-driven way to make outdoor sports more accessible,” she said.
The other Lassonde Founders have similar stories and passions.
Learn more about the program here: lassonde.utah.edu/founders. All incoming and current undergraduate students at the University of Utah are welcome to apply.
2024-25 Lassonde Founders
Here are the students accepted into the Lassonde Founders program for the 2024-25 academic year (in alphabetical order):
- Luke Amash — Caledonia, Mich. (hometown) — Entrepreneurship (subject studying)
- Sean Andrews — Salt Lake City, Utah — Marketing
- Simon Bliss — West Valley City, Utah — Entrepreneurship
- Logan Bogesvang — Salt Lake City, Utah — Quant Analysis of Markets & Orgs
- Grayson Cantarella — Haymarket, Va. — Entrepreneurship
- Connor Church — Lehi, Utah — Finance
- Tyler Cichelli — Vienna, Va. — Marketing
- Rosa De Lima Evangelista — Vineyard, Utah — Pre-Med
- Fred Eustis — Great Barrington, Mass. — Business Administration
- Casey Hackford-Peer — Salt Lake City, Utah — Mechanical Engineering
- Max Hale — South Jordan, Utah — Computer Science
- Juliet Hanson — Portland, Ore. — Marketing
- Kylie Herrman — Austin, Texas — Entrepreneurship
- Lillyan Higgs — Parker, Colo. — Entrepreneurship
- Daniel Hotz — San Diego, Calif. — Entrepreneurship
- Davis Kuhn — San Antonio, Texas — Communication
- Jamie Lachowsky — South Jordan, Utah — Games
- Luke Majewski — Moutain Green, Utah — Business Administration
- Rommy Mendoza — Lima, Peru — Film & Media Arts
- Aren Naegeli — Santee, Calif. — Biomedical Engineering
- Ariadne Petroulakis — Salt Lake City, Utah — Computer Science
- Macy Poll — Mercer Island, Wash. — Business Administration
- Jaxon Potts — Salt Lake City, Utah — Finance
- Benjamin Rauschkolb — Longmont, Colo. — Communication
- Makenna Reiter — Ladera Ranch, Calif. — Entrepreneurship
- John Reynolds — Belgrade, Mont. — Computer Science
- Tanner Robbins — Grand Haven, Mich. — Entrepreneurship
- Christian Rogers — Pleasant View, Utah — Computer Science
- Quin Vanini — Boulder, Colo. — Business Administration
About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally ranked hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Utah and an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. The first programs were offered in 2001, through the vision and support of Pierre Lassonde, an alumnus of the Eccles School and successful mining entrepreneur. The institute now provides opportunities for thousands of students to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation. Programs include workshops, networking events, business-plan competitions, startup support, innovation programs, graduate and alumni programs, scholarships, community outreach and more. All programs are open to students from any academic major or background. The Lassonde Institute also manages Lassonde Studios, a five-story innovation space and housing facility for all students. Learn more at lassonde.utah.edu.
