This is my second post responding to Paul Graham’s essay on university entrepreneurship centers. In the first I focused on what he gets right, while defending what I see as the best of what we do at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Then I read the responses of people I respect — particularly Bill Aulet, managing […]
Paul Graham, a co-founder of the influential Y Combinator startup accelerator, just published an essay arguing that universities should not build entrepreneurship centers, should not hire “deans of entrepreneurship,” and should hand any spare money to the people teaching computer science and mechanical engineering and molecular biology (agreed, btw). At one point he asks — as […]
The University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business announced Anne Bastien as the senior director of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, serving alongside executive director Scott Holley, recently. Bastien has nearly 16 years of experience at the institute and is a double alum of the University of Utah, where she earned her Bachelor of Science […]
At Lassonde Studios, we have a tradition of asking our residents and student leaders to submit inspirational quotes at the end of the year. We then select the best ones to install permanently in the stairways. We hope these quotes will inspire many more students to do dream big and change the world. We also […]
A roundnet company in Utah selling equipment to customers in Germany. A Ghanaian founder turning coconut husks into engineered wood panels and finding his way into European sustainability networks. A Brazilian founder living in Belgium, building an AI platform to help teenagers choose a career. Three companies, three continents, one graduate program. That was the […]
The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute events calendar for fall 2026 is now available in print and online formats. See links below. We have many events and opportunities planned for the semester. We have Make Space hours, workshops, mentor hours, grants, entrepreneur classes through the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy, and more. All University of Utah students […]
Watch highlights from the Lassonde Startup Academy 2026. The Lassonde Startup Academy is a pre-college program for entrepreneurs, makers, builders, and doers provided by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Learn more at lassonde.utah.edu/academy.
Browse photos from the Lassonde Startup Academy 2026. The Lassonde Startup Academy is a pre-college program for entrepreneurs, makers, builders, and doers provided by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute Learn more at lassonde.utah.edu/academy
The University of Utah is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the odds that its graduates will go on to found a “unicorn” — a privately held startup valued at $1 billion or more — according to a new analysis from a Stanford University researcher. In a study published this month, Stanford Graduate School […]
Mya Oetinger, a marketing student at the University of Utah, has taken full advantage of all the opportunities at Lassonde Studios. In fact, her acceptance to be a resident at Lassonde Studios is the reason Oetinger attended the University of Utah. Lassonde has shaped her experience on campus because she was able to live in […]
