2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

For the past seven years, Eastern Washington University has run a successful entrepreneurship program through its E-Ship (Entrepreneurship) Center. Something different about our program is that although it starts as a program within the school of business, the director of the center is a Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering Technology faculty member. This director was selected due to his serial entrepreneurship activities outside of academia, bringing real world experience to the program and the hope of broadening the reach of the Technology Commercialization Academy (TCA). The TCA has now launched 74 student-owned businesses to compete in local pitch competitions, with over 39% still in business one year later. The TCA has provided unique opportunities for students across the entire campus and stands out as a unique recruiting tool for the university. During our most recent Mechanical Engineering Technology accreditation visit (Fall 2023) this program received a mention as a “Program Strength”. The ABET report states, “These experiences help prepare students looking for employment with or creating their own start- ups and small businesses, which are valuable engines of growth in the local economy”. This paper outlines the organization and growth of this program, a discussion of the programmatic strengths and weaknesses, and discusses some of the student successes from participating in this program.