Entrepreneurship Center

Spokane Area Primed for Tech Startups

For decades, the E-Ship Center has been a student-centered hub for entrepreneurship on Eastern’s campus. Throughout the year, we offer an increasing number of activities that promote entrepreneurial thinking and give students the opportunity to build their own businesses. Some of our programs and activities include the Eagles Startup Competition, the BECU Black Entrepreneur Opportunity Fellows Program, and the Technology Commercialization Academy. We continue to grow and appreciate the community partners and sponsors that make our work possible.

In 2020, EWU was selected by the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) as the winner of the Model Emerging Entrepreneurship Program award, presented annually to the top nominee from around the world. Later that same year, the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) selected the EWU Center for Entrepreneurship as the Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center. In receiving these coveted awards, EWU joins the likes of Florida State University, Brown, and Dartmouth. In winning both awards, we join Kansas State University as the only two who can claim this accomplishment. View Our Pitch Slides

Thanks in part to Spokane’s broadband access and entrepreneurial opportunities, the area has been highlighted as a potential hot spot for new online businesses with fewer than 10 employees. If you’re a student and you’ve got a tech business in mind, apply for the Technology Commercialization Academy (TCA)! We can help you get started. Read the Report

We Have $72,500+ to Give Away!

It’s that time of year again! The application for the 2024-25 Eagles Startup Challenge is now open and we have a lot of money to give away. We want to help you launch and fund your own business. Apply by February 21, 2024, for your chance at a spot in the program, where you’ll learn from Spokane’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and compete against your peers in a fun environment. Apply Now Learn More

Eagles Startup Challenge Participants Win Big

After getting their start at the EWU Center For Entrepreneurship, former Eagles Startup Challenge participants Amy Swanson, Lloyd Dees, and Cody Birkland, and their company, now called Ultropia, are reaching new heights. These EWU graduates have won the annual MIT Climate and Energy Prize, worth $100k, as well as UW’s 2022 GIX Innovation Competition for their environmentally-friendly, low-energy laundry technology. “They all got their start here at EWU in our E-Ship Center! We are very proud of them,” states Philip Appel, director of the EWU E-Ship Center. Learn More

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