Catapulting innovation into Silicon Valley and beyond: SJSU launches new Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, SpartUp and Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship (SVCE) - some things are just better together. On February 12, San José State University's Lucas College and Graduate School of Business (LCoB) hosted the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Launch , which unveiled SpartUp: Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship , a merger that combines two forward-thinking entities into a singular source for entrepreneurial and innovative Spartans.

"By combining resources and industry connections into one hub, the university is giving student founders a much clearer path from presenting a good idea to starting a real company," says Anu Basu, professor of entrepreneurship and SVCE director.

As the only CSU located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SJSU's SpartUp: SVCE leverages proximity to founders, technologists, investors and industry leaders to provide Spartans with real-world entrepreneurial experiences. The new center will integrate programs such as the SpartUp Incubator from the Office of Innovation and various offerings from the LCoB's Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship , such as entrepreneurship courses, the Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge, the Silicon Valley Business Plan Competition and the ZinnStarter program.

"Entrepreneurship is one of the clearest areas where we make our mark on the future, and having so many students here today exemplifies that," Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of SJSU, said in her welcome remarks to a roomful of attendees at the launch. "We are surrounded by the world's most dynamic companies and startups, and our students don't just participate in Silicon Valley's story; they're shaping it, and shaping the next generation, and we're going to hear from some of them today."

Three inventive individuals whose ideas were successfully launched through these pioneering programs took part in the founders panel: Zain Zaidi, '21 Electrical Engineering , co-founder, CEO and director of TransCrypts, a B2B platform focused on consumer-empowered record management and verification; Sameer Saran, '18 MS Computer Engineering , tech entrepreneur and founder and CEO of ParkStash, a parking technology company he bootstrapped, and Angel Idusuyi, '24 Entrepreneurship, a fintech entrepreneur and co-founder of CreditCliq, a cross-border credit solution she launched while completing her degree at SJSU.

During the chat moderated by Basu and Eli Finn, SpartUp Incubator interim director, panelists described their entrepreneurial pathways and revealed insights and lessons learned. Basu asked them to identify something they wish they'd known about entrepreneurship before they started their businesses.

Zaidi shared that as a child of immigrants, he was conscious of how rarely he saw faces that resembled his while reading business magazines or watching business news.

"I think the really cool thing about entrepreneurship is that it doesn't have a dedicated path," Zaidi said. "If you look at a lot of really inspirational stories, people become entrepreneurs from all walks of life."

In retrospect, he said he wouldn't have doubted himself.

Other experiential wisdom included Idusuyi realizing early on that there was much more to learn about the fundraising process, Saran advising student entrepreneurs to have stronger focus and limit distractions, and Zaidi emphasizing the importance of values being front and center in his business ventures.

According to Basu, whose SVCE directorship has spanned over two decades, the most rewarding part of her job is when students she has helped mentor go on to achieve entrepreneurial success.

"There is no greater validation of our work than seeing a student move from a classroom concept to a market-ready venture. It's a powerful reminder that while we teach frameworks and theory, the most important thing we cultivate is the grit and drive required to lead in Silicon Valley," Basu said.

Signifying the connection between the city and SJSU, Anthony Tordillos, San José City Council Member for District 3, was among those in attendance at the launch event.

"I'm a big believer that the future of downtown San José really depends on a strong collaboration with our city university here at SJSU," Tordillos said. "This collaboration helps to promote innovation, small business growth and community-centered development, and SpartUp: SVCE represents the kind of investment that we need to see a lot more of - investing in people, ideas and place in order to ensure that downtown San José continues to grow as a hub of opportunity for generations to come."

Sharing in the SpartUp: SVCE enthusiasm was Rangapriya Kannan, dean of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.

"For too long, entrepreneurship was treated as a series of separate initiatives across campus. By launching SpartUp: SVCE, we are intentionally moving away from siloed programs and toward a unified center," Kannan said.

Notable supporters of SpartUp: SVCE who were also present at the event were Marc d'Alarcao, interim vice president for Research and Innovation and dean of the College of Graduate Studies, and Vincent Del Casino, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.

Learn more about the new center and upcoming events.