Mason Enterprise at George Mason University propels entrepreneurship across the region

Northern Virginia and the Greater Washington Region is rapidly becoming one of the nation's fastest-growing entrepreneurial destinations for investors and inventors, with George Mason University's investments and partnerships as a key driver.

The state's largest university-based business incubator, Mason Enterprisepartners with the university's schools and institutes, big business, start-ups, and venture capital investors to advance a thriving ecosystem of entrepreneurship and economic growth. This contributed to making Virginia a top state for business, according to CNBC.

"George Mason is powering Virginia's future," said George Mason President Gregory Washington. "The university is preparing students for high-demand careers, supporting entrepreneurs at every stage, and driving the growth of small businesses across the state. We're not just in the degree business, we're in the success business."

Mason Enterprise played a key role in Virginia's new Lab-to-Launch initiative, the first of its kind in the nation. Developed through a statewide collaboration led by George Mason and University of Virginia, with the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) and the state's four other R1 research universities-Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and William & Mary-the initiative is designed to double the number of start-ups that originate from Virginia's research universities and accelerate the commercialization of breakthrough technologies.

Mason Enterprise leadership and impact highlights include:

• $2.8 billion in bank loans, lines of credit, venture capital, angel investment, new revenues, and government contracts secured in 2024
• 65 invention disclosures by faculty last year-a 150% increase over five years
• Growth from 300 to 2,000 supported tech start-ups in five years
• One in six of the businesses served by Mason Enterprise are veteran-owned
• 58,000 entrepreneurs, small business owners, students and faculty participated in 2,600 workshopsin 2024 (up from 19,000 attendees in 2020)
• Helped in the formation of 409 new companies in 2024
• Helped in the creation and retention of 6,351 jobs in 2024

"We're proud to be building a culture of innovation that is reaping benefits for the region and beyond," said Paula Sorrell, George Mason's associate vice president of innovation and economic development. "The blend of education, research, and public-private partnerships has created a steady pipeline of new ideas and investments that ensure our regional and national competitiveness."

The Mason Enterprise team, led by Sorrell, was recently recognized by the Virginia Association of Counties for its Accelerate Breakfast Series, which connects entrepreneurs and investors through curated pitch opportunities that strengthen the local start-up ecosystem and attract regional investment. In addition, the International Economic Development Council recognized Mason Enterprise for its multiyear efforts advancing the region's tech innovation economy with its Innovation Ecosystem Buildingaward, the result of creating several high-impact, tech start-up focused programs to help diversify the regional economy.

Mason Enterprise provides small business and start-ups with affordable office space, legal and accounting assistance, free mentoring, access to investor networks, makers' spaces, and tailored programs designed to help get ideas get off the ground or take the next step to get to market. Working closely with VIPC and nearby local officials in Prince William, Arlington, and Fairfax counties, the team also manages the Small Business Administration's (SBA) network, called the Virginia Small Business Development Center and the Department of War's (DOW) Virginia APEX Accelerator.

Mason Enterprise will host its fifth annual Accelerate Investor Conference 2025on November 5-6 at the new Fuse at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia. This year's venture capital event will feature keynote speaker Sid Banerjee, chief strategy officer for Medallia, as well as a fireside chat co-hosted by Virginia BIO CEO John Newby and Jeff Conroy, managing director of Bayeux Ventures and former CEO of Embody, a successful Virginia start-up.