Arizona State University has teamed up with web hosting titan GoDaddy to launch an innovative program aimed to bolster the entrepreneurial ambitions of student-athletes. The partnership was announced on Wednesday with the introduction of the Student Athlete Venture Studio. This unique initiative is set to provide student-athletes at ASU with crucial resources and mentorship to not only help develop their personal brands but also kick-start and advance their own businesses, as detailed in a report by ABC15.
Under the lights of the Supreme Court ruling from 2021, college athletes have been given the green light to economically profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL), without NCAA blowback. The Student Athlete Venture Studio aims to readily equip these individuals with the knowledge and tools to successfully navigate and possibly prosper within this new entrepreneurial terrain. "The Student Athlete Venture Studio enables collegiate athletes to become entrepreneurs and provides a proactive approach to navigating NIL successfully," Jeff Kunowski, associate director of innovation programs at Edson E+I Institute at ASU, told ASU News.
The joint venture between ASU and Tempe-based GoDaddy is positioned to address a gap in the market for student-athletes who are leveraging their athletic acclaim into the world of business. With this program, they will have access to both in-person and online educational content, and stand a chance to compete for grant funding. Furthermore, they'll have access to an immersive environment at Mountain America Stadium, where workstations and professional settings are intended to serve as fertile grounds for their business ideas to take shape.
GoDaddy is bringing its digital prowess to the table through Empower by GoDaddy, its global social impact program, bringing to the student-athletes free access to GoDaddy Airo, the company's AI-powered toolset for crafting an online presence in mere minutes. "We’re thrilled to combine the business-building power of GoDaddy Airo with the drive and immense potential of these enterprising student-athletes," said Jared Sine, chief strategy and legal officer at GoDaddy, as revealed in the ASU News announcement. To bolster the student's success, the company is contributing over $1 million in cash and in-kind support to the students in 2025 alone.
The embodiment of this mission, to empower student-athletes through NIL opportunities and entrepreneurship, can be traced back to an inspiring collaboration between Jeff Kunowski and Kate Fitzgerald, an ASU alumni, former women’s beach volleyball player, and entrepreneur. Fitzgerald's experience in leveraging ASU's innovative resources to launch her own volleyball lifestyle brand, VBAmerica, and her position as student athletic council president, highlighted the need for such a studio. "NIL regulations and ASU’s innovative resources allowed me to launch VBAmerica and build opportunities for life after sport," Fitzgerald conveyed to ASU News.
