Powered by the Prescott Student Venture Fund, ASU’s top student founders connect with industry leaders, alumni, and each other in immersive entrepreneurial experience.
Arizona State University’s most promising student entrepreneurs recently returned from a transformative three-day innovation retreat in the heart of Silicon Valley as part of the Spring 2025 ASU Tech Devils program, powered by the Prescott Student Venture Fund.
Sixteen student founders representing 10 ventures, along with ASU faculty, staff, and alumni, were competitively selected to serve as ASU Tech Devils, a cohort of top eSeed Challenge-funded innovators from across the university. This all-expenses-paid retreat was made possible through the generous support of Mr. Tom Prescott, the lead benefactor of the eSeed Challenge, in collaboration with ASU supporters including Michael Hool of the Hool Coury Law Tech Venture Challenge.
“This experience gave me the confidence I needed to take the next step in bringing my startup to life,” said Josh Hanson, Founder and CEO of ImageAiD LLC. “Experiencing the entrepreneurial energy of San Francisco and connecting with fellow ASU founders was life-changing.”
Over the course of the retreat, which ran May 1–3, the Tech Devils toured major innovation hubs, networked with alumni entrepreneurs, and pitched their ventures in front of industry experts and investors. The itinerary included:
- A private tour and lunch at GooglePlex, featuring ASU alumni speakers.
- An intimate founder chat at the historic House of Shields with Nicholas Kissel of Rivet.gg and Alexandra Johnson of Rubber Ducky Labs.
- A high-energy pitch session hosted at Galvanize San Francisco, where each Tech Devils startup delivered a 5-minute pitch followed by Q&A and feedback from a panel of ASU alumni and venture experts.
- Networking dinners at Hog Island Oyster Co. and Kokkari Estiatorio, with VIP guests from ASU’s alumni and investor networks.
- Visits to AirGarage HQ, Salesforce Park, and the Computer History Museum, hosted by ASU alum Larry Lunetta.
“This retreat far exceeded anything I had imagined,” said Carsyn Schuch, Founder and CEO of Innovative Textiles. “Every connection I made provided insights that will benefit me and my company for years to come.”
Dr. Brent Sebold, faculty lead of the ASU Tech Devils initiative, praised the impact of the immersive experience: “This program is designed to catalyze student innovation by surrounding our founders with real-world feedback, deep mentorship, and a dynamic community. Thanks to Tom Prescott and our dedicated partners, these students now have a tangible connection to the global startup ecosystem.”
In total, the Spring 2025 Tech Devils cohort included 20 participants—16 student founders and 4 faculty, staff, and alumni leaders—each contributing to a weekend defined by innovation, collaboration, and Sun Devil spirit.
To learn more about the ventures and participants, explore the ASU Tech Devils 2025 Viewbook.