Overview
At the University of Arizona, Finding Opportunities and Resources to Grow Entrepreneurs (FORGE) is a unit of Research, Innovation, and Impact. It has three missions, known as the 3 C’s:
• Campus – Inspire and cultivate entrepreneurial thinking (FORGE Student Venture Pathways)
• Community – Advance the entrepreneurial ecosystem (FORGE at Roy Place)
• Capital – Drive scale‐up/launch acceleration (FORGE Venture Advisors™)
The Roy Place Building will serve as the base for both FORGE at Roy Place and FORGE Venture Advisors™, allocating space to education, community, common space, services, and mentors and coaches, all of which draw upon the city and region. It will also provide off‐campus interaction space for FORGE Student Venture Pathways, for example hosting classes typically held on campus, or hosting performances/showings for fine arts.
In this way, FORGE will carry on the tradition of UArizona’s former Roy Place Building programs, strengthening UA‐community connections, assisting with downtown urban revitalization, serving as a hub for talent, and providing leadership in addressing the region’s environmental, social and economic needs.
FORGE Student Venture Pathways
FORGE Student Venture Pathways™ includes sponsored innovation challenges, student clubs and networking events, internships, venture‐based mini‐courses, and pitch and business plan competitions. It is tasked with exposing every student at the university to entrepreneurial concepts and inspiring this mindset in as many students as possible, regardless of major.
FORGE at Roy Place
FORGE at Roy Place is about community. Located in the heart of downtown Tucson, we bring people together in the spirit of progress and collaboration.
FORGE at Roy Place hosts weekly events from 9 am - 10 am, community co-working from 10 am - 4 pm, and on-site mentoring from 10 am - 12 pm every Thursday. Register HERE for Thursdays at FORGE
FORGE at Roy Place is also available to qualified groups for meetings and events and is a proud community partner to Startup Tucson.
FORGE Venture Advisors™
FORGE Venture Advisors™ entails a sponsored resident startup accelerator providing the services and access to resources critical for scale and launch. Applicants to this competitive program come from the community and enjoy up to one year of residency. Graduates from FORGE Venture Advisors™ go on to national caliber accelerators, significant venture capital raises, or acquisition. This program will provide a vibrant and diverse presence in the building, as it helps new and existing businesses grow, prosper and contribute to economic development in Southern Arizona.