The GRAV Innovations team moved their venture from classroom to company through their FORGE Ahead Residency. FORGE Ahead is a venture accelerator providing startup founders with guidance from industry mentors, office space, conference and meeting rooms, help with promotion, coaching on preparing pitch presentations, introductions to investors, events, and interview opportunities with media. GRAV was accepted into FORGE Ahead and discovered a valuable partner in growing from students to startup founders and started an additional company in the process.

FORGE (Finding Opportunities and Resources to Grow Entrepreneurs) has opened applications for its new FORGE Ahead Crucible, an eight-week accelerator program that will take place at FORGE at Roy Place in downtown Tucson from Sept. 12 to Nov. 2.

This article originally appeared in the Arizona Alumni Magazine-

This innovation ecosystem also builds student resilience through programs like Arizona FORGE. Headquartered in downtown Tucson’s historic Roy Place Building, FORGE launched in 2019 with a core mission that includes cultivating entrepreneurial thinking, advancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and driving the scale-up and launch of entrepreneurial projects.

Tucson, Arizona, has long been known for its rich history, stunning desert landscapes, and thriving entrepreneurial spirit. In recent years, Tucson has become a hub for innovation, attracting businesses and entrepreneurs from across the country to take part in programs like FORGE Ahead. Launched by University of Arizona FORGE (Finding Opportunities and Resources to Grow Entrepreneurs), the FORGE Ahead program is instrumental in helping new businesses in Tucson achieve their goals.  

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Roy Place is celebrating its reopening, discussing ways to create new economic possibilities in the community, and shining light on past partnerships that are still thriving today.

Formerly known as the Montgomery Ward, the University of Arizona took over the building to establish a set location for Finding Opportunities and Resources to Grow Entrepreneurs or FORGE. The building was planned to open in March 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FORGE at UA was opened online instead. Today, FORGE at Roy Place is open to the community.

FORGE at Roy Place Assistant Isabela Evans is a senior at the University of Arizona majoring in Business Management and minoring in Spanish at the Eller College of Management. She will graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Isabela shares some of her thoughts about her experiences with FORGE. “Every Thursday I get to meet someone new, I get to plan events, and I get to meet so many cool people,” she said. “I also get to be downtown and organize different things, and just have a good time with the people here and the people that come in.”

Pathways Perspectives is a blog written by FORGE Student Staff who connect with founders to learn more about how they utilized their skills and what the journey of entrepreneurship looks like for different founders. For this Pathways Perspective, Ananya Singhvi, a sophomore majoring in Economics at the Eller College of Management, interviewed Arizona Luminaria founder Becky Pallack.

The "Business of Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed" episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in supporting startups and entrepreneurs. Hosted by the Tucson Metro Chamber, the episode features Founding Executive Director Brian Ellerman and Marketing and Communications Manager Erika Mitnik of the University of Arizona FORGE.

Meet the new Forge at Roy Place Assistants: Samantha Cook, Otto Ellison, and Kimberly Ngomo

In the early going, much of a founder’s endeavor is building the right team and proving the solution solves a big enough problem (product-market fit). Later, the challenge shifts to scaling that solution and maintaining or improving its margins (profit-market fit).