SDSU Division of Research and Innovation

We are excited to highlight Kanna Ecklund, a recent Seed Fund recipient who is the founder of ZIP Launchpad startup ASAICHI. Because our generous donors support the Seed Fund, we are able to provide up to $5,000 worth of non-dilutive capital to SDSU founders like Kanna. 🌸Thanks to the Seed Fund, Kanna was able to interview florists and wholesalers across San Diego and Los Angeles, which helped her identify the real problem worth solving. She also tested more than 50 materials to discover the right formula and build ASAICHI’s first working prototype. 💼Since then, she’s launched a pilot program with local flower shops, refined the product based on real-world feedback, and filed a provisional patent to protect her innovation. Today, ASAICHI is empowering florists to design freely - without compromising their health or the planet. 🌷Kanna’s story is a reminder that when early support meets deep purpose, ideas can bloom into real impact. Help us reach our goal of raising $50,000 for the Seed Fund so that we can support more young entrepreneurs like Kanna. If you give before the end of the year, your donation will go even further thanks to a generous matching gift from the Zahn family of the Zahn Innovation Platform (SDSU ZIP Launchpad). The Zahn family will be matching donations up to $50,000. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gbxG5nrt San Diego State University Lavin Entrepreneurship Center Entrepreneur Society at SDSU Entrepreneur Society SDSU SDSU Division of Research and Innovation Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University

🎳 AMAZING turnout at our Entrepreneurship Initiatives Mixer! Thanks to everyone who came out to Aztec Lanes for a night of bowling and networking! New businesses started forming 🚀✨ Make sure to apply to the Social Venture Challenge by 12/12 First place can win $15k. Must be an SDSU student to apply: https://lnkd.in/emyYhHS9 Interested in applying to SDSU's startup incubator ZIP Launchpad? Apply 2/11/26. Don't have an idea yet but want to participate in an entrepreneurship cohort? Apply to Lavin in Spring 2026. #SDSU #LavinEntrepreneurs #Entrepreneurship #Networking #Startup Associated Students, San Diego State University, Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University, SDSU Division of Research and Innovation

What’s the best way to reduce the impact of a football tackle? At SDSU, the answer starts in the lab. Mechanical engineering professor George Youssef and his student engineers are developing patented foams that protect athletes, first responders and service members. Along the way, they’re transforming classroom ideas into real-world impact. Named SDSU’s 2025 Innovator of the Year, Youssef leads the Experimental Mechanics Lab like a startup. His team’s foam, now licensed by a Southern California company and featured in an NFL helmet challenge, has been shown to reduce collision forces by 20%. It’s also more sustainable than industry alternatives. But Youssef’s mission goes beyond innovation. His lab prepares future engineers to think like entrepreneurs, earning patents and building companies before graduation. 📖 Read more in the latest issue of SDSU Magazine: https://lnkd.in/g_D36c-k #SDSU #AztecEngineers #Entrepreneurship #SDSUR1 SDSU College of Engineering

I’m deeply honored to receive the Staff Diversity Excellence Award in recognition of my commitment to diversity and inclusion (Sept 30). Creating spaces where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard is a shared responsibility, and I’m proud to be part of a community that prioritizes this work every day. Thank you to my colleagues and mentors who continue to inspire me to lead with empathy, equity, and purpose.