Represent ASU in the Schmidt Futures’ Alliance for the American Dream — nominations due May 24

For the second year, ASU is one of four universities participating in the Schmidt Futures’ Alliance for the American Dream, funded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Represent the Fulton Schools and ASU with your idea. 

The competition challenges us to advance ideas that will increase by 10% the net income for 10,000 middle class households in Arizona by 2022. Ideas can include products, apps, services, programs, for-profit/nonprofit ventures or policy approaches that increase wages, decrease expenses or a combination of these strategies.

Learn about the three teams that represented ASU in the first cycle. 

Read about how the ASU finalist Power of FAFSA team (now called Project Benjamin) will pitch to Schmidt in June 2019.

Interested? Nominations are due to James Collofello by Friday, May 24, 2019. Email your idea and core team, led by a staff or faculty member in the Fulton Schools, to james.collofello@asu.edu.

Teams will be evaluated and nominated by the dean to receive startup funds of $15,000 to prepare for stage 2. 

Stages of competition

Schmidt Futures designed the competition with a funnel approach, narrowing the number of participating teams at each stage. 

1. Team formation and idea generation — The university identifies promising ideas. In addition to identifying ideas from the dean nomination process, at-large proposals will be accepted from other interested university-affiliated teams. All teams will be offered tools and resources to help refine their idea and proposal.
2. Local competition (October 2019) — A local advisory board (convened by the university) selects three idea teams to represent ASU at the semi-finals. Each university manages its own local competition. The three winners of this stage will receive $75,000 each.
3. Semi-final national competition (March 2020) — 12 teams (from the four participating universities) present to a selection panel of national judges. Up to five teams will advance to the final stage.
4. Final national competition (Summer 2020) — Teams pitch directly to Eric Schmidt for up to $1 million of implementation funding.