What it is

Mason Enterprise is George Mason University's entrepreneurship and small business hub, part of the university's Office of Research, Innovation and Economic Impact. It describes its mission as building an inclusive ecosystem for entrepreneurs, with Mason acting as connector and operator. It reports having trained and counseled more than 47,000 entrepreneurs. Its office is at Suite 2600, 3351 Fairfax Drive in Arlington, on the Mason Square campus.

What it offers founders

Programs are organized into four areas:

  • Incubate: Mason Enterprise Centers in Arlington, Fairfax and Herndon, plus the MIX Incubator, with more than 130 offices and desks, short-term leases and day passes, free one-on-one counseling, access to the Mason Innovation Exchange makerspace and student interns, and discounts on Mason Executive Education programs.
  • Advise: no-cost individualized advising through the Virginia Small Business Development Center, government contracting help through the APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC), ICAP mentors for early-stage startups, export assistance, the Office of Technology Transfer for Mason researchers, and an Entrepreneur in Residence program at FUSE at Mason Square.
  • Educate: workshops and training programs.
  • Accelerate: including the Accelerate Investor Conference, which recognizes startups with funding awards.

Who it is for

Entrepreneurs and small businesses in Virginia and the wider DMV, from idea stage to established firms. The Women's Business Center of Northern Virginia focuses on women, minority and socially disadvantaged business owners, the APEX Accelerator serves companies that want to sell to government, and technology transfer support is aimed at Mason faculty, researchers and spinouts.

How to engage

Browse the Advise page to request no-cost SBDC advising or connect with APEX Accelerator. To ask about office or desk space, see the Incubate page; pricing is not posted online, so contact the team at masonent@gmu.edu or through the contact page. Upcoming workshops and events are listed on the calendar.

Why it matters in the DMV ecosystem

Mason Enterprise bundles several statewide and federally supported programs under one university umbrella, so a Northern Virginia founder can get advising, government contracting help, workspace and investor exposure from a single point of entry. It also leads the Regional Entrepreneur Initiative, an effort with more than 70 partners to strengthen the Northern Virginia startup ecosystem.