Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

On Thursday, April 9, 2026, students, faculty, alumni, and other stakeholders from across the George Mason University community gathered to cheer on the final teams of entrepreneurs competing in this year’s Patriot Pitch Competition, including those featured in the competition’s newly introduced Regional Showcase.

Rayan Rahman, BS Management ’17, has achieved an impressive amount in a short period of time. Now a senior recruiter at Amazon, he has founded two companies—Changing Bangladesh Foundation and Airposted—the latter of which he sold during the COVID pandemic when it had reached a gross merchandise value of approximately one million dollars.

While a student at Costello, Jheen Oh's passion for business blossomed. Coming from a health-conscious family, Oh, with the help of his father, launched Susosu Water, the only naturally sourced mineral water from a 600-foot underground source in South Korea, infused with extra hydrogen for a much healthier hydration.

As Korea and the United States deepen their cooperation in technology and entrepreneurship, Mason Korea has opened a Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) in Songdo. This center is the global extension of the center of the same name at the Costello College of Business in Fairfax.

On Saturday, August 9, the WISE program officially launched at the Hybla Valley Community Center in Alexandria, Virginia—marking a significant milestone in advancing entrepreneurship and workforce development for aspiring entrepreneurs in Fairfax County.

Leticia Nunez Nova’s desire to nurture a business from the ground up paved the way for a series of internships with start-up companies.

On April 10, eight final student and alumni teams—two from each track—pitched panels of entrepreneurs at 2025 Patriot Pitch competition, organized by the Costello College of Business.

Delivering immersive, voice-driven simulations for law enforcement through building skills, gaining real-time feedback, and preparing for real-world scenarios, Kaiden AI is a software startup co-founded by its CEO Ali Aldubaisi, BS Neuroscience ’21.

After two years of studying management and marketing at the Costello College of Business and the Honors College at George Mason University, Rakibul Alam’s academic credits have put him a semester ahead of schedule.

Led by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) within the Costello College of Business at George Mason University, the Patriot Pitch Competition supports early-stage business ventures and ideas from Mason students and recent alumni. On April 11, the finalists made their final pitches on the Fairfax Campus.