Case Study

Draper University: Media Communications for You and Your Institutional Partners

Background

Draper University is the first-ever “boarding school for entrepreneurs”, created by billionaire investor Tim Draper, the co-founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson. The school has graduated 500+ students, who have started 280+ companies which have raised over $51.4 million. The program, located in the heart of downtown San Mateo at the former historical Ben Franklin hotel, gives students unprecedented access to funding, mentorship, and like-minded entrepreneurial peers in Silicon Valley.

How Upbeat Made a Difference

When Draper University wanted to announce its partnership program with Arizona State University, its staff reached out to Upbeat. The ASU-Draper University Entrepreneurship Incubator Program opens up Silicon Valley resources to the ASU student body and represents Draper U’s biggest partnership yet—so naturally, Draper University wanted the world to hear about it. Their partner, Arizona State University, the #1 school for Innovation in U.S. News and World Report, was equally committed to sharing the news that it would be offering a set of upper-level entrepreneurship courses alongside the stewardship of one of Silicon Valley’s biggest VC.

Upbeat collaborated with Draper University on creating press materials, making sure to coordinate with the partnering ASU. The setup was simple yet comprehensive using the Upbeat dashboard with guidance from the Upbeat Media Strategist. Within days of starting media outreach, the ASU-Draper partnership was featured in EdSurge and Campus Technology, followed not long after by coverage on Tech.co.

Sample Coverage

These are just some of the coverage we got for Draper University.

Arizona State University Offers Students 15 Credits for ‘Semester in Silicon Valley’

SEMESTER IN SV: Some Arizona State University students will study abroad for a semester this year. Others will choose a destination that’s a bit closer: Silicon Valley. ASU announced it will be partnering with Draper University, a self-described “boarding school for entrepreneurs” started by venture
edsurge.com

ASU Students Earn Credits for Spending a Semester in Silicon Valley

Throughout the “Semester in Silicon Valley” program, 80 ASU students will be mentored by business and tech moguls, participate in coding competitions and more, all while earning credits toward their degrees. At the end of the program, they will have the opportunity to pitch their newly launched star…
campustechnology.com

Arizona State and Draper University Team Up For Entrepreneur Dream Course

ASU and Draper University team up to send college students to Silicon Valley for the ultimate entrepreneurial program that counts towards college credit.
tech.co