Innovate-A-thon: The Power of Purpose-Driven Innovation—an interview with the founder

Working with the students, it gives me hope—Paul Efron, founding philanthropist 

Welcome to the world of Innovate-A-thon, a student-powered innovation sprint experience that’s more than just a program—it’s a mission. In a recent episode of the Innovate-A-thon podcast, founding philanthropist Paul Efron, alongside his team of passionate changemakers, shared the heart, soul, and future of Education2Success.org (Ed2S)—and the life-changing impact of their work with students.

Paul Efron describes himself humbly: “I’m the lunatic that started this all.” But behind the humor is a deeply driven visionary whose goal is simple but bold—to give students hope, skills, and purpose.

From an Idea to Impact

Efron’s journey began with a love for working with students. His early mentoring in the University of Arizona’s entrepreneurship program planted the seeds. He says it is one of the few things that feels truly meaningful in a dumpster fire of a world--Working with the students, it gives me hope. I got my MBA in 1991 and our Ed2S co-founder, Jim Jindrick was my mentor in the program, in the entrepreneurship program, the relationship just gelled, and every year after for 20 plus years, the entrepreneurship program would have volunteer mentors to work with the students on their business plans or be judges for the business plan competition. Working with the students gives me hope”.

In 2020, he sponsored an engineering team to develop one of his product ideas, while simultaneously sponsoring an entrepreneurship team to create a business plan for it. The results were so powerful—one team added a key innovation after doing market research, and when Paul offered them each $1,000 to tackle the change mid-semester, one student was nearly in tears. “That $1,000 meant tuition, food, or rent. That’s why I do this.”

The program led to something bigger than any single project— Paul filed a US Patent application and listed the ten students as co-inventors. They could list "Patent Pending" on their resumes, giving them a unique edge in job interviews. 

The Rise of Innovate-A-thon

The very first Innovate-A-thon was fully sponsored by Paul himself. He provided the problem statement, judged the competition, and awarded scholarships. One student, Angelina, later shared that “it was the most valuable thing I did in college.” That, Paul says, is when he knew: “We had something special here. It’s beautiful and worthy of our effort.”

To date, over 67 students from 15 universities have participated, with nearly $40,000 in scholarships distributed. These short, high-impact, three-week sprints have led to real solutions for real companies and meaningful experiences for students from all disciplines—engineering to social sciences.

Paul puts it plainly: “You know you’re doing well when students keep coming back. We have repeat participants. That says something.”

Beyond the Sprint: Career Fairs & Real-World Change

Innovate-A-thon’s success has sparked new growth. The Ed2S team recently launched their own virtual career fairs, targeting students by major and interest and connecting them with employers who actually want their skills. “It’s not just throwing a dart at a wall,” Paul says. “It’s targeted. It’s meaningful. And it’s effective.”

They’ve also launched campaigns to tackle environmental issues—starting with promoting rechargeable battery adoption to reduce waste. As Paul puts it: “There’s no ‘away’ when you throw things away. We're working on encouraging small behavioral changes that can have with big environmental wins like reducing single use plastics and reducing disposable batteries.” 

What’s Next?

The vision is big, but the structure is evolving. Ed2S is in the process of transitioning to a nonprofit corporation with audited financials, a necessary step to qualify for grants.

“Initially, I was funding everything myself,” Paul explains. ““But the scale is blowing up and we've got more programs coming online. We need more support for a longer runway until our programs are self-sustaining.”  

To philanthropists and funders who share the passion for preparing the next generation for an innovation-driven world, Paul’s message is heartfelt and honest: “Please help. Please join. It’s rewarding—truly, deeply rewarding. And these students? They need us.”

A Legacy of Hope

Paul doesn’t seek credit or a name on a building. His legacy is to leave self-sustaining programs. “We’re just getting started,” he says. “And what we’ve created is something extraordinarily beautiful.”

Whether you’re a student, a mentor, a funder, or a dreamer—Innovate-A-thon invites you to be part of the magic.

“We’re building something that’s not just for today, but for tomorrow—and for everyone who believes innovation can and should make the world better.” – Paul Efron

To come alongside Paul Efron and help support this important movement, contact us at sherry@ed2s.org

Students interested in participating can reach us through Handshake at your university, or directly at steven@ed2s.org.