Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Launches ICON Incubator Program for Student-Athletes
3/26/2024 9:19:00 AM | NIL
Students to learn about NIL, entrepreneurship, branding, marketing, accounting, and law.
The Name, Image, Likeness landscape continues to evolve, and Northwestern is uniquely positioned to embrace it. To that end, Northwestern has launched the ICON Incubator program. The ICON Incubator, led by director Heather Aranyi, exemplifies Northwestern's commitment to NIL success, providing student-athletes with first-class resources and education. This immersive incubator educates and empowers student-athletes to achieve their desired NIL goals. Students will take an interdisciplinary approach, learning about multiple aspects of NIL, including principles of entrepreneurship, branding, marketing, accounting, and law.
Northwestern's ICON Incubator Program kicked off a fully-enrolled cohort during the 2024 winter quarter, uniting 24 student-athletes from nearly every varsity sport. This dynamic cohort will learn from industry experts and leverage each other's NIL experiences to maximize their success.
"I am honored and thrilled to serve as Director of Northwestern's ICON Incubator. Our 24 ICON student-athletes are focused, innovative, and entrepreneurial. It has been an incredible inaugural year!" shared ICON Incubator program director Heather Aranyi.
Aranyi has an outstanding track record working with student-athletes. In addition to being recognized as a Northwestern Faculty Guest Coach in 2022, she has taught Northwestern's incredible student-athletes in courses such as Principles of Entrepreneurship, Personal Branding, and Launching Your Brand. The ICON Incubator will leverage key aspects from these courses and the latest research to create one of the top NIL incubator programs in the nation.
The Icon Incubator is part of Northwestern's broader commitment to supporting student-athletes in the NIL era. The university has also launched the Northwestern Exchange NIL marketplace and the on-campus NIL General Manager program in partnership with Altius Sports Partners.
"The ICON Incubator is an incredible complement to the NIL education and resources Northwestern has provided for student-athletes to-date," shared Northwestern NIL General Manager Brad Bauer. "In addition to the dedicated, functional NIL assistance we have been providing, the ICON Incubator program will give a select group the chance to supercharge their NIL and further develop their unique skill sets."
ICON incubator member and punter on the Northwestern Football team Luke Akers said: "I am so excited for the opportunity to be a part of the ICON Incubator here at Northwestern! Personal branding, as well as learning how to navigate the NIL world, are now both very important aspects of being a college athlete, and I am eager to grow in both of these areas. I cannot wait to see what I am able to accomplish with the knowledge I gain from the ICON Incubator and director Heather Aranyi!"
