StartupAZ Launches Helion House — A Residency for Ambitious Builders

Phoenix, AZ — April 6, 2026— StartupAZ has launched Helion House, a live-learn-build

residency for young entrepreneurs focused on turning ideas into real products, revenue, and

career leverage.

Helion House is not a school — it’s an intentional, execution-first builder environment.

The program is designed for small cohorts of college-aged individuals who want to operate at

startup pace — building, testing, and shipping in real markets. Residents commit full-time,

working inside a high-accountability environment where outcomes matter more than credentials.

The initial pilot is a 6-month residency, with extensions reserved for the highest-signal builders.

Residents cover living expenses and a one-time program fee comparable to a semester of

in-state tuition, with StartupAZ partners providing need- and performance-based scholarships to

ensure cost is not a barrier for qualified participants.

Helion is built around one outcome standard — produce real companies with real revenue.

Everything else is downstream. Whether residents continue their startup, step into a high-growth

role, or return to school, the outcome is the same: proven execution and meaningful leverage in

the modern economy.

For residents who demonstrate strong traction, Helion extends beyond the initial 6-month

residency — offering access to aligned investors and syndicates through Helion-led SPVs,

extended residency through scholarship, and deeper operational support including mentorship,

back-office infrastructure, legal, and accounting resources. Residents also receive direct access to operators and tools typically reserved for funded

startups, including:

● Credits on Intro for direct access to the world's most in-demand operators and experts

● Lifetime access to Augment — a modern MBA platform taught by operators from leading

technology companies, including Meta, OpenAI, Google, Amazon, 20VC, and YouTube,

among others.

● Over $50,000 in credits and preferred pricing across leading startup platforms including

AWS, OpenAI’s Codex, Anthropic’s ClaudeCode, Apollo.io, Pipedrive, HubSpot, Brex,

Mercury, Stripe, and Clerky, to name a few.

The inaugural cohorts will launch in Phoenix and Denver, with residency applications open now

and the program beginning in September 2026. Additional cities under consideration for future

expansion include Austin, Raleigh, San Diego, Nashville, and Toronto. Helion partners with

professionally managed co-living communities in these cities where residents live and build in

close proximity to vibrant urban hubs.

Helion House is founded by Brandon Clarke, a Phoenix-based entrepreneur and community

builder who most recently led venture studio development at Northern Arizona University. In

2015, Clarke co-founded StartupAZ with Mario Martinez II — building one of Arizona’s most

consequential founder networks, supporting companies representing over $2 billion in

aggregate enterprise value, nearly 3,000 jobs, and more than $500 million in venture capital

raised. In 2025, StartupAZ merged its signature Founders Collective program with PHX FWD,

led by Gregg Scoresby and Clate Mask, now operating as PHX FWD Masterminds.

“Helion House is meeting the moment — designing a new category for the next generation of

entrepreneurs irrationally committed to solving problems and owning their future in the modern

economy,” said Clarke. “AI is compressing learning curves, and modern platforms are rewarding

rapid iteration, shipping, and selling. Customers and investors now validate real skills faster than

legacy institutions can credential them.”

Helion House is supported by a network of founders, operators, and investors who engage with

residents throughout the build process. Some have also joined the Helion Hiring Pledge — a

non-binding commitment to consider residents for roles based on demonstrated execution for

those who don’t pursue their startups long-term.

Early advisors, mentors, speakers, and pledged companies include:

● Jamie Baxter — Diner

● Kelvin Beachum — Arizona Cardinals

● Jacob Carter — NurtureBoss

● Eli Chmouni — NEON

● Ji Mi Choi — ASU/NSF

● Gabe Cooper — Virtuous

● Heidi Jannenga — WebPT

● Christie Kerner — PSBLTY

● Mike Kovarik — Shop Controller

● Danny Loschiavo — Puro Air

● Clate Mask — PHX FWD

● Rob Nicoletti — Halo

● Mike Randall — Monsoon Ventures

● Chris Ronzio — Trainual

● Nirit Rubenstein — Dovly

● Gregg Scoresby — PHX Ventures

● Mat Sherman — MatCap

● Kelly Smith — Prenda

● Ross Sylvester — Adrata

● Colin Turner — Postscript

Applications for Fall 2026 residencies in Phoenix and Denver are now open. Learn more

at helionhouse.com.