Fowler College of Business
Entrepreneurship Initiatives Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Message from Leadership
Dear Donor, Thank you for your continued investment in entrepreneurship and innovation at SDSU. Your support enables us to create transformative opportunities for students, faculty, and founders while strengthening San Diego's innovation ecosystem. This year, I found particular inspiration in the ways artificial intelligence is accelerating entrepreneurship. Through the HG Fenton Company Rapid Prototyping Lab, students are using AI to test ideas, build products, and bring solutions to market faster than ever. We are also seeing more ventures successfully launch from the ZIP Launchpad. One example is College Cubbies, a student-founded company that helped more than 400 students store their belongings this year while building a sustainable business. Looking ahead, I am excited by SDSU's growing role in the startup community through initiatives such as the SDSU San Diego Angel Conference, which connects founders, investors, and innovators. Your philanthropy makes this work possible. Thank you for helping students turn ideas into impact.
Cathy Pucher Executive Director, SDSU Entrepreneurship Initiatives
Philanthropy
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward Marylinn J. Metzke Endowment The Marylinn J. Metzke Endowment supports entrepreneurship programming at SDSU, expanding opportunities for students to develop innovative solutions, gain hands-on experience, and engage with the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. These experiences allow students to build the skills, confidence, and connections needed to bring their ideas to life. BQuest Foundation Aztec Cooperative Fund The BQuest Foundation Aztec Cooperative Fund enables the SDSU Entrepreneurship Team to increase the number of student internships offered through the Aztec Cooperative Fund. This gift provides paid internships that connect students with startups, creating hands-on learning experiences while helping ventures grow. Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad Through significant philanthropic support for the Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad, we were able to admit students into the First Generation Entrepreneurship Experience Program to observe one semester of ZIP Launchpad programming. Students receive a one-time taxable stipend funded through the generous support of donors. This experience is designed to ignite an entrepreneurial mindset, encouraging students to either launch their own ventures or contribute meaningfully to existing teams within the program.
Entrepreneurship students collaborate in the H.G. Fenton Company Idea Lab Intern Karina Ornelas and her ZIP Launchpad team, "Lift Your Eyes"
Student Spotlight
Thriving in the Aztec Experience Joey Olszynski, Class of 2028 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: Fowler College of Business Major: Management I recently completed my second year as an entrepreneurship student at SDSU, as well as my time in the Lavin Entrepreneurship Program. The experience provided benefits I never expected when I first applied. Through the program, I built a strong network of professional mentors through the staff and monthly mentor breakfasts, connected with two co-founders with complementary skill sets for my new AI startup, and gained a deeper understanding of business development and artificial intelligence through curated presentations and industry speakers. Additionally, I developed friendships with fellow student entrepreneurs who share similar goals and ambitions. The Lavin Entrepreneurship Program has played a meaningful role in my growth as an entrepreneur and has helped prepare me for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
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The Lavin Entrepreneurship Program has played a meaningful role in my growth as an entrepreneur and has helped prepare me for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
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Student Spotlight
Daniel Self, Class of 2026 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Engineering Major: Electric and Computer Engineering The entrepreneurship programs at SDSU have been instrumental in my success. I have participated in several, and each has complemented the last. I first participated in the Lavin Entrepreneurship Program, where I learned about the startup ecosystem as a whole. It was there that I was introduced to the Social Venture Challenge. I formed a team and applied, making it to the final rounds of the competition. We took home third place, along with $5,000 for our startup, Second Course. From there, Second Course was accepted into the ZIP Launchpad Startup Incubator, where we gained access to domain experts, micro-funding, and other resources that have allowed us to turn Second Course into a real venture. We now have real traction, with hundreds of users and measurable impact. It is my dream to work on my startup full-time. With the help of SDSU’s programs, it’s not a question of if my dream will come true, but when.
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It is my dream to work on my startup full-time. With the help of SDSU’s programs, it’s not a question of if my dream will come true, but when.
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Student Spotlight
May Shamasha, Class of 2028 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: Fowler College of Business Major: Management I am a second-year student majoring in Business Management with a minor in Philosophy and Leadership. Since my freshman year, I've been actively engaged in innovation-driven initiatives such as the Lavin program. Through the year-long Lavin program, I developed solutions to real-world challenges, including food insecurity. I volunteered at Coastal Roots Farm and conducted firsthand interviews with farmers to better understand operational challenges and identify meaningful solutions. In the spring, I collaborated with the startup team Dress Code to implement artificial intelligence tools that streamlined repetitive tasks and improved efficiency. These experiences strengthened my analytical thinking, adaptability, and ability to apply entrepreneurial problem-solving in many settings. Moving forward, I aim to continue exploring innovative business solutions and pursue opportunities where I can drive meaningful impact. While I am still refining my long-term career goals, I am committed to contributing value, improving systems, and leaving every organization stronger than I found it.
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Through the year-long Lavin program, I developed solutions to realworld challenges, including food insecurity.
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Points of Pride
Celebrating Shared Success Current Rankings The Entrepreneurship program was ranked No. 14 among public universities and No. 35 nationally. Statistics of Interest ZIP Launchpad engaged 146 new participants this year, including SDSU students, staff, and faculty. Participants took part in a variety of programs, including startup incubation, startup internships, startup fundamentals workshops, and rapid prototyping lab experiences. In 2025-26, our startups competed in more than 20 national and international business and pitch competitions. The competing teams won more than $65,000. Six startups “launched” out of the ZIP Launchpad this year. This means they hit a revenue, product, or other goal that indicates their readiness to operate independently. These teams include College Cubbies, Foot Kinetics, and University Valet. Through over $35,000 in donor support, Lavin Entrepreneurship Center's Seed Fund was able to provide funding to 15 different startup teams teams. One team, Superstar Garage, expressed their gratitude stating that these funds gave them "the opportunity to trademark logos, allowing [them] to allocate more of [their] own resources toward developing new products. Recent Highlights This year, we launched two new initiatives focused on helping students, faculty, and founders navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, reflecting our commitment to ensuring that SDSU students and founders are not only adapting to technological change but actively shaping the future of innovation and entrepreneurship. The first is a monthly AI Coffee Chat series, developed in collaboration with leaders from San Diego’s AI community. These conversations bring together students, faculty, staff, and industry professionals to explore emerging trends, discuss practical applications of AI, and examine how these technologies are reshaping industries, education, and entrepreneurship. We also introduced a new startup pathway within the ZIP Launchpad: the AI Pilot Track. Rather than beginning with a specific business idea, participants are challenged to look ahead and identify the opportunities and challenges that will emerge in an increasingly AIdriven world. Founders are then coached through the process of validating these futurefocused problems and building ventures designed to address them.
Top Innovation
Ranked No. 14 among public universities and No. 35 nationally for innovation and venture creation.
Thank you for your generous support.
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