Entrepreneurship, Really

The Ciocca Center invites alums and students into conversation to talk frankly about the ups and downs of owning your own business.

Entrepreneurship, Really
Aleisha Nelson ’17 M.S. ’19 started her art business while living on campus. Image by Dalton Johnson Photography.

A new initiative out of the Leavey School of Business brings together alumni and current students to dis- cuss the intersection of passion projects, the entrepreneurial mindset, and self-actualization.

The first sessions of Broncos, Actually, hosted by the Ciocca Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, featured Jason Khalipa ’08—a management major and CrossFit Games champion who founded the global fitness company NCFIT—and Aleisha Nelson ’17 M.S. ’19, a computer science alumna who turned her love for art into Art by Aleisha, selling customized, hand-painted maps.

“Entrepreneurship isn’t all rainbows and unicorns, it has a lot of challenges,” Khalipa told participants before leading them in “an open, transparent conversation on what it’s like to open a business, grow that business, and the challenges I’ve had to overcome.”

Nelson, meanwhile, discussed the importance of patience when starting a new company; she started Art by Aleisha while a junior at SCU and grew it through social media. “I reminded the students that it’s taken me four years—and a lot of late nights and weekends—to get my brand to where it is today.”

Our Stories to Share

The life story of SCU professor emeritus and author Francisco Jiménez ’66 has been made into a movie.

An Honor

Richard Bissen ’83 is elected mayor of Maui, Hawaii, with help from chairperson and fellow Bronco Charlene Schulenburg ’83

Take Note

The Bannan Alumni House is bustling with plans for alumni and grand reunions.

Better Boards

The Leavey School of Business aims to make businesses better through its Black Corporate Board Readiness program.