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October 13, 2020 The Mindset - Issue #1
Director's Message

Welcome to Ciocca Center at Santa Clara University! Ciocca Center is an interdisciplinary center with a mission to encourage and teach an entrepreneurial mindset.

This inaugural issue of The Mindset highlights the importance of empathy, one of the basic tenets of an entrepreneurial mindset. We offer faculty and student viewpoints on the role of empathy in our Perspectives section. In our alumni section, entitled Broncos, Actually, we showcase two alumni who have achieved a level of self-actualization to which we should all aspire! Student Stories brings forward some of the great work being done by our students and introduces our student advisors. Finally, we close with A Well Lighted Place, where we introduce the faculty who direct our efforts and unveil some recent research projects. 

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We are excited to bring you these stories and we welcome your feedback.

Keep reading,

Chris Norris Signature Image

Chris Norris, Executive Director 
Ciocca Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship


Perspectives
Mike Whalen Filming
Through the Lens of A Documentary Filmmaker

"We don't experience the world objectively; we live it subjectively, so why not tell our stories in the same way?" College of Arts and Sciences Professor Michael Whalen, Chair, Communication Department, talks about empathy for the stakeholder in documentary filmmaking. Read the article here. Watch his film, Christmas in Tent City.

Mariah Manzano
Connecting People to Solutions

As an engineer, Mariah Manzano '20 Web Design & Computer Engineering is accustomed to creating solutions. She has realized that to ideate, design, and implement a solution effectively, each step must be linked to real needs and not assumptions. Read the article here. 


Broncos, Actually
Aleisha Nelson
How Living in Graham Led to an Art Business

While attending Santa Clara University and living on campus, double Bronco Aleisha Nelson '17 CS, '19 MSE loved to decorate her dorm room with her own artwork. Her friends began asking her to create customized pieces for them, and Art by Aleisha became an official business. Watch the interview here.

Jason Khalipa
Crossfit Games Champ Builds Community

After winning the Crossfit Games in 2008, Jason Khalipa '08 Management saw an opportunity to improve his community through fitness. Jason turned his passion into NCFIT, a global fitness business. Watch the interview here. 


Student Stories
Young woman in checkered shirt with urban buildings background.
Club Navigator Developed By Students!

Ciocca Center recently launched Club Navigator, a platform that helps students find a club or RSO on campus. The platform came out of Ciocca Center's "You Are Here" initiative, where students collaborate on creating meaningful resources for SCU students. Graduate student, and Ciocca Center intern Elita Liu '21 M.S. Engineering Management, manages this project. 

"SAB Co-Chairs 2023-2024" text and two people, one wearing a headscarf.
Student Advisory Board

Ciocca Center relies on the perspectives of students to ensure our programs and initiatives reflect interdisciplinary interests. Our Student Advisory Board consists of over 20 students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. This year's board is co-chaired by Sameehah Hussain '21 MIS and Steven Bucher '21 COEN. Learn more here. 

Students on a Zoom call
Interested In Starting Your Own Venture?
  • Bronco Venture Accelerator Demo Day is on October 15th. RSVP here.
  • Idea School applications close on October 15th. Apply now!
  • Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) takes place in February at SCU. Application is live!  

A Well Lighted Place
Black-and-white portrait of a man in a suit.
Faculty Advisory Board

Ciocca Center is guided by a diverse faculty advisory board, chaired by our Faculty Director Professor Christopher Kitts, Associate Dean in the School of Engineering. Members of the board come from the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Education & Counseling Psychology, and Leavey School of Business. Learn more here.

Alt text: Illustration of a tree with interconnected icons representing various concepts and ideas.
Active Research Projects

Ciocca Center is currently funding two research projects. Professor Drew Starbird, Jill Martin, and Yacanex Posadas are studying the challenges facing Latino entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Adjunct Lecturer Lanny Vincent is studying practices within Jesuit universities across North America to learn if there is a "Jesuit Way" for the entrepreneurially minded to innovate. Learn more here. 


Upcoming Events

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