Entrepreneurship Opportunities | Chapman University
Source: https://www.chapman.edu/academics/undergraduate/entrepreneurship.aspx
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:10
Entrepreneurship Opportunities | Chapman University
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Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Chapman is proud to provide students the resources to cultivate an entrepreneurial
mindset, nurture their ideas and build a business from concept to fruition.
These resources are
available to students from all disciplines and all types of businesses
. This is because entrepreneurship itself is interdisciplinary and collaborative:
start-ups require a team, and teams require a variety of expertise (budgets, technology,
marketing, etc.).
Best of all, California is full of opportunities for students looking to start a business:
98.7%
of California businesses are small businesses
4.1 million
the number of small businesses in California
$0
cost for students to participate in our
incubator program
Academic opportunities
At Chapman, you can make entrepreneurship part of your degree plan through your major
or a minor:
Business Administration - Entrepreneurship Emphasis
:
Business Administration majors can select an entrepreneurship emphasis. With this,
you will take a series of classes to learn how to successfully launch a business.
Entrepreneurship Minor
:
Students from any discipline can add Entrepreneurship as a minor. This can be a great
complement to the specialized knowledge you get from major-specific classes.
You don’t need to be a business major to start a business
. In fact, any student can use knowledge from their discipline to either contribute
to a team or start a business related to their field (e.g., a film student creating
a business for their creative projects, an engineering student launching a tech startup,
etc.).
Zaphera Fidelis '25
Political Science major and Entrepreneurship minor
"The entrepreneurship professors have truly transformed the way I think, learn, and
approach challenges. They have pushed me more than any other professors I’ve had in
my academic journey at Chapman. What makes them stand out is that they bring real-world
experience straight into the classroom and don’t rely on textbooks or theories alone."
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
Chapman’s
Leatherby Center
provides hands-on experiences to students, guiding them to launch and scale ventures
that aim to solve the world's most challenging problems. This includes:
Regular events and guest speakers
: Events include opportunities to meet and connect with established entrepreneurs,
as well as community-building opportunities like film screen
ings, club meetings and more.
Mentor programs
: The Leatherby Center has hundreds of mentors! Center staff will match you with a
mentor whose background and experience best match your business needs.
Incubator Programs
: You can apply to join the center’s 12-week Incubator Program (offered in the fall,
spring and summer).
If you/your team is selected, participation is free!
Panther Cage Match
: Once you have your business plan, you can present it to a panel of business leaders
for feedback and the chance to win cash prizes!
Facilities and meeting space
: The Leatherby Center has classrooms, conference rooms and project rooms throughout.
These are ideal places for club, mentor or startup team meetings.
Eli Schecter ‘23
Business Administration – Entrepreneurship Emphasis; Panther Cage Match Winner
After winning the Panther Cage Match, Eli went on to run his business, Safe Tile,
while a senior. After his win, Schecter has since raised $500,000 for his company
and attracted a CEO from the Tesla Foundation to assist him.
Visit the Leatherby Center
The center is open to visitors—including prospective students and families—on the
first Friday of every month.
You can tour the space, meet the center staff and see incubator teams working.
If you can’t come visit in person, you can take a short tour led by the director,
Dr. Cynthia West:
Chapman Entrepreneurship Organization student club
The Chapman Entrepreneurship Organization (CEO) is an entirely student-run organization.
The club creates meaningful opportunities for members to connect, collaborate and
develop the skills to become the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.
CEO has more than 100 members and meets weekly in the Leatherby Center.
The club hosts speakers and events for all interested students.
You can
follow CEO on Instagram
and feel free to reach out!
You can join immediately upon enrolling at Chapman.
Danna Diaz ‘26
Business Administration – Entrepreneurship Emphasis major; Data Science minor
Danna is a member of CEO and founded Cosmic Ice Shaved Ice Catering Services during
her first year at Chapman. She hopes to grow the business into an interactive entertainment
company.
Read their story
Undergraduate
Undergraduate Academics
Degree & Graduation Requirements
Changing Your Academic Pathway
Undergraduate Advising
Study Abroad
Undeclared/Exploratory Students
Pre-Health Professions Office
University Honors Program
Aims of Education
Phi Beta Kappa
Contact Us
Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Questions?
Email:
entrepreneurs@chapman.edu
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Skip to main content
Skip over carousel to next section
Off
Undergraduate Academics
Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Academics
Office of the Provost
Academic Calendar
Degrees & Programs
Schools and Colleges
Undergraduate Academics
Graduate Education
Course Catalogs
Libraries
Academic Freedom
Academic Integrity
Learning at Chapman
Undergraduate
Undergraduate Academics
Degree & Graduation Requirements
Changing Your Academic Pathway
Undergraduate Advising
Study Abroad
Undeclared/Exploratory Students
Pre-Health Professions Office
University Honors Program
Aims of Education
Phi Beta Kappa
Contact Us
Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Follow
»
Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Chapman is proud to provide students the resources to cultivate an entrepreneurial
mindset, nurture their ideas and build a business from concept to fruition.
These resources are
available to students from all disciplines and all types of businesses
. This is because entrepreneurship itself is interdisciplinary and collaborative:
start-ups require a team, and teams require a variety of expertise (budgets, technology,
marketing, etc.).
Best of all, California is full of opportunities for students looking to start a business:
98.7%
of California businesses are small businesses
4.1 million
the number of small businesses in California
$0
cost for students to participate in our
incubator program
Academic opportunities
At Chapman, you can make entrepreneurship part of your degree plan through your major
or a minor:
Business Administration - Entrepreneurship Emphasis
:
Business Administration majors can select an entrepreneurship emphasis. With this,
you will take a series of classes to learn how to successfully launch a business.
Entrepreneurship Minor
:
Students from any discipline can add Entrepreneurship as a minor. This can be a great
complement to the specialized knowledge you get from major-specific classes.
You don’t need to be a business major to start a business
. In fact, any student can use knowledge from their discipline to either contribute
to a team or start a business related to their field (e.g., a film student creating
a business for their creative projects, an engineering student launching a tech startup,
etc.).
Zaphera Fidelis '25
Political Science major and Entrepreneurship minor
"The entrepreneurship professors have truly transformed the way I think, learn, and
approach challenges. They have pushed me more than any other professors I’ve had in
my academic journey at Chapman. What makes them stand out is that they bring real-world
experience straight into the classroom and don’t rely on textbooks or theories alone."
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
Chapman’s
Leatherby Center
provides hands-on experiences to students, guiding them to launch and scale ventures
that aim to solve the world's most challenging problems. This includes:
Regular events and guest speakers
: Events include opportunities to meet and connect with established entrepreneurs,
as well as community-building opportunities like film screen
ings, club meetings and more.
Mentor programs
: The Leatherby Center has hundreds of mentors! Center staff will match you with a
mentor whose background and experience best match your business needs.
Incubator Programs
: You can apply to join the center’s 12-week Incubator Program (offered in the fall,
spring and summer).
If you/your team is selected, participation is free!
Panther Cage Match
: Once you have your business plan, you can present it to a panel of business leaders
for feedback and the chance to win cash prizes!
Facilities and meeting space
: The Leatherby Center has classrooms, conference rooms and project rooms throughout.
These are ideal places for club, mentor or startup team meetings.
Eli Schecter ‘23
Business Administration – Entrepreneurship Emphasis; Panther Cage Match Winner
After winning the Panther Cage Match, Eli went on to run his business, Safe Tile,
while a senior. After his win, Schecter has since raised $500,000 for his company
and attracted a CEO from the Tesla Foundation to assist him.
Visit the Leatherby Center
The center is open to visitors—including prospective students and families—on the
first Friday of every month.
You can tour the space, meet the center staff and see incubator teams working.
If you can’t come visit in person, you can take a short tour led by the director,
Dr. Cynthia West:
Chapman Entrepreneurship Organization student club
The Chapman Entrepreneurship Organization (CEO) is an entirely student-run organization.
The club creates meaningful opportunities for members to connect, collaborate and
develop the skills to become the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.
CEO has more than 100 members and meets weekly in the Leatherby Center.
The club hosts speakers and events for all interested students.
You can
follow CEO on Instagram
and feel free to reach out!
You can join immediately upon enrolling at Chapman.
Danna Diaz ‘26
Business Administration – Entrepreneurship Emphasis major; Data Science minor
Danna is a member of CEO and founded Cosmic Ice Shaved Ice Catering Services during
her first year at Chapman. She hopes to grow the business into an interactive entertainment
company.
Read their story
Undergraduate
Undergraduate Academics
Degree & Graduation Requirements
Changing Your Academic Pathway
Undergraduate Advising
Study Abroad
Undeclared/Exploratory Students
Pre-Health Professions Office
University Honors Program
Aims of Education
Phi Beta Kappa
Contact Us
Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Questions?
Email:
entrepreneurs@chapman.edu
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