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About Us

Who Are We?

Cal Poly Entrepreneurs (CPE) are passionate students with a diverse set of interests and skills, using our collective knowledge to start impactful businesses.

Cal Poly Entrepreneurs (CPE) are passionate students with a diverse set of interests and skills, using our collective knowledge to start impactful businesses.

Our Mission

CPE aims to provide a community for students to network and share ideas in an environment that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship.

What We Offer

Learn

  • Understand the entrepreneurial roadmap by attending our weekly meetings
  • Acquire new skills in our hands-on workshops
  • Learn about the startup community from our guest speakers

Network

  • Discuss innovative ideas with your fellow members and build an unstoppable team
  • Meet with VCs and CEOs on our Startup Tours
  • Get a job at a cutting-edge company during Startup Career Fair

Educate

  • Design your own company at our Startup Weekend
  • Leverage CIE resources like the Hatchery and the Accelerator to scale your idea
  • Use the Innovation Sandbox to construct prototypes

Meet the Directors and Advisors!

Jack Pendleton

President

My name is Jack Pendleton, President of Cal Poly Entrepreneurs. I am a passionate storyteller, with a focus on filmmaking and photography as I wrap up my third and final year here at Cal Poly studying Entrepreneurship and Spanish in the Honors Program. From my first week on campus, CPE has been my home, and I hope to provide a similar experience for everyone who comes through our doors.

Ava Quinn

Director of Finance

My name is Ava Quinn, and I am CPE's Director of Finance this year. As a senior Business major concentrating in entrepreneurship, I'm passionate about the start-up community within the Cal Poly and the surrounding community. I've done work for local start-ups, interned for an insurance brokerage, and volunteered as a legal intern for a law firm serving low-income communities. Outside of clubs and work, I love to ski, play volleyball, and swim with friends.

David Aghajanyan

Director of Meetings

My name is David Aghajanyan, Director of Meetings for CPE. I reach out and network with the various entrepreneurs that visit and speak during our weekly club meetings and organize workshops for our members to engage in. I am a second year majoring in physics and minoring in entrepreneurship. Although I am a scientist at heart, developing the entrepreneurial mindset of creating solutions to solve people’s problems has provided great value within my physics work and other aspects. Outside of this, I am a gigging drummer, playing at various venues in the SLO areas with other talented musicians, and I also enjoy exercising and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Benjamin Arts

Director of Operations

Hello! My name is Benjamin Arts, the Director of Operations for Cal Poly Entrepreneurs. I am a third-year business administration major concentrating in marketing. I have done four different internships over the last four years in four different countries, those include Britain, the United States, Italy, and the Netherlands. I love video games, socializing/networking, and content creation. All of these interests and skills have been applied to my work at CPE and I am happy to be here!

Michelle Jenkins

Director of Marketing

My name is Michelle Jenkins, and I am CPE's Director of Marketing this year! I'm a third year Graphic Communication major concentrating in management; this past year, I was a Design Intern for a marketing and advertisement agency. Outside of CPE and work, I really enjoy quality time with friends, hiking, engaging in philosophical conversations, and trying new foods and activities. CPE has been my home-away-from-home for the past couple of years, and I cherish the people I work with; I hope to further cultivate and maintain CPE's close-knit community!

Fiona Robinson

Advisor

Dr. Fiona Robinson is a lecturer in the Orfalea College of Business who teaches courses in entrepreneurship and design thinking. She formed her first company in 2004, a communications and marketing agency, that served over 200 clients ranging from startup businesses to nationwide corporations. Fiona’s industry experience also includes corporate consulting and providing coaching support to small business owners and not-for-profit leaders. After a decade of industry experience, she completed a doctorate to research how entrepreneurial learning can be improved for early-stage entrepreneurs, which continues to be a research interest. Fiona values community, connectedness and consciousness in all aspects of life, which she fosters in work and classroom environments. She holds a broad view of entrepreneurship as a means to build communities and address social and environmental challenges.

Jonathan York

Advisor

Jonathan York is an entrepreneur and educator who has dedicated his career to helping companies succeed and students learn the issues of entrepreneurship. He joined the faculty of the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly after a career in business as the first professor dedicated to entrepreneurship. At Cal Poly, he is focused on helping students understand and experience the challenges of management and decision-making in growth companies. Since joining Cal Poly, he was the co-founder and initial director of the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – a university-wide effort dedicated to transforming motivated students into resourceful, entrepreneurial and innovative leaders through classroom and hands-on experiences. Dr. York also serves as the advisor to Cal Poly Entrepreneurs, a student-run entrepreneurial organization that engages students campus-wide in entrepreneurial activity and learning.

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