The David Eccles School of Business and the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah announced today a new gift of $160,000 from U alumni Chad and Kristen Anselmo to support a top 10 ranked entrepreneurship program and hands-on learning programs and opportunities at the Eccles School.
“We are pleased to support experiential education at the David Eccles School of Business,” Chad Anselmo said. “We are excited to partner with the school and help further its unique approach of providing students with real-world challenges to develop skills applicable to the modern business experience.”
The largest portion of their donation, $100,000, will sponsor the Adventure & Gear Floor at Lassonde Studios, a student innovation and residential facility that has attracted worldwide attention for its unique design, mission and programs. The floor will be named after the Anselmos, and their donation will be used to support events and scholarships for students.
The rest of their contribution will benefit other student engagement opportunities: $25,000 will be used to provide grants to student entrepreneurs in Get Seeded, a monthly grant program; $10,000 will be used to provide prizes in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, a statewide business model competition; and $25,000 will be used to name a team discussion room in the new Robert H. and Katharine B. Garff Building.
“We are very grateful to receive this generous gift from the Anselmo family to further our mission to be the best business school in the nation for doers and the best for entrepreneurship,” said Taylor Randall, dean of the David Eccles School of Business. “We quickly have become a top 10 school for entrepreneurship, and it would not be possible without the vision and support of alumni such as Chad and Kristen Anselmo.”
The Anselmos are both graduates of the University of Utah. Chad Anselmo double majored in finance and marketing and then later earned an MBA with a focus in mergers and acquisitions. He was also a founding member of the University Venture Fund and participated in the Student Investment Fund. Kristen Anselmo earned a bachelor of arts in mass communication and was station manager at the student-run radio station K-UTE. Chad Anselmo went on to work in finance and management in the fintech industry, eventually building several companies across different technology platforms.
Among other involvements, Chad Anselmo is the president of F1 Payments, which is based in Austin, Texas. It specializes in e-commerce solutions in areas including merchant processing, chargeback management, consulting and integrated software.
The Anselmos met in Utah at the U, lived 15 years in southern California and now live in Texas. They have four sons.
“The University of Utah was a great place for us to learn and grow, and we hope to be a part of that same experience for many students through our gift and involvement with the Lassonde Institute and Eccles School,” Chad Anselmo said. “We hope our support will give students the opportunity to get involved and learn by doing.”
Learn more about entrepreneurship at the Eccles School at eccles.utah.edu/entrepreneurship. Learn more about the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at lassonde.utah.edu.
About the David Eccles School of Business
The Eccles School is synonymous with ‘doing.’ The Eccles experience provides a world-class business education with a unique, entrepreneurial focus on real-world scenarios where students put what they learn into practice long before graduation. Founded in 1917 and educating more than 6,000 students annually, the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business offers nine undergraduate majors, four MBAs, eight other graduate programs, a Ph.D. in seven areas and executive education curricula. The School is also home to 12 institutes, centers and initiatives that deliver academic research and support an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information, visit Eccles.Utah.edu or call 801-581-7676.
About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally ranked hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Utah and an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. The first programs were offered in 2001, through the vision and support of Pierre Lassonde, an alumnus of the Eccles School and successful mining entrepreneur. The institute now provides opportunities for thousands of students to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation. Programs include workshops, networking events, business-plan competitions, startup support, innovation programs, graduate seminars, scholarships, community outreach and more. All programs are open to students from any academic major or background. The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute also manages Lassonde Studios, a new five-story innovation space and housing facility for all students. Learn more at Lassonde.Utah.edu.
