Board of Mentors and Advisors

The Board of Mentors and Advisors for the Center for Entrepreneurship consists of experienced professionals from the North State who donate their time and expertise to help further the center’s mission and foster student success.

Todd Amdor

Attorney | King & Spalding, LLP

Todd advises clients from public and privately held corporate entities, including both startups and Fortune 500 companies on cross-border mergers and acquisitions in the energy and technology sectors.  A growing part of his practice is advising tech startups on corporate governance issues and early stage financing rounds.

Debra Cannon

Founder | Lulus.com

Debra, along with her daughter Colleen Winter, founded Lulus.com, a leading online retailer of young women’s apparel, shoes, and accessories. Lulu’s is a true Chico success story; it started on Main Street in downtown Chico in 1996, and it has grown into one of the fastest growing-commerce sites on the web.

Christian Friedland

President | Build.com

Chris is the founder of Build.com, a leading online retailer of home improvement products. He attended Chico State as a Political Science major until, in late 1999, he decided to revolutionize the way faucets are sold. Today, that original idea has evolved into Build.com, one of the biggest online sellers of DIY goods in the world. 

Andrew Gazdecki

CEO | Bizness Apps

Andrew is the founder of Bizness Apps,  a platform that makes mobile apps affordable and simple for small businesses. In 2011, Andrew founded and bootstrapped Bizness Apps into a global enterprise all while earning his BA in Business Marketing at Chico State. Andrew won the Chico State Business Concept Competition in fall 2010.

Robert Strazzarino

Founder/CEO | College Scheduler LLC

College Scheduler provides a web-based schedule planner for students and advisors at institutions across the United States. Robert graduated from Chico State with his BS in Computer Science in 2006. In early 2016, College Scheduler was acquired by Civitas Learning. Robert still manages College Scheduler and sits on the Civitas’ board.

Glen Thomas

Partner | ThomasYork, LLP

Glen launched into the world of accounting with his degree from CSU, Chico in 1983. Today, as a founder and a partner at TYS in San Francisco, Glen helps guide businesses through acquisitions, successions, and other transitions – while ensuring that the goals and needs of everyone are satisfied.

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