SDSU Alumni Find Community and Opportunity Through Early-Stage Investing

By Taylor Harris 

For San Diego State University alumni Andrew Monarch (’05) and Tracy Stevens (’92), staying connected to their alma mater has remained an important part of their lives. 

Whether it is through mentorship, volunteering, or attending athletics events, Monarch and Stevens have been loyal Aztecs for life. Now, through the SDSU San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC), they are enhancing their way to give back to their San Diego community through mentoring startups and early-stage investing. 

SDSU has long been committed to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. In recent years, that commitment has included empowering early-stage accredited investors through comprehensive training, community engagement, and networking events, including SDSU SDAC.

During the 2024–25 academic year, SDSU took over hosting SDAC from the University of San Diego. Today, the SDSU  Fowler College of Business Lavin Entrepreneurship Center leads the conference designed to train and activate early-stage investors. 

Graduating from SDSU with his Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship, Monarch knew he wanted to build a career that would give him the freedom to innovate, think creatively, and pursue new ideas.

“I grew up in an entrepreneurial family and always had an interest in starting a business as well as learning about different industries and stages of a company's development,” said Monarch. “I had some great classes and professors at SDSU that introduced us to founders, executives, and angel investors from Tech Coast Angels, now NuFund Ventures. ”

Similarly, Stevens, who graduated from SDSU with a degree in finance, always had an interest in investing. But it wasn’t until 2023 that her interest slowly became a passion she would soon uncover. 

“It was during San Diego Startup Week 2023, held on the SDSU campus, where I experienced the energy and collaboration firsthand and decided that I wanted to be more involved in this amazing entrepreneurial community,” said Stevens. 

That is when they both discovered SDSU SDAC.

A New Perspective on Early-Stage Investing

Blown away by the diverse community, technology, and knowledge, both soon saw this as an opportunity to learn more about an area they had not previously explored in depth, while building new relationships in San Diego’s entrepreneurial community.

“I was a little intimidated to go because I felt like I would know the least of anyone,” said Stevens, “But I realized quickly that there was nothing to be nervous about and everyone was so welcoming and supportive.”

Monarch was similarly drawn in by the companies and ideas he encountered through the program. The experience also allowed him to return to SDSU and see how the university's entrepreneurial programming had evolved.

“After that first event, I was hooked. I was shocked at the amount of innovation coming out of the San Diego community,” he said. “I was also interested in getting back on campus to see all the recent developments with the Fowler College of Business, and the ZIP Launchpad.” 

As the two have now become more involved in SDSU SDAC, Monarch and Stevens have also gained a deeper understanding of the work that goes into evaluating early-stage companies.

One of the biggest surprises is the breadth of information involved in early-stage investing and how everyone has their own scale and metrics for what they look at when investing in a startup or early-stage company.

The program has also introduced them to fellow investors and entrepreneurs, which they say has been one of the most valuable parts of the experience.

“I have been most impressed with the startup ecosystem where founders and entrepreneurs come together to help grow the San Diego startup space,” said Monarch. “I didn't expect to meet such a great group of diverse professionals willing to give back to the community with their time, energy, and money.” 

For Stevens, the relationships she has built with people she has met through SDSU SDAC have been equally important.

“Honestly, I’ve mostly enjoyed the people I’ve met, other investors, founders, and the broader start-up community in San Diego,” she said. “It really is a collaborative ecosystem, and I find the interactions I have with SDSU SDAC members to be interesting and educational but also inspiring.”

Supporting San Diego’s Entrepreneurial Community

SDSU SDAC has not only exposed them to new people, but also to new companies and industries far outside their own professional backgrounds.

Stevens, whose background is in software development, has participated in due diligence for companies working in areas including drug discovery and medical devices.

“My first year I led the due diligence for a drug discovery company employing proteomic solutions. The next year it was a ‘femtech’ medical device company, and last year it was another medical device company developing a solution for the most difficult chronic sinusitis cases,” she said. 

For Monarch, since SDSU SDAC is not industry-specific, working with a variety of companies has been one of the most interesting parts of the experience, helping expand his mindset about the challenges entrepreneurs face. 

“We have seen companies from medtech, femtech, fintech, apps for mental health, and consumer packaged goods,” he said. “I look at startups and early-stage companies completely differently than I thought about two years ago,” he said 

For those interested in learning about early-stage investing but aren't sure where to begin, both Monarch and Stevens emphasize the value of simply getting involved and learning from the community. This opportunity has allowed them to participate and contribute to the community that surrounds SDSU.

“It has been great watching the San Diego community come together,” Monarch said. “People from different universities, including UCSD, SDSU, and USD, are connecting with professionals from diverse backgrounds like engineering, business, finance, science, and real estate.”

For Stevens, that community also represents an opportunity for SDSU alumni to play a role in the region’s entrepreneurial future.

“I was thrilled when the SDAC moved to SDSU because I think it’s such a natural fit with all of the other entrepreneurial programming that originates out of SDSU,” she said. We have so many SDSU alumni that are still in San Diego, and it would be great to have as many as possible trained and able to invest in startup and early-stage businesses to expand San Diego’s reputation as a great place for innovation to flourish.”

As SDSU SDAC continues to grow, Monarch and Stevens hope other alumni will consider joining them in being a part of the village that helps raise these startups. 

To learn more about SDSU SDAC and the year-long, hands-on training program open to accredited investors, please visit sdac.sdsu.edu.