During the academy, students heard from cybersecurity experts, participated in cybersecurity skills workshops, had tours of the CSUSM Instructional and Information Technology Services department and cybersecurity firms, and connected with professionals during a networking and showcasing event for their final projects.

Facilitated by Howard Chan, learning experience designer for the Innovation Hub, the program was created to connect students to emerging industries like cybersecurity, biotechnology and AI through hands-on learning and real-world engagement.

The Innovation Hub’s blend of education and application – as well as support from industry sponsors Extreme Networks, Halcyon, SHI, SentinelOne, VectorUSA and Guidepoint Security – gave students the ability to explore the field of digital defense and gain valuable experience. Thanks to a generous donation from Haiku, students also had access to the learning platform that empowers individuals to master cybersecurity through an immersive and engaging experience.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Chan, who has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in cross-cultural teaching, has worked for over 30 years in fields spanning workforce development, industry and education.

An engineer, educator and entrepreneur, Chan has championed innovative education models worldwide and continues to inspire students and teachers with creative, hands-on learning styles.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

She wasn't sure if her project would become a children's book, an animated series or something else entirely.

"I was thrilled to be accepted," Robinson says. “As a writer and illustrator, my business is different than the others. I came in knowing how to tell a story. REP taught me how to run a business, from unit pricing and supply chains to profit margins and trademark protection.”

Andreina Leal-Carrillo had a different reason for joining REP. Her business, The Repair Tech Inc., a heating, air conditioning and appliance services company, had already been running for 12 years. She could see where she wanted to take it. What she needed were the tools to get there and a way to show her business partner that expansion was worth pursuing. 

"I wanted to take it to the next level," Leal-Carrillo says. "I was hoping for affirmation that it was possible and for my business partner to believe in my vision as well.”

Today, both women give back as mentors to fellow REP participants, drawing on their own experiences to help the next cohort of entrepreneurs thrive.

Supporting entrepreneurs through every step 

Offered through CSUSM’s Innovation Hub, REP is a 10-month experience designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs from low-to-moderate income communities as they navigate the realities of starting and growing a small business. 

“At CSUSM, we see entrepreneurship as a pathway to opportunity,” said Paola Ometto REP faculty liaison and a management professor in the College of Business Administration. “REP connects entrepreneurs to the tools, networks and support they need to grow, strengthening both their businesses and the communities they serve.” 

Made possible in part through funding from Wells Fargo, REP begins with six weeks of business training covering the tools, concepts and principles relevant to launching and growing a successful venture. It is followed by a community connection event, where participants meet with community partners offering legal, financial and business support services. 

In later phases, CSUSM business students work alongside participants as part of a senior experience project, lending their skills in branding, marketing and operations. 

For Robinson, the students researched crowdfunding platforms and successful campaigns for other picture books.  

For Leal-Carrillo, a highlight of REP was mindset coaching, which helped her and her business partner align on a shared vision for growth.  

"Whether you're just starting out or your business has been running for a while, this program helps you see where your company is going and how you can take it further," Leal-Carrillo said. “It's so fun to come back to REP events and see other businesses thrive.”

Bringing the community together 

On April 18, REP will host its Community Connect Event at the CSUSM Innovation Hub, where the current cohort of delegates will have the opportunity to meet with local organizations offering services and resources tailored to small business owners.

“I am honored to represent Wells Fargo in sponsoring this impactful initiative,” said Laura MacKinnon Chapman, senior social impact & sustainability specialist for Wells Fargo. “Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. Whether they’re just getting started, looking to expand or need coaching to sustain, our initiatives, funding and grant programs help provide small business owners with the resources they need — because we know that when they thrive, communities thrive, too.”

Operation HOPE will be among those in attendance, bringing its expertise and resources directly to the entrepreneurs in the room. 

“At Operation HOPE, our mission is to expand access to opportunity through financial education and empowerment,” said Monica Carlos, financial wellbeing coach, Operation HOPE Powered by Wells Fargo. “We’re honored to support REP, as their commitment to entrepreneurship aligns with our belief that financial literacy is the foundation for building sustainable businesses and stronger communities.”

The event reflects what REP does throughout the entire program: create moments where the right people and the right resources find each other, so that every entrepreneur has a chance to make their mark.

Every contribution to CSUSM brings the university closer to its Blueprint for the Future campaign goal to raise $200 million in philanthropy and research funding.

About REP 

REP is part of the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative network, a model founded at the University of Notre Dame and now supported by 42 partner organizations across the United States and internationally. 

To learn more about the program or get involved as a guest speaker, community resource or participant, visit the Resilient Entrepreneur Program at the CSUSM Innovation Hub. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The installation will be an interactive space drawing on inspiration from a Tibetan Buddhist mandala, a teaching aid used in traditional practices. Participants are guided through the five afflictions of pride, attachment, envy, anger and ignorance. The pop-up is open to students, faculty, staff and the community, and 90-minute facilitated sessions will be offered throughout the week. During these sessions, participants will learn how to cultivate clarity and equanimity through touch, sound and synchronized breathing.  

“​​The big difference between presenting the Mandala Lab as an installation and conducting a workshop is that the participants get to experience the teachings inherent in the practice as a group,” said Mandala Lab curator Tim McHenry.  

The sessions focus on one of the many teachings associated with the mandala and provide emotional transformation to help promote a better understanding of oneself and others. Sessions will be held in the Extended Learning Building, Suite 101, 288 Campus Way, San Marcos. 

Visit the website for more information or to register. 

Workshop schedule: 

Monday, April 13-Friday, April 17 

• 10 a.m.-noon
• 1-3 p.m.
• 3-5 p.m.
• 5-7 p.m. 

Though part of different colleges – Feairheller a kinesiology professor in the College of Education, Health and Human Services and Morris a computer engineering professor in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – they reconnected as members of the second cohort of Faculty Innovation Fellows in CSUSM’s Innovation Hub. The program fosters innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities for students, faculty, and community and industry partners.

While Feairheller and Morris were working on separate projects during the fellowship, their connection led to a new collaboration that has earned federal funding to advance their research.

The project, “AI-Driven Models for Disease Detection in Cardiovascular Health,”  was awarded a grant through the National Institutes of Health’s AIM-AHEAD Program for Artificial Intelligence Readiness (PAIR), which supports multidisciplinary teams focused on building capacity for AI/ML health equity research. Joining Feairheller and Morris on the project are computer science professors Ali Ahmadinia and Sreedevi Gutta.

“By getting the award from AIM-AHEAD, we now have data available to us that we previously didn't have,” Morris said. “That can be another resource for us to improve our models and better understand what additional data we’ll need when we do go to collect new information with Deb.”

Feairheller credited the innovation fellowship for providing the space to initiate those early discussions, which grew into a broader collaboration.

“I'm really excited that we have access to this extra data,” Feairheller said. “Through this grant program, they're going to help us in creating a project proposal that will build on the idea that they have and also help enable future research in cardiovascular health and women.”

Before joining CSUSM, Feairheller was at the University of New Hampshire where she focused on understudied populations affected by cardiovascular disease. Coming to CSUSM, she recognized the need for specific research in women. She is eager to use the AI modeling that Morris and his team will be doing to improve screening tools that could be used in her clinic to potentially enable more patients to be engaged in learning about their cardiovascular health.

Feairheller noted the importance of recognizing the difference in the hearts of men and women. She said there is limited published research on how a female heart responds to stressors, exercise and other activity.

“The clinical guidelines and the paradigms that physicians use to treat patients are following protocols that were derived on studies that were done primarily in men, so I really love that we're going to create these AI models,” she said. “And I really do hope that we can do something that is specific for females as well as for males because it might create ways that we can do screening that's very sex specific and could potentially save lives.”

The “AI-Driven Models for Disease Detection in Cardiovascular Health” project got jumpstarted with initial data that had already been collected by Feairheller in her previous research working with women, which Morris said allowed them to improve their grant proposal by creating models based on that data.

Both Feairheller and Morris emphasized the role the Faculty Innovation Fellows program played in bringing their collaboration to fruition, and they encourage other faculty to give the program a try.

“The fellowship really helped us learn about each other's research,” Morris said, “and it facilitated impactful conversations.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Keehr, who graduated in 2016, now works as a speech-language pathologist in the San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD). She has remained closely connected to CSUSM, regularly supervising SLP graduate students working as interns in the district. 

In somewhat of a full circle moment for Keehr, she now sends her daughter to the CSUSM SLP clinic where she once trained as a graduate student. 

Keehr’s daughter Lyra was born with Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects how a child grows and develops. It can cause learning difficulties, seizures, delayed speech, and unique physical features like coarse facial features or small hands and feet. 

Though Lyra will turn 3 years old in September, she weighs just 15 pounds and is still learning to walk independently. When Lyra's physical therapist recommended a walking device to improve her mobility, the SLP clinic was there to help. Lyra’s tiny frame meant a standard walking device wouldn’t work, and a custom-made one came with an exorbitant price tag. 

One of Keehr’s SMUSD coworkers suggested she talk to CSUSM about the possibility of developing something. 

Laura Coca, CSUSM’s director of clinical education for the SLP department and one of Keehr’s mentors while she was a student, reached out to engineering professor Reza Kamali, who is the faculty adviser for the university’s chapter of Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM), an assistive technology organization that matches students with people living with neglected disabilities.  

“It was such a wonderful opportunity for students to collaborate,” Coca said. “I cannot thank Reza and TOM enough. They were just so fast and so comprehensive.” 

Kamali and the TOM team had several meetings with Keehr and Lyra’s physical therapist. Less than four months later, they had created a lightweight walking device tailored for Lyra. 

“These experiences offered a unique opportunity for students to engage in community-based projects where they could see firsthand how their knowledge and skills could be applied to create meaningful change,” Kamali said. “Watching their product go from an idea to a tangible device used by a child in need was an emotional and inspiring moment for everyone involved.” 

Keehr said the additional support has helped Lyra in many ways, including socially, with play skills that she’s learning from the SLP clinic and in her general mobility. 

“I didn’t know what to expect, and that’s why I was pleasantly surprised,” Keehr said.“Since getting the trainer, she has been able to stand by herself for a few seconds. It’s definitely been helping with her development. 

"I'm just very grateful for both of those programs and what they're doing for the community. Trying to navigate the insurance world and all the paperwork and everything that comes with it, it's programs like the SLP clinic and TOM that make it just a little bit easier for families like ours. They’re people who have good hearts and just want to help their community. So I'm very grateful for making those connections and also being able to promote them to other families that I work with so that they can benefit from these services.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The documentary, “Good Natured” by filmmaker Ashley Stokes, takes viewers on a journey through Florida’s wild spaces, introducing individuals dedicated to conservation, innovation and “striking a balance between human progress and environmental stewardship.”

Díaz-Almeyda attended the premiere at the Tampa Theatre on Feb. 19. The documentary aired on PBS on Feb. 27 and can now be watched on its website.

Díaz-Almeyda was connected with Stokes through a former colleague in Florida, and she says she bonded with the filmmaker instantly through a shared vision of how to confront climate change. Díaz-Almeyda’s portion of the documentary focuses on her work at Triangle Ranch, which features a permanent conservation easement just north of Myakka River State Park. She collected three years of data and observed high microbial diversity.

“Microbial ecology means that I study small, invisible microbes,” Díaz-Almeyda said. “I want to know which microbes are where and what are they doing. Most microbes are beneficial and are needed for ecosystem health. My goal is to support decision-makers to document how their practices have an impact at microbial level.”

Díaz-Almeyda came to CSUSM in 2023 from New College of Florida because she wanted to be closer to family. At CSUSM, besides teaching in the biology department, she is a faculty fellow through the Innovation Hub. In that role, she created the Milpa Hub, a project that aims to promote the growth of milpas – traditional agricultural systems – to promote environmental and community resilience.

Díaz-Almeyda says the experience with the documentary motivated her to seek training in science communication. As a result, she was awarded a National Science Foundation-funded science communications fellowship for pre-tenure faculty of color through the SciComm Identities Project, a joint venture of the University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute, Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and the URI Science and Story Lab.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Sessions will be held from Saturday, March 8 through Thursday, March 13. 

Saturday will be a “mini-event” that is 45 minutes and free for all participants. On Sunday-Thursday, the event is 90 minutes and $4 per person. Reservations are required and can be made online.

No science background is necessary. The event is intended for groups of 4-8 people ages 12 and up.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Carrasco has been surrounded by entrepreneurs for multiple years, as her mother and aunt have a business in which they create and sell rim dip, a paste usually created with tamarind and chamoy that are then used to cover the rims of beers and other beverages. Carrasaco’s mom and aunt developed their own recipe for these rim dips in 2020. While Carrasco wasn't involved in the process, she used it as inspiration for her own business, Hot Summer Gummies (@hotsummergummies on Instagram). 

“Where I live, tamarindo gummies are very popular,” said Carrasco, who is from Imperial Valley. “Personally, I don’t really like those ones, but my mom’s recipe was really good, so I pitched ideas.” 

Carrasco’s mom was on board with the new idea. Together they picked up different kinds of candy, developed logos and packaging, and then Carrasco started selling the new gummies at her community college sporting events while attending Imperial Valley College. 

“A lot of people really liked them, and I was selling out every time I went to the games,” Carrasco said. “I pitched the gummies to the owners of the stores that had rim dip in them. They loved the idea and gave me space to put them in their stores.”

Carrasco said her goal going forward is to expand her business into San Diego, or even sell the gummies on campus.

Carrasco is on the right track to help her business progress. Last fall, she was the winner of the Innovation Hub’s Quick Pitch competition, which closely resembles the hit TV show “Shark Tank” in which competitors pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges. Carrasco received $1,000 for her winning pitch. 

“I was in shock,” Carrasco said. “I had a big smile on my face, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, no way.’ ”

Carrasco put the prize money into her savings, with plans to utilize it for her business.  

Not only did winning the Quick Pitch provide funds to help grow the business, but it also equipped her with lifelong lessons. 

“I remember sitting down at the competition and I almost walked out because I was so nervous,” Carrasco said. “But I said, ‘We’re just going to do it.’ 

“It really showed me what I was capable of and helped me step out of my comfort zone – and it made me feel that what I'm doing is good. I got really good feedback. I brought gummies with me and went home empty-handed at the end of the night because I sold them all. It just gave me a lot of confidence.”

Carrasco is using this newfound confidence while working toward her degree at CSUSM. She will graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor's degree in marketing. While she has thoughts of continuing with the business, her dream is to be a social media coordinator for the Los Angeles Lakers. 

“I’m very open-minded,” Carrasco said. “I’ll just see what happens.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Datta, who will graduate from Cal State San Marcos with their master’s in biological sciences this May, has worked to overcome challenges with imposter syndrome and their own diagnosis of a disability a few years ago. Now they’re working to help others battling disabilities.

Datta has worked in several different places to fuel their experience at CSUSM, including helping with multiple biology courses, serving as graduate mentor for the Summer Scholars program and working as a tutor.

Those efforts have paid off. Last fall, Datta won the CSUSM Social Innovation Challenge and in January they won the Crellin Pauling Student Teaching Award.

“I always liked learning,” said Datta, who uses they/them pronouns. “Every class that I took added a lens in terms of how I see the world. I see a leaf and I see all of its different parts and I see the physics and the chemistry that comes together to make it, and it's a wonderful thing.”

Datta enrolled at CSUSM for graduate school after earning their bachelor’s from UC Davis for multiple reasons, including access to faculty who does research in their field and CSUSM’s proximity to their family.

“I’m a person with disabilities and I’m from San Diego,” they said. “My entire family is here and I needed that support system.”

Datta studies how to make higher education (particularly STEM) classrooms more accessible for students with disabilities. 

Currently a peer mentor in STEM, Datta has been interested in both the fields of STEM and education since they were a young teenager. Since this initial interest, Datta has taken on several roles that gave them experience and made them more well rounded as an educator.

“Exposure to different types of people’s experiences helps you understand how to be more empathetic and kind toward them as a person,” Datta said. “You realize these things that you might never experience and you start to notice those factors and begin to recognize the telltale signs of people struggling or needing help and recognize that better in the future.”

Datta produced an impressive project for CSUSM’s Social Innovation Challenge, an ideation competition in which students compete to solve real-world problems.

“My thesis is on how closed captioning affects the academic experiences of students with disabilities and STEM classrooms,” Datta said. “My business proposal was on how we can integrate that realistically and logically into higher education.”

Datta’s project has been in the works since their senior year of undergrad, stemming from an honors thesis during COVID when they saw how the pandemic affected people with chronic and physical disabilities and neurodivergent challenges. Some of their friends did not adjust well to the new climate while others (like Datta) thrived in an online learning environment.

The project has continued to grow. Datta has conducted extensive research and found ways to help students, including through recorded lectures with captions. Datta then looked for ways to get the project into action.

But Datta knows that change is slow.

“I had sections in my proposal for what we should do if my proposal wouldn't work, because I recognized that it was too ideal,” Datta said. “I want to get these resources universally implemented into as many institutions as possible, and that is a lot of money and a lot of coordination. With the amount of cooperation required, it's hard.” 

Datta had to use a deeper-level thinking process, focusing on whether institutions even had the resources needed to put their plan to action and whether it was equitable to ask instructors to do these tasks. 

As the first-place winner, Datta was awarded $500 and an opportunity to share their project, build their resume and get involved in networking. 

Datta cares deeply about making education accessible. They not only have their winning social innovation project, they also have been a graduate teaching assistant for over a year instructing labs, holding office hours and developing tools for their students to succeed. 

Beyond just the logistical roles of being an educator, Datta really stands out in the impression they leave on their students - being real. 

“I had a student tell me, ‘You’re like the first human professor I’ve had,’ ” Datta said. “I make mistakes and I have difficult days. I joke with my students and share struggles I had when learning the same materials and taking the same classes.” 

When students are learning a difficult subject or in a difficult class, honesty and relatability from their teachers can make a world of difference. Instead of being discouraged, students are more likely to improve, leading them to thrive. Datta also urges their students to find a healthy balance.

“I always encourage my students to prioritize their mental health,” Datta said, “but get the degree, do whatever you have to do, keep your head down. Take your time, but get the degree.” 

Not only have Datta’s students recognized their hard work, but so has their mentor, biology professor Mallory Rice.

“They care deeply about not only improving the experiences of students in their own classroom, but all students that cross their path,” Rice said. “Poorvi’s advocacy has even had a profound impact on my teaching and influenced me to integrate practices into my own classroom to improve students’ experiences.”

In January, Datta won the Crellin Pauling Student Teaching Award, which acknowledges those who show student teaching achievement in the field of biotechnology. The award branches across to students from any CSU, yet only two are selected. Winners received $2,000 and an invitation to attend the CSU Biotechnology Symposium. Datta’s acceptance speech had a strong impact on the audience.

 “I had so many people coming up to me and telling me about it when I had this moment, where I realized words have power,” Datta said, “I spoke for three minutes and impacted people in a way that's really significant and meaningful, and that was eye-opening for me.  

“Receiving this award means a lot. I put in so much work and I care so much about my students. Having your work recognized when you have imposter syndrome, that type of external validation can be very significant.”

As someone who deals with disabilities themselves, Datta understands the challenges that one goes through and incorporates these experiences into their teachings.

“I have a lot of flexibility with my students, and I also ask my students to be flexible with me,” Datta said, “The most important advice I would give to any student with disabilities is to spend less time thinking about how to fix yourself, assuming that you're broken, and spend more time trying to figure out how to be compassionate to yourself and how you can succeed because you deserve it.” 

Datta was recently admitted to the integrated life sciences Ph.D. program at the University of Georgia for the fall and intends to pursue a doctorate in neuroscience. Their ultimate goal is to become a teaching professor of biology. This career would allow Datta to continue their research and develop evidence-based recommendations that would help institutions retain more students with disabilities in STEM.

 After spending years of their life learning how to adapt to and grow through challenges, Datta wants to share their understanding with others.

“Sometimes situations can be unfair and it’s not your fault,” Datta said, “Being kind to yourself and giving yourself the space to be human and asking for things you need from the people you feel safe asking from will always yield you success because you deserve it, and all of us are capable of being successful.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The Quick Pitch contest occurs each semester and is formatted similarly to the TV show “Shark Tank.” Quick Pitch judges provide feedback to contestants about their business model and three winners are chosen. 

Psychological sciences student Natalie Greenwood-Mendez placed second and received $500 for her business idea “Open Ear,” which is an employer-sponsored, virtual service to support workers by providing frequent, ongoing sessions with mental health providers. Business student Jakob Hatlestad placed third and also received $500 for his model "VRify,”  a nonprofit focused on integrating virtual reality into school curriculum.

Casarez’s pitch was a transformative subscription-based self-defense training that empowers women to confidently respond to real-life scenarios.   

“I honestly did not anticipate winning this contest,” Casarez said. “Despite the nerves and anxiety, I was so happy and pleased to win. Winning this contest not only helped me prove to myself that I can be a successful businesswoman, but also that the issue of violence against women is important to others.”

Casarez’s winning pitch idea bloomed in her entrepreneurship class while working on an in-class project. She combined her passion for martial arts and business, and developed a model that would help protect women who have suffered violence and sexual assault. “Regain the Power Self Defense” would teach women life-saving self-defense techniques.   

“As a first-degree black belt, I am passionate about sharing my 12 years of experience with others,” Casarez said. “I love teaching younger students, older generations and especially connecting with women on a deeper level about safety tips and tactics. I then saw the opportunity to combine my love for martial arts with this class assignment.” 

Casarez’s training in martial arts consisted of how to react and defend herself in real-life scenarios. She realized how important it is for everyone to have access to similar training, and how women especially would benefit from receiving safety tips and tactics. 

“In today's society, the issue of gender-based violence has not declined, but rather continues to rise,” Casarez said. “There is little recognition of the actual statistics regarding violence against women, especially children, teens and young adults. I firmly believe that there is not enough training on real-life applications as well as ways to help people who have been assaulted.” 

Casarez plans to pursue her dream as a special effects makeup artist after graduating next spring. 

“Although my career path is to head for the film and makeup industry, my heart always goes back to martial arts,” Casarez said. “ I can definitely see myself opening a studio, helping grow an existing studio, becoming a part-time instructor or even volunteering my time to help teach the jujitsu class here on campus.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Sewing is something Lombardi and her cousin picked up as a hobby when they had extra time on their hands. She had no intention of starting a business. 

Lombardi wanted to be resourceful because fabric was expensive and she had limited funds. She saved her leftover fabric scraps, not knowing what she would end up doing with it. 

Little did she know, this would change her trajectory of finding her career path.

Those saved fabric scraps became the basis for Lombardi’s sustainably made swimsuits and the creation of her business, Amalfi Swiim.

Lombardi pitched her sustainable business model as part of Cal State San Marcos’ Innovation Hub Quick Pitch contest, winning a $500 microgrant for her work on Amalfi Swiim. The contest closely resembled the TV show “Shark Tank.” 

Lombardi curated her brand name while reminiscing about the time she visited Positano on the Amalfi coast in Italy with her cousin and aunt (the extra “i” in Amalfi Swiim came about because Lombardi’s planned Instagram handle was already taken). 

As Lombardi began sewing in the early stages of the pandemic, she started searching for inspiration and came across a unique technique that she incorporated into her work.

She started to play with the leftover scraps she had saved and molded them together to create her first swimsuit without using any new material.

“I don't think that I would have started my journey if I waited to put everything in place to make sure it was perfect before,” says Lombardi, a business administration student who will graduate in spring 2023. “I think if you have an idea, just go for it, make it and get it manufactured, whatever it is. Get it onto social media, make an account for it and just get it out there. Because the longer you wait, the more time you're going to have to wait for people to find out about your product.”

Lombardi created a TikTok video that showed her process of sewing a bikini. The video went viral with over 11 million views, and seeing the comments made Lombardi realize that her sustainable sewing efforts by utilizing leftover fabric scraps were having an impact.

“And then it clicked for me that I could actually have a bigger goal in mind and have a bigger mission, which is to decrease the world's pollution rate,” Lombardi said. “There's such a big trend in sustainability in the fashion world right now and I don't think it should stay a trend.”

After coming to this realization, Lombardi started to educate herself on other clothing brands' lack of effort toward the sustainability movement. She wanted to be part of positive change, even if it meant working harder to establish her business.

Lombardi decided that her zero-waste swimsuit could be a statement piece in her clothing line because it stands for sustainability awareness. She also creates tote bags with the same innovative sewing technique. 

Lombardi was able to make connections with other small businesses and she now accepts donations of fabric scraps. Lombardi has reached out to over 50 local swimwear brands. One of her main providers is Amy’s Sport Co., a golf clothing brand she interned for when she was a senior in high school in Palm Springs.   

Becoming a business owner in college has become a huge time commitment for Lombardi. She spends up to 20 hours a week marketing, sewing and using social media to promote Amalfi Swiim while being a full-time student and a member of the CSUSM Entrepreneurship Society.

Up until a couple of months ago, Lombardi was juggling everything herself. She placed a Facebook advertisement, which led to hiring a fellow CSUSM student to help her sew. Sewing is the most time-consuming part of the business because everything's made to order, so hiring help allowed Lombardi to focus more on marketing her business.

Lombardi wanted to share the impact of Amalfi Swiim’s business model, but she was not familiar with the process of making a pitch deck. She worked with members of the CSUSM Entrepreneurship Society to develop her pitch for the Innovation Hub Quick Pitch contest.

“I looked at everyone in the group as mentors because they're all older than me and have a lot of experience,” she said. “And it's really built my confidence to be able to speak in a professional environment and just push my boundaries and put myself out there.” 

Lombardi is planning to put her prize funds toward establishing Amalfi Swiim through a legal entity. 

She is currently working on her biggest swimwear collection to date, which will be released this month. It will consist of new styles and textiles along with her signature zero-waste bikini. The swimwear will all be made from recycled and sustainable materials that are biodegradable. 

“I have all my sights set on growing this business after college,” Lombardi said. “It has been quite a ride. I'm not going to lie, it's definitely stressful to have so many obligations. But at the end of the day, I'm choosing this for myself. I really am passionate about starting a business in college so that I can support myself financially by the time I graduate.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Individuals and teams interested in participating can create and submit an executive summary online through the competition website. The deadline to submit an application is Aug. 1, and the winning individual/team will receive $500 with two runners-up receiving $100 each.

The initial submission briefly outlines the problem, solution and implementation procedures being addressed. The purpose of the summary is to convince the judges that the problem is significant and has a viable solution.

This summer’s challenge focuses on helping K-12 organizations deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Summer Innovation Challenge competitors will focus on new problems that K-12 schools face after reopening and design a unique solution in the form of a product, technology, service or program that meets the identified organizational need.

On Aug. 5, judges will announce the 10 individuals/teams that have advanced to the second round. The 10 finalists will have an opportunity to participate in an online mentoring session with industry professionals and local high school students before presenting their ideas to a panel of judges on Aug. 15.

The Summer Innovation Challenge is also open to non-students. However, they will be judged in a separate category and ineligible for the cash prizes.

Complete contest terms and conditions are available in the Summer Innovation Challenge Overview. Visit the Summer Innovation Challenge website or email innovation@csusm.edu for more information.

The CSUSM Summer Innovation Challenge is part of the Innovation Challenge series, a quarterly ideation competition managed by the CSUSM Innovation Hub, whose mission is to bring the resources, education and support to develop collaborative student/faculty/community partnerships in order to meet societal needs through innovation and entrepreneurship.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314