“As an MBA student, I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to connect with the campus community outside of the classroom,” says Gary Leung ’26 (MBA), an incoming member of Titan Capital Management applied investment program and a mentee in the Executive in Residence (EIR) program in 2023-2024.
“EIR enriched my MBA experience by connecting me with established professionals who helped me clarify my values and purpose,” he says of the program that connects select upper-division business undergrads and grad students at the College of Business and Economics with Southern California business professional mentors.
“The lessons I’ve learned from my mentor in the program, Brandon Hoffman ’07, are gems that most can only learned through lived experience.”
Like many of his fellow mentees, Leung has developed a close professional relationship with his mentor, a connection that may last throughout Hoffman’s remaining life and Leung’s career.
“Not only is EIR the experience of a lifetime, it is also a community for a lifetime,” says Leung. “Many of my peers and other mentors have created opportunities outside of the program to connect, share insights and opportunities, and enrich each other’s lives.”
Gaining and Building from the Expertise of a Mentor
Before joining the Executive in Residence program, Leung never considered venture capital as a possible career path.
Now, he’s fully committed to a venture capital career, thanks to the tutelage and mentorship of Hoffman, general partner for Sunset Ventures and co-founder of Diverse Angels, to venture capital firms.
“Brandon gave me the privilege of helping him on workflows that greatly enhanced my practical experience and gain industry knowledge,” says Leung.
“We both grew up in the same area of northwest Anaheim and had similar life experiences. He gave me the empathy and wisdom of someone who completely relates to me because he lived through it first. He showed me each day that my grit and determination, not my environment, defines my destiny.”
A Lifetime Difference for the Future
Leung recognizes that the EIR program has cultivated a conviction to make a positive impact on the community through venture capital and intentional living.
“My goals are to live a life that honors my Christian faith, my family and my community; to contribute to a thriving and vibrant business sector connected by our great university; and to be a beacon of hope for disadvantaged populations in Orange County,” says Leung.
Expanding Your Horizons Through the Executive in Residence Mentoring Program
Gary Leung’s experience is just one example of the power of the Executive in Residence program to impact student life and career trajectories. The transformative effect of this mentoring program, pairing students with business professional mentors, is a unique value-add of business education at Cal State Fullerton.
To be considered for the Executive in Residence program as a junior or senior undergraduate or graduate business student, visit the program’s website for more information and to apply by Sept. 8. You can email cbereceptionist@fullerton.edu if you have any questions.
