Each fall and spring semester, we invite accomplished entrepreneurs and business leaders to speak with students enrolled in the Studies in Entrepreneurship (MGT 3360) course. As part of this speaker series, students gain personal insights into entrepreneurship as the guest speakers describe their accomplishments, share stories about their career path, and offer recommendations for growth and success.
Although the speaker series is intended for students enrolled in MGT 3360, we are able to accommodate special guests on certain occasions. If you are interested in attending a presentation, complete our guest registration form via the link below.
Spring 2026
Tuesday, March 3
ALEX LEVINE
Co-Founder and CEO, Xebec
Alex Levine is the CEO and co-founder of Xebec, a consumer tech brand started in 2018 that has raised over $1.5 million across multiple crowdfunding campaigns and scaled into a thriving DTC business. Alex brings a rare combination of product obsession as the company’s lead engineer, financial strategy, operational precision, and brand-building savvy. At Xebec, he leads product development, marketing, and go-to-market strategy across several category-defining launches. He’s passionate about helping other founders navigate the messy middle, especially when it comes to using crowdfunding as both a launch engine and growth tool. Alex was born and raised in Austin, Texas, where he still resides with his wife and daughter.
Tuesday, March 10
ANDREA HERNANDEZ
Founder and Owner, Airstrike HVAC
Andrea Hernandez is the owner and founder of Airstrike HVAC, a woman- and veteran-owned company redefining excellence and innovation in the HVAC industry. A proud Texas State alumna, she oversees operations and business development as the company grows across residential, commercial, and government sectors. Andrea is a 2025 Austin Business Journal Women in Business nominee and 2025 Rising Star Award Winner with Austin Woman Magazine. Passionate about leadership, mentorship, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship, she advocates for women in skilled trades and empowers others to pursue success with resilience, integrity, and heart.
Tuesday, March 24
JESSE MONDRAGON
Co-Founder and CEO, Mesocano Foods
Jesse Mondragon is the co-founder of Mesocano, a Texas-based food brand rooted in Mexican heritage and traditional methods. He started the company alongside his brother and close friend after seeing how far everyday staples like tortillas had drifted from real ingredients and honest craftsmanship. Inspired by the foods he grew up with and frustrated by modern shortcuts, Mondragon set out to build a brand that prioritizes heirloom flour, real fats, and time-tested processes, without seed oils or unnecessary additives. Mesocano focuses on making better versions of the foods people eat every day, honoring tradition while meeting the realities of modern life. Through Mesocano, Jesse is helping redefine what “better food” looks like; proving that heritage, flavor, and quality don’t have to be sacrificed for convenience.
Tuesday, April 7
STEVE BASKIN
Former Owner, Camp Champions
Owner, Camp Pinnacle
Partner, Everwood Day Camp
Steve Baskin has been a camp professional since 1993. Steve and his wife, Susie, were owners/directors of Camp Champions in Texas. He is the owner of Camp Pinnacle in North Carolina and is a partner in Everwood Day Camp in Massachusetts. Steve was an honor graduate from both Harvard Business School and Davidson College. He worked for Goldman Sachs and the Boston Consulting Group until he realized his true passion and desire to educate others through the experience of camp. Steve began as a reluctant camper, but quickly experienced growth in confidence and competence. He is now committed to creating responsible and reasonable social interaction and play in our children that build life skills and resilience. Steve blogs for Psychology Today on Youth Development and Parenting. He speaks regularly about the power of the camp experience, having presented at national conferences in the US and in Turkey, China, and Russia. In 2012, gave a TEDx talk on the importance of unplugging at camp.