Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship & Business Ethics
»Our Team
The Ralph W. Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
Mario Reza
Assistant Director of Operations
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
mreza@chapman.eduMario is like a Swiss army knife, with a versatile skill set and a broad range of
experiences including leadership of multiple start-ups, program management at Microsoft,
and chief information and marketing officer roles.
He is a proven international leader recognized for assembling cross-functional teams
and implementing robust business intelligence strategies, harnessing data-driven insights
to shape key decisions and drive process enhancements. Mario is an accomplished Stanford
Product Design graduate and innovative problem solver with a passion for excellence.
As someone who lives in the community, Mario is enthusiastic about helping run the
operations at the Center and see the positive ripple effect it has across the area
and beyond.
Kiara Hastings
Project Manager
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
khastings@chapman.eduKiara Hastings is a senior at Chapman University, pursuing a major in Business - Real
Estate and a minor in Law & Liberal Arts, with a strong passion for entrepreneurship
and venture capital. She works as a project manager at the Leatherby Center, guiding
a team of student interns to empower a community of entrepreneurs. Her specialty lies
in events, where she sees through the process from start to finish and liaises with
alumni, partners, and sponsors. She finds purpose in helping people actualize their
dreams.
Kiara is also active in professional initiatives on campus; including Chapman’s Entrepreneur
Organization, Pre-Law Society, and serves on the executive board of Chapman Real Estate
Association. Her ambition helps drive her pursuits within the Leatherby Center and
beyond.
Kendal Roney
Marketing Intern
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
kroney@chapman.eduKendal Roney, a spirited junior at Chapman University, devotes her time in the realm of business with a focus in Entrepreneurship and Cultural and Creative Industries/Visual Journalism. Her passion to pursue these studies is fueled by her drive to help others. She is a proud part of the team at the Leatherby Center, dedicated to promoting a place of drive and inspiration through creative mediums such as email campaign development, flyer design, and content creation.
Kendal is also a Chapman Ambassador, fidelity chair of Gamma Phi Beta, and an active member of Chapman’s Entrepreneur Organization. She hopes to utilize these experiences to propel her own ventures in health and wellness and beyond.
Maddie Casserly
Marketing Intern
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
mcasserly@chapman.eduMaddie Casserly is a passionate second-year Business Administration major at Chapman
University, emphasizing Marketing and minoring in Advertising. At the Leatherby Center,
she brings energy and creativity to her role as Marketing Intern, designing promotional
content, highlighting mentors, coordinating event logistics, and expanding outreach
through flyers and LinkedIn posts.
Known for her organizational skills and inventive marketing ideas, Maddie thrives
in fast-paced environments where she can help events run seamlessly and make meaningful
connections. Outside the Center, she’s involved in Delta Sigma Pi, serves as an intern
with YoungLife, and volunteers on Dodge College student films. Maddie aspires to work
at a marketing or PR firm or eventually run her own business, blending creativity
with strategic impact.
LinkedIn
Jayden Usher
Data Analytics Intern
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
usherburke@chapman.eduJay Usher is a final-year Business Administration student emphasizing Management at
Chapman University’s Argyros College of Business and Economics, with a strong interest
in financial operations and entrepreneurship.
At the Leatherby Center, he serves as a Data Analytics Intern, building the Center’s data infrastructure across HubSpot, Excel, Power BI, Power Automate, and Outlook to create a unified system for tracking program outcomes. Outside the Center, he is actively developing his own venture in the payment operations space for eCommerce brands. Jay strives to continue building and delivering work he can stand behind.
LinkedIn
At the Leatherby Center, he serves as a Data Analytics Intern, building the Center’s data infrastructure across HubSpot, Excel, Power BI, Power Automate, and Outlook to create a unified system for tracking program outcomes. Outside the Center, he is actively developing his own venture in the payment operations space for eCommerce brands. Jay strives to continue building and delivering work he can stand behind.
Penny Epstein
Marketing Intern
Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics
peepstein@chapman.eduPenny Epstein is a bubbly first-year Creative Producing student at Chapman University
with a minor in Music Business. Her creativity and the desire to create stories are
the reasons she has decided to go into the entertainment industry. She works at the
Leatherby Center as a Marketing Intern and brings a creative and organized mind to
the team. She crafts posters, communicates with team members, and photographs events
at the Center.
Because of her film background, Penny edits videos of events and panels while also
helping plan and organize schedules. Outside the Center, she’s involved in Women in
Film Club, volunteers on Dodge sets, and produces her own independent films. Penny
one day dreams of merging her love of film and music with a job in the entertainment
industry.
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Ralph W. Leatherby
The Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics is a prominent center
for entrepreneurial education at Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business and
Economics. Our Center was founded with a $3 million endowment by Ralph W. Leatherby
in 1995.
Ralph Leatherby was an Orange County businessman and patriarch of the philanthropic
Leatherby family. He served as chair of the Advisory Board of the George L. Argyros
School of Business and Economics in the 1980s. Later, he was a trustee of the then-named
Chapman College. Ralph was the first Director of the Center in 1995.
Ralph was born in 1925 in a small farm town in Iowa. He served in World War II as
a member of the U.S. Army infantry. He founded the Leatherby Insurance Company in
Fullerton, California. Later, he founded UniCare Insurance, which was at one time
the largest insurance firm in Orange County.
Today, the Center plays a vital role in empowering the next generation of talent to
have an entrepreneurial mindset and participate in the global economy.