Nestled in the heart of Houston, the people who make up the No. 1 ranked Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship are just as distinct as the city that houses it.
Celebrating a record eight years as the country’s top school for undergraduate entrepreneurship education, students, alumni, mentors and donors share their experiences with the program.
Elijah Zimel
The University of Houston first appeared on Elijah Zimel’s radar for its distinct major in industrial design. After traveling from Austin for a college visit, Zimel decided to meet with Wolff Center Executive Director David Cook, ultimately changing the trajectory of his educational future.
“What stuck with me was it was an entrepreneurship program, but he pitched it like a family,” Zimel said. “He didn’t talk about the businesses created or the accomplishments on paper. He talked about the kind of people that we have here. The people were why I ended up applying.”
Zimel currently combines lessons from his industrial design and entrepreneurship education to run his business BLOOM, which creates adaptive athletic equipment for children with limb differences.
Alexa Borja
Psychology and entrepreneurship student Alexa Borja is proving that social media can be more than a hobby.
Through her business, AlexaFaithMedia, she generates income through social media marketing. Her digital platforms follow her first business, Roll N Reel Photo Booth, which was a part of the RED Labs Startup Accelerator in 2025.
“I’m a first-generation college student, so I had no idea where I was going professionally prior to the Wolff Center and RED Labs,” Borja said. “The biggest things I’ve learned are how to market myself, knowing my value as a business owner, pitching to people and being confident.”
“A lot of the tools that I’ve developed through the Wolff Center have positioned me to hit my revenue goal this year through social media marketing and collaborating with brands.”
Elliot Abbey
Elliot Abbey found his way to the Wolff Center by chance.
As a transfer student, Abbey was exploring different student organizations and programs at the Bauer Involvement Fair when he was introduced to the Wolff Center. After speaking with current students, Abbey was inspired to apply and turn his dreams of creating a streetwear brand a reality.
After joining the program, Abbey officially launched his clothing line Hillcrest, with the goal of building community in addition to selling.
“The biggest change for me came from when Wolff gave us a mentor,” Abbey said. “I started talking to my mentor, who understood the scene and helped me draw my first product. I sold out during my first drop, and a big part of that was because of him.”
Emerson Higgins
Fort Worth native Emerson Higgins started baking during the pandemic. While experimenting in the kitchen, she found she had a knack for dessert delicacies, and her business French Macarons by Em was born.
Determined to keep growing her business, Higgins started researching college entrepreneurship programs and was happy to find the No.1 ranked program was in her home state.
Now in her second year of the entrepreneurship program, Higgins says her future in business looks sweet.
“What you don’t see online are those connections that you make within your class and with mentors and business owners,” Higgins said. “You can go to anybody related to Wolff and depend on them.”
Frida Flores
Frida Flores moved to Houston from Mexico six years ago with the lifelong dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
Following her father’s footsteps, Flores earned her real estate license two years ago and joined his company. Now, she’s managing Empire Building Group LLC, which specializes in luxury custom homes.
Through the Wolff Center’s comprehensive curriculum that focuses on personal and professional growth , Flores said she’s learned to be a great leader.
“In construction or real estate, you have a lot of people under you to coordinate and to give instructions to,” she said. “Wolff has taught me how to work best on a team and how to lead groups.”
Isiah Tchokonte
Senior Isiah Tchokonte conducted a lot of research prior to starting his company Konte Development, which focuses on luxury residential and commercial real estate. With a substantial understanding of the industry, he began to dream of changing the landscape of Houston’s residential and commercial developments.
Since joining the Wolff Center to learn more about accelerating his business, Tchokonte said he’s found additional clarity on his vision.
“The program has changed my outlook on life,” he said. “It’s kept me inside of rooms that I doubt I would be able to get into without that network. It also allowed me look at things from a different perspective than I did before.”
James Hua
Through his business VocalFrontier, James Hua is using AI systems to increase marketing and operational efficiency.
Hua learned about the Wolff Center during his freshman year at UH while looking for a community of self-starters. After volunteering at the program’s signature three-day food festival capstone project Wolffest, Hua confirmed that the program was something that he wanted to be a part of.
“Being surrounded by so many people that have their own goals put me in an environment where I was able to realize that the time is now,” he said. “By having the idea, I could try to improve my life and other customers’ lives.”
Michael Gibson
Student Michael Gibson had several startups before he applied for the Wolff Center.
As his venture Sideline Supply Apparel, which creates custom sportswear for youth teams, started to gain traction, Gibson sought out the entrepreneurship program as a way to fill in the financial gaps of his business.
He said gaining those skills helped it responsibly grow.
“I’m doing all of my balance and income sheets now,” he said. “Previously, I just passed it off to my sister and hoped for the best. Now, I know every single penny that is leaving the bank account and what it’s going towards. It’s really shaped the way I’m doing procurement too.”
Robert Ozaeta
Ethan Kua
Engineering students Robert Ozaeta and Ethan Kua grew their venture Simu-Life through the RED Labs Startup Accelerator in 2026. Their business works to find IV leakages to assist vet clinics.
“We had no business background, so there was a lot to learn, especially in the first two weeks,” Ozaeta said. “Engineering focuses more on the idea and building something, but we learned to find the real-world application through customer discovery, value propositions and more.”
Hanan Aro
Biomedical and biophysical sciences student Hanan Aro got involved with RED Labs by applying to be a vendor for the UH Holiday Market.
Her application, which presented her small jewelry company, requested more opportunities for non-business majors to get involved in the entrepreneurship space. In response, program leadership let her know about Founder’s Club, a student organization to promote aspiring entrepreneurs.
“It’s important to have educational access to all because our fields intersect with business directly,” Aro said. “Whether it’s running your own small business or starting a clinic, you’re creating products or services that are sold.”
Community Partners
Cyvia Wolff
Proudly supporting the Wolff Center as the program’s benefactor, Cyvia Wolff is known across Houston as a generous philanthropist.
Making the transformative naming gift in 2008 alongside her late husband Melvyn, the Wolffs dedicated years to supporting entrepreneurship at Bauer by sponsoring scholarships, experiential learning trips and more.
In recent years, Cyvia Wolff has opened her home to Wolff students, in addition to visiting them at Wolffest, Donor Appreciation Night and other annual events.
“It is a gift to be involved in the program, and to be a part of the students’ lives,” she said.
Sam Stilley
Serial entrepreneur Sam Stilley graduated from the Wolff Center in 2016. In the time since, he became the CEO of Amstill Roofing and the owner of the Forge Hobbies & Games.
Looking back at his experience in the program, Stilley said it gave him the hands-on experience and mindset to be successful in the business world.
” I don’t think there’s any other program in the world where you can come in as a student with the desire to learn and leave able to make millions of dollars in a very short time frame,” he said. “The program changed me and my dad’s lives and allowed me to take care of hundreds of people that have worked for me.”
Thao Mistica
Alumna Thao Mistica graduated from the Wolff Center in 2018 and earned widespread industry recognition in the years that followed through her business, Win Nguyen Real Estate Group.
Mistica described herself as “in survival mode” when she originally entered the program, with no nearby family to rely on. Through the Wolff Center she said she not only learned crucial lessons to running a business but made lasting friendships that got her through difficult times.
“The Wolff Center is so different from any other programs out there because of the opportunities that you get,” she said. “We visited Warren Buffet in February and then a few months later got to mentor inmates in the prison. You can’t get that experience anywhere but the Wolff Center.”
Charlene Slack
As the executive director of the Wayne Duddlesten Foundation, Charlene Slack is one of the program’s strongest community partners.
Through scholarship and experiential learning events, Slack often visits the program, following as students transform into seasoned entrepreneurs.
“Wayne Duddlesten was a successful entrepreneur who believed in hard work, personal responsibility and opportunity,” Slack said. “Supporting Bauer College and the Wolff Center has been a wonderful way to carry those values forward. We’re not just supporting education; we’re investing in people and their futures.”
Ron Farmer
Involved with the Wolff Center since the early 90s, Ron Farmer is one of the program’s longest serving mentors.
For the past 25, Farmer has served as the CEO of his company US LED. Reflecting back on his early days as an entrepreneur, Farmer recognized his need for a mentor, which inspired his decades of contribution to the Wolff Center.
“I have made friends with students from the very first class, the second class and so on,” he said. “I’ve got students whose children have graduated from college. The program and the students that came out of it have become friends and part of my life.”
