John F. Scarpa.
HPU has received a transformative $700,000 gift from entrepreneur and broadcast visionary John F. Scarpa to launch the John F. Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway. This dynamic new initiative is designed to ignite innovation and entrepreneurship across every field of study at HPU, empowering students to become bold creators and problem-solvers, equipping them with the tools and confidence to turn ideas into impact in a rapidly changing world.
The Scarpa initiative brings together a suite of interconnected programs to engage HPU students and faculty members. Key components include competitive student challenges, faculty innovation grants, an entrepreneurial pathway board, and an entrepreneur-in-residence program, all crafted to infuse entrepreneurial thinking across the University community.
John F. Scarpa received an honorary doctorate from HPU in 2024. Pictured (left to right): Lance Wilhelm, John Gotanda, John F. Scarpa, Jennifer Walsh.
Scarpa is a dedicated philanthropist and visionary entrepreneur who co-founded the American Cellular Network Corporation, the first publicly traded cellular company in the U.S., and UNITEL, where he brought cellular service to rural areas across the U.S. Through the work of the John F. Scarpa Foundation, he has made transformative contributions to education, healthcare, and community development. In 2024, Scarpa was awarded an honorary doctorate at HPU. His support has established key academic and research centers at institutions such as Villanova University, Stockton University, and now HPU.
“We are incredibly grateful to John Scarpa for his groundbreaking gift, which will leave an indelible mark on HPU and the future of our students and faculty,” said HPU President John Gotanda. “This initiative will bring entrepreneurial thinking to the forefront of HPU, empowering faculty and students to embrace innovation, take risks, and tackle the challenges of the future. Through programs like Faculty Change Makers and student hands-on challenges and competitions, the John F. Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway will transform how entrepreneurialism is taught and practiced at HPU.”
Entrepreneurship is about more than starting businesses. It’s about solving problems, taking initiative, and creating value for others. Scarpa sees this gift as an investment in HPU to educate the next generation of changemakers.
“I am providing the funding to launch this groundbreaking initiative—the John F. Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway at HPU—with tremendous enthusiasm and joy,” said Scarpa. “It is critical that our educational institutions move forward with vision and opportunity and innovation so that our youth today are prepared to take on the challenges of tomorrow’s world. I am excited to see how transformative this Entrepreneurial Pathway can be for both students and faculty.”
The launch of the Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway arrives at a pivotal moment as Amy Nguyen-Chyung, Ph.D., MBA-MPA, has recently stepped in as the new Dean of the HPU College of Business. Known for championing hands-on, innovation-driven education, Nguyen-Chyung brings an impressive track record of leading and supporting innovation across campus and connecting students with real-world entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial experiences. She has led entrepreneurial curriculum and programming, advised 135 ventures, and recruited over 120 external projects in her last role. Nguyen-Chyung’s leadership will add momentum to the launch of the Scarpa initiative and will help shape the next chapter of entrepreneurial learning at HPU.
“The Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway is a powerful catalyst for the kind of learning that prepares students to lead in a world defined by complexity and change,” said Nguyen-Chyung. “It’s not just about launching ventures. It’s about cultivating a mindset of curiosity, creativity, and experimentation. I’ve been so fortunate to be able to work with President Gotanda, the HPU team, and John Scarpa and his team to help design a pathway to expand cross-campus collaboration around innovation and entrepreneurial skills. I’m excited to see how this initiative will inspire students across all disciplines to think boldly and act with purpose.”
Faculty Change Makers
The largest component of the Scarpa initiative is the Faculty Change Makers program, which will be the cornerstone of HPU’s efforts to embed entrepreneurial thinking throughout the academic curriculum.
This landmark program is structured to annually award at least six—one from each college at the University—HPU faculty members to be Scarpa Fellows, which positions faculty as champions of innovation across disciplines. Fellows will receive a stipend for their work, enabling them to create and implement high-impact entrepreneurial courses and programming.
Fellows will participate in workshops and networking events. These networking opportunities are designed to foster an ongoing dialogue about best practices in entrepreneurial education and share tools and resources needed to integrate entrepreneurial concepts into their courses and in collaboration with other colleges at the University.
Entrepreneurs in Residence
In addition to faculty and campus participation, the Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway will engage guest speakers and entrepreneurs in residence to share with students their own expertise and experiences and provide critical mentorship. “To scale the program, we need to tap into and further build an ecosystem. I look forward to building connections with alumni and community entrepreneurs,” adds Nguyen-Chyung.
Scarpa Entrepreneurship Challenges
Embedded in the Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway are a variety of competitions designed to provide HPU students with entrepreneurial principles throughout their time on campus.
In their freshman year, the Scarpa Entrepreneurship Challenges will offer first-year students an opportunity to immerse themselves in entrepreneurship with two competitions: one that is focused on traditional entrepreneurship, and the second on social entrepreneurship. “The competitions and challenges will call upon students to generate new ideas and engage in creative problem solving and experimentation together with their peers,” said Nguyen-Chyung. “These experiences help them build confidence, think creatively, and develop the resilience needed to lead in any field.”
HPU students in the new Makerspace at Aloha Tower Marketplace.
Competitions will culminate in presentations to panels of seasoned judges who will assess ideas and ventures on their creativity, market potential, financial sustainability, and impact.
A notable challenge launched in anticipation of the Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway is the Makerspace Competition held in spring 2025. Students from across all educational disciplines and backgrounds had access to the full suite of tools and technologies available in HPU’s Makerspace. Expert faculty members and experienced Makerspace staff provided technical guidance.
The John F. Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway will formally launch in fall 2025 and is poised to make a monumental impact on sparking creativity, vision, and leadership in the arena of entrepreneurship. In 2024, a report found that 36% of Generation Z individuals and 39% of millennials identify as entrepreneurs when compared to 29% of Generation X and 25% of baby boomers. The shift towards entrepreneurship is happening now and will continue to grow exponentially in the years to come. HPU and Scarpa have identified this area of interest and together are leaning forward to educate a new generation inspired by the entrepreneurial mindset that will help shape the world to come.
“When you invest in education, you invest in our future,” said Scarpa. “My hope is that this pathway becomes a spark, for ideas not yet imagined, for solutions to problems not yet solved. The world needs more changemakers who act, more doers who dream. If HPU students walk away with the courage to try and the resilience to persevere, then this gift will have done its job.”
