USD Alumni Create Entrepreneurship Leadership Summit to Inspire the Next Generation of Toreros

On a rainy Seattle day in 1996, a college recruitment flier landed in the mailbox of Joe Kudla’s home. The glossy pamphlet showed the University of San Diego (USD) bathed in golden sunlight, perched atop a hill. For Kudla, who had already committed to the University of Washington, the image sparked a pivotal decision — and a phone call to USD’s Admissions — with one crucial question: how far was the campus from the beach?

“About six miles,” came the reply on the other end of the phone. That was all Kudla needed to hear.

Meanwhile, in the small town of Beaumont, Calif., halfway between Riverside and Palm Springs, Mike Persall was charting his path to USD. After graduating high school with a 2.9 GPA, Persall headed south to San Diego, attending Mira Costa College before transferring to USD.

Eventually, both paths would meet in a CPA review course, where Persall recalls Kudla sporting a stylish hat and driving a Saab where you had to press the opposite window control to get the correct window to roll down. “This guy’s going to be my best buddy,” Persall thought. He was right. Their first venture together involved moving a leather couch up three flights of stairs – a $1,000 purchase that would later become a running joke when Kudla struggled to sell it at a yard sale years later. 

Today, both men are titans in their respective fields. Kudla is the founder of Vuori, an activewear brand that started in a small garage in Encinitas and now has stores across the United States and England. The brand, whose name means “mountain” in Finnish, reflects Kudla’s philosophy of challenging oneself.

Persall, as the owner and chairman of C3bank and founder of ABP Capital, has deployed over $2 billion across investments in loans, real estate, equities and banks. His success stems in part from the strong network he built and maintained while at USD; today, he employs several USD alumni in key positions across his businesses.

USD alumni Joe Kudla ’00, left, and Michael Persall ’02 on stage at the university’s 75th Anniversary Founders Gala on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo: Zachary Barron)

Their shared USD experience inspired both Persall and Kudla to give back in a big way – a $2 million pledge to establish an Entrepreneurial Leadership Summit at USD’s Founders Gala last November. 

"USD was transformative," Kudla said. “It was the first time I left home, the first time I learned independence. I didn’t grow up in a family that had a lot of money, but I was introduced to kids at USD whose parents were entrepreneurs and ran businesses. That was inspiring for me.”

After graduating from USD, Kudla answered a casting call in La Jolla to become a model. The unexpected path led him to a career as a model in Milan where he first discovered his passion for apparel while working with designers. Along the way, Kudla attempted several business ventures, learning from each success and failure, ultimately leading him to found Vuori.

For both men, USD’s intimate learning environment proved crucial. Persall found his footing in USD’s small classes and one-on-one interaction with his faculty members. Kudla, thrived with the personalized attention.

“Immediately, you felt like you belonged. I always felt like my professors had my best interests and had their arms around me,” Persall said. “They did a great job of helping you make connections through social networks like Alpha Psi, teaching you how to dress, writing a handwritten ‘thank you’ card, all of it.”

The concept of giving back runs deep for both alumni. Kudla’s mother instilled in him the importance of what she calls "completing the circle." 

"My mom always taught me that if you live your life in a linear fashion, you're just always looking for more stuff, more creation,” he said.  “But the importance for your own growth and evolution is finding ways to be introspective and think about all the things that supported you in getting here [to your success], and giving back to those people and organizations."

The inaugural Entrepreneurship Leadership Summit that took place on April 30 at Vuori's Encinitas headquarters, embodies this philosophy. The event brought together local business leaders and a select group of USD faculty and students for an intimate gathering focused on entrepreneurship and mentorship. Speakers included former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, Co-Founder of Casamigos Rande Gerber, Chair Emerita of the USD Board of Trustees Darlene Marcos Shiley and USD President James T. Harris III.

Mike Persall addresses attendees of the inaugural Entrepreneurial Leadership Summit (Photo: Kelsey Grey)

Mrs. Marcos Shiley’s message resonated deeply with USD student Aashika Arasu. "She spoke about the importance of not just giving back, but paying it forward, which deeply aligns with USD's mission of compassion and community," Arasu said. 

Arasu was also moved by the stories shared by both Kudla and USD President Harris, noting how "their reflections on grit, creativity and pivoting through challenges were truly inspiring."

Chair Emerita of the USD Board of Trustees Darlene Marcos Shiley chats with Co-Founder of Casamigos Tequila Rande Gerber at the Entrepreneurial Leadership Summit  (Photo: Kelsey Grey)

For engineering student Valentina Vargas, Kudla's presentation stood out for its authenticity. "As an engineering student, I found his honesty about the struggles he faced while building Vuori incredibly powerful," Vargas said. "What impacted me most was his deep focus on values, how staying grounded and true to one's principles is a defining characteristic of effective leadership."

Joe Kudla speaks at the Entrepreneurial Leadership Summit (Photo: Kelsey Grey)

The summit's impact extended beyond inspiration to practical takeaways for students preparing to enter their careers. Arasu, who is transitioning into a post-graduate role as a strategic pricing analyst, found particular value in learning about the speakers’ challenges. "A key takeaway for me was the importance of knowing what not to do — learning from others' mistakes can be just as valuable as learning from their successes," she explained.

Vargas appreciated how the summit challenged her technical mindset as an engineering student. "One of the biggest takeaways for me was the idea that success is rarely linear," she said. "As someone studying engineering, where much of our education revolves around formulas and structured thinking, it was refreshing and motivating to hear that real-life paths are often unpredictable."

USD student attendees pose at the Entrepreneurial Leadership Summit (Photo: Kelsey Grey)

The intimate format of the summit created an environment for meaningful dialogue and connection-building. Students had the opportunity to ask thoughtful questions and gain industry insights, inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

"Leadership's a funny word, entrepreneurship too," Persall mused. "I think entrepreneurship is about sparking a little flame that you may see in others that they don't see in themselves and helping them reach their potential with no personal need."

The summit's long-term vision extends beyond its inaugural gathering. Plans are already in motion to expand the program to include broader student participation at USD.

Meditation session at the Entrepreneurial Leadership Summit (Photo: Kelsey Grey)

For students like Vargas, events like this are essential because "they give students the opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world leadership." She noted, "it's an opportunity to better understand how innovation is driven not just by great ideas, but by people who can lead, communicate and stay grounded in their values."

In San Diego's evolving business landscape, this inaugural summit marked a significant shift in how the university fosters entrepreneurship. For Kudla and Persall, it represents the beginning of creating those small "one-degree shifts" that, as Persall puts it, can ultimately move a student in a completely different direction, one they may not have ever considered.

"When you work in this industry, you see really quickly how the world kind of wants to make you feel not good about yourself," Persall said. "If you can just give that person that shift, that one degree, to feel a little more confident, that can all of a sudden move them 180 degrees in a slightly different direction. We want to be that support for students moving forward, to be that catalyst that sets them on a path like Joe and I were."

– Kelsey Grey ‘15