Jason D'Mello

Jason D’Mello welcomes out-of-the-box thinking – that means getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. “I push students to embrace moments of uncertainty,” he says.

An associate professor of entrepreneurship at LMU College of Business Administration, D’Mello empowers students to tap into their entrepreneurial spirit, adopt a growth mindset, and harness that vision to see barriers as opportunities for innovation. “I help student entrepreneurs develop a greater worldview and attitude towards building a foundation that supports their future endeavors, to equip them with critical thinking skills and tools to take calculated risks and bring their strategic vision into actionable results.”

For D’Mello, the best approach to developing entrepreneurial leaders is collaborative, hands-on learning. He leads LMU’s Business Incubator, which immerses students in a real-world startup process. He also co-teaches a new class on improvisation and entrepreneurship, bringing together theatre arts and business students to learn the creative side starting a business.

When he is not teaching and coaching business students, D’Mello uses his business background to give back, through Save it Forward, a financial literacy program for middle and high school students. LMU students gain valuable leadership experience as mentors and teachers in the summer program.

Through every course, brainstorm, and pitch, D’Mello reminds students that courage is necessary, whether navigating the unknown or trusting in the ability to adapt.