Chance Encounter Leads Student Entrepreneur to a Shot at $100K
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When Sandy Basaka, a senior majoring in finance at SDSU’s Fowler College of Business, attended a campus workshop during her freshman year, she had no idea that the woman sitting next to her would spark an entrepreneurial adventure that could net Basaka a $100,000 windfall.
That woman, Tiffany Gil (’21, management), is the owner of online retailer Shezza and a former student in the Lavin Entrepreneur Program.
“The moment we met changed everything for me,” recalled Basaka, whose entrepreneurial venture, Our Yard, could win $100,000 in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) competition on March 23. “Tiffany became my first mentor at SDSU, offered me an internship, allowed me to learn directly from her team, and introduced me to the full ecosystem of entrepreneurial campus resources.”
Basaka was inspired to establish her company —an online marketplace that connects SDSU students with discounts and exclusive offers — based on her own experiences.
"I'm an immigrant and refugee from Iraq, as well as a first-generation college student trying to make the most of my parents' sacrifice. Everything I do honors the courage it took for them to leave everything behind so that I could have a future with opportunity."
- Sandy Basaka
SDSU Finance Major
“I often felt unsafe and uncomfortable using platforms like Facebook Marketplace and the shipping fees on apps selling secondhand products made them inaccessible for someone on a tight budget,” said Basaka. “When I couldn’t find something safer, closer and more affordable, I decided to build it myself.”
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the young entrepreneur: She had to scrap her original platform in 2025 and re-engineer from the ground up with the resources available through SDSU’s Lavin Entrepreneurship Center and ZIP Launchpad.
“Lavin and ZIP have supported Our Yard in more ways than I can count,” said Basaka. “They’ve always been Our Yard’s strongest supporters through mentorship, funding, preparation, and their belief in our vision.”
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Basaka has also found support through other SDSU initiatives as well, and it was her attendance at a campus event hosted by the Fowler College of Business student ambassador’s program in November 2024 where she met former Costco CEO and SDSU alumnus, W. Craig Jelinek (’75). Jelinek has become her most high-profile and influential mentor.
“He’s been a huge inspiration to me and has offered me advice on leadership, how to treat your team, and how to strive for impact,” noted Basaka. “His most important piece of advice is that a business is only great because of its people. He said, ‘if your team is taken care of, then the business is taken care of’.”
Thanks to the advice of Jelinek and Gil and the financial support of the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center and the ZIP Launchpad, Basaka said she is ready to step onto the stage during the GSEA competition with confidence.
“My professors have been some of my best advocates,” said Basaka. “They’ve reminded me that even if you feel like a small fish in a big pond, you still belong there. And the best lesson SDSU has instilled in me is this: Always walk into the room like you’re meant to be there.”
