Entrepreneurship Starts Here

Business management major Bob Payne, ’55, personifies the Aztec entrepreneurial spirit. He developed and sold the highly successful Continental Restaurant Systems chain, constructed and remodeled two premier hotels, and founded the San Diego-based real estate investment and management company, Multi-Ventures Inc., which he continues to lead as president and CEO.

Hospitality and tourism

In 1999, Bob returned to SDSU with a vision and a million-dollar gift to establish a leading hospitality and tourism management program.

With additional support from Bob and other generous donors, that program grew into the nationally recognized L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Blending classroom instruction with real-world experience gained through internships and mentorships, the Payne School exemplifies how SDSU partners with local individuals and corporate donors to advance San Diego’s future.

Illustrations of donor support for Aztec entrepreneurship can be found all over campus — in the J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management Program; the Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate and the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy.

A commitment

The Campaign for SDSU will support the continued excellence of entrepreneurial programming at San Diego State and educate the enterprising young men and women who will become tomorrow’s leaders.