Duane Bailey

Costello College of Business Announces Spring 2025 Degree Celebration Speakers

Jennifer Anzaldi — Tue, 06 May 2025 21:34:57 +0000

Costello College of Business Announces Spring 2025 Degree Celebration Speakers Jennifer Anzaldi Tue, 05/06/2025 - 17:34

The Costello College of Business at George Mason �鶹�� will be holding its Spring 2025 Degree Celebration on Friday evening, May 16, 2025. This year’s degree celebration will include remarks from the President and CEO of NABA Inc., Guylaine Saint Juste, BA International Relations ’94.

Guylaine Saint Juste, BA International Relations ’94

NABA Inc. is the premier organization dedicated to advancing professionals in accounting, finance, business, and entrepreneurship. With a dynamic network of more than 25,000 members, NABA champions the development of exceptional talent, drives innovation across industries, and cultivates a culture of excellence. Through education, access to opportunity, and strategic career connections, NABA empowers its members to lead boldly today while inspiring the next generation of leaders. The NABA-George Mason chapter holds a high interest in students who possess a strong sense of civic responsibility, a desire for excellence both inside and outside of the classroom, as well as those who are interested in promoting opportunities for all in the fields of accounting, finance, and other business-related professions.

Guylaine Saint Juste is a globally recognized transformational leader who delivers measurable impact by reimagining systems, expanding opportunity, and catalyzing growth. As President and CEO of NABA, Inc., she has led a bold transformation of the organization—modernizing its infrastructure, embracing digital innovation, and embedding strategic focus throughout its operations. Under her leadership, NABA has experienced explosive growth, expanding its membership fivefold—from 5,000 to over 25,000—and increasing annual revenue from $4 million to $18 million. Today, NABA is recognized as a high-performing, mission-driven organization with a national footprint and growing influence across sectors.

Guylaine has been recognized as one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting for four consecutive years. She has also been named one of the Most Powerful Women in Accounting by the AICPA and CPA Practice Advisor for three consecutive years, including 2024—a testament to her far-reaching impact. With over two decades of experience driving organizational growth and fostering equity, Guylaine’s career reflects her unwavering commitment to closing opportunity gaps and building inclusive systems that create lasting change.

Before joining NABA, Guylaine served as Executive Director of the National Capital Region for Year Up, where she connected more than 2,000 young adults with life-changing career opportunities. Her earlier career includes a successful tenure as Virginia Market Executive and Senior Vice President at Capital One, where she led market expansion and oversaw a $1.1 billion deposit base.

During her degree celebration address, Ms. Juste will speak to undergraduate and graduate degree recipients on their responsibility to lead in a complicated world—and how AI, Generative AI, and Agent AI tools will help them to focus on strategy, innovation, and human connections. And, as a George Mason alumna, her remarks on the importance of human connections in leadership are also expected to echo her alma mater’s definition of kindness: “intentionally engage in positive action that is friendly, caring, and compassionate towards self and others.”

Following Ms. Saint Juste’s remarks, Sarah Oulton, BS Criminology, Law and Society ’21, MS Accounting, Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting ’25, will deliver the graduating student address.

Costello College of Business Alumni Chapter President Kevin Connor, MBA ’22, will deliver the alumni address prior to the recognition of graduating students.

The Spring 2025 Business Degree Celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. in EagleBank Area on the Fairfax campus of George Mason �鶹��. Tickets are required for each guest over the age of two years. Visit the George Mason �鶹�� Degree Celebrations website for more information.

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Costello College of Business News

Alumni

Graduation

First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book

Jennifer Anzaldi — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:14:34 +0000

First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book Jennifer Anzaldi Thu, 11/07/2024 - 10:14

Born and raised in Paris, France, Ava Uppal, BS Marketing ’19, fondly recalls baking with her mother and turning simple ingredients into heartfelt memories.

Uppal grew up eating her mother’s freshly baked French yogurt cakes for breakfast and enjoyed every bit of it. Now, as a part-time Costello College of Business at George Mason �鶹�� MBA student and a working mother of two children, she’s a small business owner and author of a new cookbook.

Uppal, a self-described dream chaser, is the founder of Baked à la carte, a French bespoke cakes and dessert bar catering company in Washington, D.C. She credits her success in starting and managing a small business to the business education she received at George Mason �鶹��, and the cadre of amazing mentors she encountered in the business college’s alumni community. “Being a student at Mason was the start of my American Dream journey,” says Uppal. “The alumni network has been a tremendous support to me along my journey, from student to post-graduate.”

“The alumni network has been a tremendous support to me along my journey, from student to post-graduate.”

She began Baked à la carte to carry on her mother’s legacy of spreading love with baked goods, using recipes she learned from her mom and which she now shares in her new book, Baking Memories. The cookbook is a nod to her Parisian roots and her mother’s baking legacy.

Baking Memories is filled with a collection of simple and fun recipes that readers can use to start their own family traditions and create treasured memories. The recipes have a French flair and include a variety of tasty treats—from French-style cakes and cookies to madeleines and other baked goods—all inspired by her beloved mother and Ava’s own life as a first-generation immigrant, George Mason alumna, working mom, military spouse, and entrepreneur.

She and her daughter, Zoya, were recently featured in a Small Business Spotlight segment on WJLA ABC 7’s Good Morning Washington show. During the broadcast, she shared her recipe for French Yogurt cakes with co-hosts Eileen Whelan and Britt Waters. As Uppal demonstrated, her recipes are easy to follow and customizable, which makes them appealing to almost everyone in the family.

Uppal continues to share her creative ideas and recipes as an on-air lifestyle expert and has appeared on television stations including affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

“There is something special about being in the kitchen and creating,” says Uppal. “The process of baking allows us to explore, express our creativity, and get something delicious at the end.” Uppal also notes that baking appeals to our senses—sight, smell, taste, touch, and even hearing—and can serve as a psychological cue in awakening treasured memories. One of her fondest childhood memories is sitting on the kitchen counter bonding with her sister and late mother, while baking French yogurt cakes.

Uppal expects to complete her Costello MBA in 2025.

In the meantime, she’s focused on building treasured memories with her own family while chasing her dream of growing her business portfolio. Her recipe for personal and professional success includes generous portions of passion, hard work, and balance, which is making quality time for her family and involving her children in her life’s work.

Uppal’s debut cookbook is available for purchase on avauppal.com.

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Costello College of Business News

Costello College of Business Alumni

Fairfax City and Mason come together to spur economic growth and student success

Colleen Rich — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 14:06:58 +0000

Fairfax City and Mason come together to spur economic growth and student success Colleen Rich Mon, 10/02/2023 - 10:06

Fairfax City mayor and George Mason �鶹�� alumna Catherine S. Read, BA ’84, and Mason's School of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé signed a partnership agreement on Oct. 2 aimed at promoting economic growth in the city while giving students access to experiential learning opportunities that will benefit local businesses and students.

Students get hands-on retail management experience at Fairfax Ace Hardware. Photo provided

This partnership will extend the walls of the business school’s classrooms into the local business community, by affording business students with the opportunity to learn and practice leadership skills across several industries in the “classroom beyond the classroom.”

“�鶹�� collaboration with the George Mason �鶹�� School of Business is about investing in our future, and being open to change and innovation,” said Read. “By welcoming Mason students and faculty into our business community, we’re bringing fresh faces and new ideas to city planning in support of our vision for a vibrant commercial district.”

“The School of Business emphasizes student experience and career readiness via public, private, and academic partnerships,” said Vinzé. “We see Mason as your hometown university, and this partnership is an exciting opportunity for us to invest in the growth and economic development of this wonderful city, while providing our students with a hands-on learning experience that will prepare them for successful careers in business.”

Experiential learning opportunities in Fairfax are expected to draw Mason students from each of the business school’s four centers of excellence—Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship (CREE), Center for Retail Transformation (CRT), and the newly named Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting.

a CIE-led vendor management experience for students with retailers in the Old Town Fairfax Business Association (OTFBA)/FCED “Wander In” retail incubator,
a CREE site plan analysis for determining best use options of commercial real estate sites in the Northfax Small Area Plan and other areas of Fairfax City,
an in-store retail management experience with CRT students and Fairfax City retailers, and
a study by students from the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting, in coordination with the Mason Enterprise Center, to identify ways to improve business outcomes for small business federal contractors.

“What makes this program unique among ‘classroom beyond the classroom’ partnerships is our collective focus on leveraging the short-term benefit of student employability into a longer-term relationship with our city and its business community,” said Christopher Bruno, executive director and CEO of FCED. “One of the reasons we decided to partner with Mason is its track record of driving economic growth in the region—close to 70% of its alumni live and work in a 50-mile radius of the Fairfax Campus—and the confidence that gives us that many of the relationships we form now with Mason students and alumni are going to serve as a magnet for new businesses in the future.”

People Mentioned in This Story

Ajay Vinzé

She has ideas to bring Mason and Fairfax City together

“You look at our downtown and where are the students, where is the activity, where is the energy?” said Catherine Read, the first Mason alum, and first woman, to be Fairfax mayor. "What kind of things can we do between the campus and the city? That’s what we should be asking ourselves."

Learn more about her plans >>

New Fairfax City Partnership with George Mason �鶹�� School of Business to Promote Economic Growth While Affording Student Access to Experiential Learning Opportunities

Marianne Klinker — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:42:44 +0000

New Fairfax City Partnership with George Mason �鶹�� School of Business to Promote Economic Growth While Affording Student Access to Experiential Learning Opportunities Marianne Klinker Thu, 09/28/2023 - 08:42

Fairfax City Economic Development and George Mason �鶹�� Come Together to Spur Economic Growth and Student Success Through Experiential Learning

Fairfax City, VA – Fairfax City mayor and George Mason �鶹�� alumna Catherine S. Read (BA ’84) and George Mason �鶹�� School of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé will sign a partnership agreement on October 2 aimed at promoting economic growth in the city while giving students access to experiential learning opportunities that will benefit local businesses and students.

Joining Mayor Read and Dean Vinzé for the signing ceremony, which will also include the presentation of a proclamation by the mayor, will be Fairfax City Government and Economic Development officials, along with George Mason �鶹�� School of Business leaders, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. “�鶹�� collaboration with the George Mason �鶹�� School of Business is about investing in our future, and being open to change and innovation,” said Mayor Read. “By welcoming Mason students and faculty into our business community, we’re bringing fresh faces and new ideas to city planning in support of our vision for a vibrant commercial district.”

FCED officials and representatives from the business school review the conceptual layout of the Northfax West development project.

“The School of Business emphasizes student experience and career readiness via public, private, and academic partnerships,” said Dean Vinzé. “We see Mason as your hometown university, and this partnership is an exciting opportunity for us to invest in the growth and economic development of this wonderful city, while providing our students with a hands-on learning experience that will prepare them for successful careers in business.” Experiential learning opportunities in Fairfax are expected to draw Mason students from each of the business school’s four centers of excellence—Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship (CREE), Center for Retail Transformation (CRT), and the newly named Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting.

Students get hands-on retail management experience at Fairfax Ace Hardware.

With some programs already underway and additional planning discussions on the horizon, both sides are looking forward to expanding the current collaboration in the spring. Among the projects slated to launch are a CIE-led vendor management experience for students with retailers in the Old Town Fairfax Business Association (OTFBA)/FCED “Wander In” retail incubator, a CREE site plan analysis for determining best use options of commercial real estate sites in the Northfax Small Area Plan and other areas of Fairfax City, an in-store retail management experience with CRT students and Fairfax City retailers, and a study by students from the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting, in coordination with the Mason Enterprise Center, to identify ways to improve business outcomes for small business federal contractors.

Fairfax City Economic Development is a collaboration between the Fairfax City Economic Development Office and the Fairfax City Economic Development Authority, an independent agency administered by a commission appointed by the City Council to promote economic development activity within Fairfax. Fairfax City Economic Development helps attract businesses to the city, encourages and develops programs that foster connections between businesses, residents, and visitors of Fairfax, and spearheads innovative programs and strategies devoted to positioning Fairfax City as an ideal location to start, grow, and scale a business. It is a founding member of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance. Learn more at fairfaxcityconnected.com.

George Mason �鶹�� is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolled over 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states for the fall 2023 semester. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. Also in 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a $1 billion comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and sustainability. Learn more at gmu.edu.

Topics

Costello College of Business News

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Center for Retail Transformation

Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship

Center for Government Contracting

Press Releases

Media Contacts

Chris Bruno
(703) 638-8031
christopher.bruno@fairfaxva.gov

Duane Bailey
(703) 283-2073
dbaile8@gmu.edu

In This Story

Ajay Vinzé

Duane Bailey

Costello College of Business Announces Spring 2025 Degree Celebration Speakers

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First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book

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Fairfax City and Mason come together to spur economic growth and student success

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New Fairfax City Partnership with George Mason �鶹�� School of Business to Promote Economic Growth While Affording Student Access to Experiential Learning Opportunities

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In This Story

Duane Bailey

Costello College of Business Announces Spring 2025 Degree Celebration Speakers

Topics

First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book

Topics

Fairfax City and Mason come together to spur economic growth and student success

People Mentioned in This Story

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New Fairfax City Partnership with George Mason �鶹���� School of Business to Promote Economic Growth While Affording Student Access to Experiential Learning Opportunities

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In This Story

New Fairfax City Partnership with George Mason �鶹�� School of Business to Promote Economic Growth While Affording Student Access to Experiential Learning Opportunities