Zahn Spirit of Innovation Award

We award innovation, creativity and impact in our students

About the Award

Each year San Diego State University recognizes one graduating senior for exceptional entrepreneurial achievement while an undergraduate.

The Zahn Spirit of Innovation Award is funded by Irwin Zahn and the Moxie Foundation. Zahn’s philanthropic giving goes beyond this annual scholarship. His donations also created the Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad and the Zahn Professorship of Creativity and Innovation.

2026 Recipient

William "Billy" Carter

During a brief hiatus from SDSU, Billy started a concierge travel business for celebrities and built it better and bigger while finishing his degree.

Previous Award Recipients

Mark Heine plays the drums in the Backdoor Studio

Class of 2025

Mark Heine

Multi-talented Mark brings his entrepreneurial spirit to every endeavor, balancing internships, a national NASA pitch competition, and passion projects.

Daisy Lopez wears an SDSU lab coat and colorful beaded earrings

Class of 2024

Daisy Lopez

Food scientist Daisy hopes to convince kids and adults alike to eat more nutritiously and sustainably by incorporating insects into appetizing treats.

Kekoa Brehm in the ZIP Launchpad

Class of 2023

Kekoa Brehm

Kekoa is starting a global fashion brand, telling stories through clothing, piece by piece.

Juan Rojas in front of electric race car

Class of 2022

Juan Rojas

A drive to increase accessibility and affordability of electrical vehicles fuels Aztec Electric Racing's president

Gabe Floresca-Igtanloc

Class of 2021

Gabe Floresca-Igtanloc

Gabe Floresca-Igtanloc overcame many roadblocks to ensure theater at SDSU would continue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chasejamison "Chase" Akilah Manar-Spears

Class of 2020

Chasejamison "Chase" Akilah Manar-Spears

A year in Ghana inspired a commitment to environmental and social justice that helped lead to her to an idea: Roots Collective.

Class of 2019

Shurene Premo

Shurene's commitment to a higher level of social work for Native Americans drives her ambition to someday build a Native American recovery and treatment center for her hometown Shoshone reservation in remote northern Nevada.

Class of 2018

Chase Whittaker

Chase founded the SanD/Stone Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to providing education and hygiene-focused interventions for vulnerable populations in Zambia, the United States and Mexico.

Class of 2017

Anthony Berteaux

Anthony, a journalism major, was a thought leader in the SDSU student body, challenging the status quo through columns on diversity, sexism, and religious tolerance in The Daily Aztec and as campus editor-at-large for The Huffington Post.

Class of 2016

Austin Owens

Austin is "passionate about solving problems and making things happen against all odds." He was a SDSU standout for founding the on-campus Mechatronics Club and competing in international RoboSub competitions.