Mark Heine named SDSU’s top innovator
Balancing creative pursuits and interdisciplinary problem-solving are hallmarks of innovation award winner’s time at SDSU
Graduating Management and Information Systems major Mark Heine never expected to be an entrepreneur and he almost didn’t attend San Diego State University.
But his time as an Aztec, spurred by a bit of brotherly influence, developed his creative, ambitious mindset that earned him the university’s top student award for entrepreneurial achievement.
Heine said receiving the Zahn Spirit of Innovation Award is the most impactful of the scholarships and awards he has received at SDSU and he is grateful to be joining the ranks of past winners. It’s the cherry on top of an enriching college experience that started with a sleepover in Zura residence hall, where his older brother Luke Heine (‘23) lived as part of the Weber Honors College residential learning community.
His brother’s influence had already led Heine to playing multiple instruments and starting a freelance media company together, so Heine initially was hesitant to follow too closely in those footsteps. Four years later, Heine is more enthusiastic about his decision to attend SDSU than ever and proud of all the challenging yet enjoyable activities he has spent his time on.
Heine joined his brother in the Weber Honors College, which he said had the most unique courses in topics like immersive VR theater and detective literature. And they even studied abroad together in Ireland one summer. But Heine’s path diverged when he decided to join the Lavin Entrepreneurship program, which he said led to the coolest experiences he had during his time at SDSU.
Through Lavin programming and mentors David Turner and Kim Davis King, Heine learned what it meant to be entrepreneurial. He watched numerous pitch competitions, and finally got his chance to pitch at one himself when he joined an SDSU team for the NASA MITTIC competition, where university students propose possible products based on NASA technologies.
His team, composed of fellow Fowler College of Business student Itzel Estrada and College of Engineering students, developed a non-invasive breath glucose monitor that aims to prevent prediabetes. Their product and their pitching skills earned them a spot in the top 12 finalists and a trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Although they didn’t win, Heine credits this pivotal experience with cultivating his sales skills. “I enjoyed learning as much as possible about the product and answering every question about it,” he said. Estrada is continuing to develop the glucose monitor through SDSU’s on-campus incubator, the ZIP Launchpad.
The Lavin program also opened doors for Heine to complete internships with Techstars San Diego powered by SDSU companies Site Bionics and Rhubarb. He developed a web site for the former and created seed packet business cards for the community gardening-focused app, gaining insight into what it’s like to be one of only a few people running a business.
Open the image full screen.
But an entrepreneurial mindset is just one of Heine’s many facets. While balancing a Techstars internship and the NASA pitch competition preparation last fall, Heine also worked several hours a week as a media studio technician in SDSU’s Backdoor Studio, performed with his band SubtleNotion at Nooners and pro bono concerts, managed a freelance media company, played intramural sports, took a full course load and squeezed in community service.
He takes great pride in being self-determined and creating his own success. “Internships are important,” he said, “but doing projects that you care about is equally important. And you don’t have to get accepted; you can just start.” This semester he put that belief into practice, applying what he learned from managing his band’s social media and his Interdisciplinary Studies and Electro-Acoustic Music minors to posting daily tech news on TikTok.
Heine capped off his time growing alongside other students as the second Aztec in the family to get a seat on stage during his college’s May 17 commencement ceremony to receive the Zahn Spirit of Innovation Award. Now he is looking forward to seeing where his career takes him, perhaps eventually to a big stage where he gets to pitch the newest tech products to the masses.
“I have a strong belief that I’ll be successful, even if I don’t know in what capacity quite yet,” Heine said. “The entrepreneur mindset will be with me even if I’m not starting my own business right away.”
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 (ZIP) Launchpad and the Zahn Professorship of Creativity and Innovation.
