| Business Analytics Bulletin
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Disruption and Innovation in Entertainment
LMU College of Business Administration partnered with LMU School of Film & Television and External Relations to present the third annual Innovation Symposium. This year’s theme was “Disruption and Innovation in Entertainment.” The event featured speakers and panelists from entertainment and technology companies, including Sony Pictures, Spotify, Toonstar, Netflix, and Roku. Learn more about the symposium here. Additionally, you can read more about the symposium in the Los Angeles Loyolan or LMU Newsroom.
LMU’s Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics is involved in this event each year. Over 250 people registered to attend last spring, a testament to the growing interest in our expert panelists and timely discussion topics. If you want to get involved in next year’s symposium (March 21, 2025), email ISBA.outreach@lmu.edu.
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MSBA Capstone Showcase
The M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) Class of 2024 showcased its capstone projects to clients, faculty, and the Los Angeles analytics community on August 2. Clients included CHLA, LAEDC, Alteryx, Promoshop, Hawthorne, Irvine Ranch Conservancy, and Currie & Brown. Participants completed their projects using machine learning models and cutting-edge technology.
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|  | MSBA Faculty Spotlight: Richard Zhen Tang
Richard Zhen Tang is an assistant professor of marketing and business analytics at LMU. In this role, he is involved in groundbreaking research and teaching within the College of Business Administration. Professor Tang’s commitment to education extends beyond the classroom, as he actively mentors students, guiding them through complex business analytics concepts and helping them apply these skills in real-world scenarios.
| |  | ISBA Faculty Participate in Salesforce Education Summit
ISBA faculty members Greg Lontok, Youyou Tao, and Ana Mangal participated in the 2024 Salesforce Education Summit held in San Diego in May.
Through talks, booths, and workshops, the summit offered opportunities to learn about the various Salesforce products available for integration into the classroom and other programs at LMU.
Products included Slack, Tableau, Education and Data Clouds, and others.
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|  | ISBA Advisory Council Spotlight: Alan Wayne '11
LMU alumnus Alan Wayne '11 is a Principal International Growth Consultant and Education & Careers Industry Lead at Google. Alan is also a valued member of the Information Systems and Business Analytics (ISBA) Advisory Council at LMU. In this capacity, he offers guidance and feedback on curriculum development, ensuring that the program aligns with industry trends and effectively prepares students for the dynamic field of business analytics. His commitment to fostering student success and bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application is evident through his active involvement in LMU's initiatives, including serving as a judge in the LMU Datathon.
| |  ISBA Advisory Council Spotlight: David Church
David Church is SVP of program management at Bank of America, where he oversees a multi-year transformational program within consumer lending focused on digital platforms and automation. As an LMU ISBA Advisory Board member, David strongly believes in the value of analytics, saying, "Business analytics transforms data into actionable insights, driving smarter decisions, optimizing operations, and unlocking new opportunities for growth in an ever-evolving marketplace.” David recently spoke at TEDx, where he shared his innovative approach to managing goals, blending project management principles, agile methodologies, and social science. You can view his talk here.
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|  ISBA Student Spotlight: Andrew Presa '27
Andrew Presa '27 is a finance and information systems and business analytics (ISBA) double major from Carlsbad, CA! On campus, Andrew serves as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair for Delta Sigma Pi, a member of the Finance Society and ISBA Society, and a Bloomberg Lab mentor where he helps other students utilize the Bloomberg Terminals.
Andrew also makes time for professional pursuits including an investment banking analyst internship with Concordia Capital and a Growth Equity Immersion Program participant with PeakSpan Capital. He is passionate about exploring the intersection of technology and finance, and is eager to gain real-world experience to prepare himself for a successful career in investment banking or private equity.
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to be surrounded by other intellectually curious individuals who want to further themselves both socially and professionally. Some of the most motivated students I've met are CBA students and they've taught me so much about navigating the business world.”
| |  | ISBA Student Spotlight: Samuel Nielsen '25
Samuel Nielsen '25 is a finance and information systems and business analytics (ISBA) double major and accounting minor from Denver, CO! Sam stays busy on campus as a student worker for the ISBA Department, and a course tutor and research assistant for the Accounting Department. He’s vice president of the Lion Investing Society and a member of the Finance Society, Accounting Society, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Student Investment Fund.
Last summer, Sam completed an advisory internship with GHJ, where he analyzed corporations' financials to find recurring transactions. This experience allowed him to connect what he’s learned in the classroom to a real-world business setting.
Sam says Professor David Offenberg’s “Fundamentals of Corporate Finance” class was especially impactful. “He always told me how important internships were and how we should be looking for them to get the most out of our education. Now I understand what he meant!”
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|  ISBA Student Spotlight: Kendall D’Ascoli '25Meet Kendall D’Ascoli ’25, a senior information systems and business analytics (ISBA) major from San Diego! On campus, Kendall is a member of Delta Sigma Pi, Delta Gamma, and LMU Build.
She gained professional experience as a data analytics intern with Sodexo where she conducted data analyses for campus-wide products, providing insights into user behavior and preferences. Kendall said the data visualization skills she learned in her “Business Information Technology” class came in handy.
“It was super interesting to see the numbers come together in a digestible format rather than in an endless Excel sheet…my statistics and business information technology classes prepared me to take on those large data sets!"
| |  MSBA Alumni Spotlight: Herat Devisha '24
Meet M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) alumnus Herat Devshia, M.S. ’24! This fall, Herat started working as a senior data analyst at LMU!
Herat chose the MSBA program because of his desire to harness the power of data and technology for business growth.
“The LMU MSBA program offers an immaculate blend of business and technology expertise. Each class focuses on a specific element of the bigger picture. The comprehensive approach to learning is truly compelling.”
He recommends students interested in the MSBA program gain some exposure to analytics and their respective domains before starting.
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|  | ISBA Alumni Spotlight: Yonathan Amare '24
Yonathan Amare '24 recently graduated with a degree in information systems and business analytics. While at LMU, Yonathan was a student-athlete on the LMU Cross Country/Track & Field team, a member of ISBA Society, and a classroom support technician for LMU Information Technology Services.
Yonathan won first place in the LMU Datathon! Participating teams were given 24 hours to analyze a dataset focusing on EPA contract awards to uncover patterns that empower small, women-and-minority-owned businesses to secure federal contracts.
For his capstone project, Yonathan performed a full-service group purchasing organization (GPO) to enhance independent pharmacies. In this position, he web-scrapes using Python libraries to automate the process of logging into web applications.
| |  MSBA Alumni Spotlight: Vania Revelina '19, M.S. '20
M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) alumna Vania Revelina ’19, M.S. ’20 currently works as a data engineer at Casual Precision, LLC.
After graduating from LMU with a degree in mathematics, Vania returned to the bluff to learn how to apply her technical knowledge to the business world through the MSBA program.
“When I came across the MSBA program, I noticed it was a master of science degree with many technical aspects woven into the curriculum. I was intrigued by the possibility of working with actual companies as part of the capstone project. I thought it would be a great way to build relationships with people in the industry that would've required many years of experience to do otherwise.”
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The ISBA Society and Entrepreneurship Society collaborated on a speaker event featuring Christian Peverelli, a serial entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience building startups and training founders.
WeAreNoCode is a platform to help entrepreneurs build products without needing to be tech experts using the variety of no code/low code tools available today. As the co-founder of WeAreNoCode, Christian has helped over 500 start-ups go on to raise over $56M in funding. He has helped train many new entrepreneurs who may not be super technologically advanced and find easy ways to build websites and apps for their companies. He has helped notable companies including Techstars, Y Combinator, and 500 Startups.
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Stay updated on the latest business analytics news, events, and announcements by following CBA social media channels.
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