Solomon Gbara Transforms Community Support Into International Entrepreneurship Experience
Anderson student Solomon Gbara, pursuing his BBA, earned a place at the prestigious European Innovation Academy (EIA) in Rome, an opportunity he recognized as the chance of a lifetime. The program gathers student founders from around the world for an intensive three-week venture-building sprint guided by mentors from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other leading organizations.
He launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the tuition, housing, and travel costs. With support from friends, family, and local partners, he raised the money and made the trip possible, a reminder of how far determination and community backing can go.
At Anderson, Solomon says classes encouraged him to put learning into action. He recalls Megan Hearting awarding extra credit for attending networking events, which pushed him to practice his professional communication skills. He also worked with Professor Rob DelCampo in an independent study course that focused on customer discovery, giving him first-hand experience in gathering feedback from potential customers, a skill he later applied in Rome. During his time at EIA, Solomon worked with an international team to design and pitch a startup from scratch, an experience that taught him three key lessons:
- The power of compassion in teamwork. Collaborating with a diverse group showed him that understanding and empathizing with each other’s perspectives fosters trust and drives meaningful progress.
- Conflict as growth. Healthy disagreements sparked innovation, pushing his team to refine their ideas and strengthen their bond.
- The startup hustle. As one mentor put it, “A startup is a group of people solving a problem they barely understand, with money they don’t have, in time they can’t afford.”
Beyond the skills he gained, Solomon also built a global network of peers and mentors, including product managers from Amazon, university leaders, and innovation experts. He calls the program “life-changing,” saying it was not only a personal game-changer but also a chance to bring new ideas back to New Mexico.
Since returning, Solomon has shared his insights with fellow Lobos by posting career fair tips on LinkedIn, encouraging students to prepare well and support one another, and by attending events such as the New Mexico Tech Summit, where he connected with leaders in AI and quantum computing. He was awarded the 2025 Sunward Scholarship and continues to build his skills through Anderson’s Center for Sales and Business Development while advancing his startup, ValidSync, an AI platform that verifies contractor licenses and insurance in real time.
Looking ahead, Solomon is working to launch the New Mexico Innovation Alliance, an organization designed to connect rising professionals from diverse fields like film, computer science, and engineering with local entrepreneurs. He also co-founded a student newsletter, Founder St., to highlight professional events and resources for students preparing for graduation. His biggest goal before earning his BBA is to “help students win” whether that means landing internships, acing interviews, or learning how to network with confidence.
Recently, Solomon brought his journey full circle by giving a presentation on his EIA experience to supporters, students, and community members, offering an inside look at what it meant to represent Anderson and New Mexico on a global stage. “It was about showing how I’ve grown as a rising professional in Anderson and in New Mexico, and sharing those lessons with people from around the world,” he says.
