John Sebesta is the Koch Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship at the Daniels College of Business and a new assistant professor of the practice. He has been teaching with E@DU as an adjunct professor since fall 2020. Prior to university teaching, Sebesta and his wife lived in various Central and South American countries, where they taught and consulted with social enterprises. Before their move to Peru in 2017, Sebesta spent 10 years with Lockheed Martin, where he worked primarily in international negotiations and international business management.
We sat down with Sebesta to learn about his work abroad, his business philosophy and why his family chose Denver for their new home.
Q: How was your transition into teaching at DU?
A: My first quarter, the university introduced the “HyFlex” teaching model. It was new for everyone. Trying to make the experience meaningful for both in-person and online students was a difficult balance. It helped that this was my first time teaching in a university—I did not have prior experience with which to compare it. It was quite different from the teaching I did in Guatemala. There, we were doing three- and five-day immersive experiences. Everyone came to one location, and the instruction was followed by immediate application.
These folks were just starting or had already started their businesses. Shifting from practitioners to students was an interesting transition. With students, the teaching goes beyond the practical and delves into the theoretical. Beyond that, coming in during the onslaught of Covid made it especially important to be empathetic. There are many challenges students are continuing to face. It comes down to being present and supportive of the community in ways we did not experience in Guatemala before the pandemic.
Q: What prompted the return to the United States?
A: When we were living in Guatemala, my wife and I were consulting with a lot of social enterprises. At that point, I had not been part of a startup. That was what led us to Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, where we got involved with two startups. Unfortunately, the one in Puerto Rico did not go through. Around that time, we decided to come back to the U.S. We are getting close to completing the sustainable real estate development project in Costa Rica, which has been a huge success despite the challenges Covid brought.
Q: Were you based in Denver before leaving the U.S.?
A: Before our initial move to Peru in 2017, we lived in Dallas. But I have always had family ties in Denver. My parents first met here, and when they retired, they moved back. When we were coming back to the U.S., it was the first time we could choose our location before choosing jobs or anything else. Denver had always felt like home. So, we decided to live here and figured everything else out later.
I love the outdoors and try to spend as much time as possible outside, whether I am going up to the mountains or just spending time in my backyard. We have two daughters, and we love taking them out and letting them explore nature. I have always loved any and every sport—snowboarding, water skiing or just playing chase with the girls in the yard.
Q: What made DU the right fit for your brand of entrepreneurship?
A: “Pioneering business for the public good.” Daniels embeds this mantra into its curriculum and the way it approaches business. For me, that is essential. When I was a student, I was taught a shareholder primacy model, and I do not believe it is the right model for businesses. From a “philosophy of business” standpoint, DU and I are aligned. That is what drew me both toward the PhD and to teaching here.
I like that Entrepreneurship@DU is a university-wide initiative. It is growing and reaching students across campus. I appreciate that we are highlighting how entrepreneurship is accessible for people from all walks of life, even folks who typically do not associate themselves with entrepreneurship.
Sebesta is teaching The Fourth Industrial Revolution and developing a new course on social entrepreneurship, which will be offered in the spring.