From the volleyball court to the kitchen: A Gustavson grad’s entrepreneurial path
Mara Pappas turned her passion for volleyball into a coaching program and now she’s bringing her business skills to the kitchen. Learn how this Gustavson grad is carving out a unique entrepreneurial path.
By Dorothy Eggenberger
It was an idea that came to Mara Pappas, BCom ’24, in a flash—so much so that she stopped in her tracks, phone in hand and immediately called her mom. She had been mulling over it for a while, but clarity came to her as she stood outside her class at UVic’s Gustavson School of Business.
“I was about to open the door to Cornett and go to class, but the idea just hit me,” Pappas recalls. “I literally closed the door, stepped aside and called my mom. I told her, ‘I’ve had the best idea ever.’”
That idea? A volleyball coaching program designed to give high school students who didn’t make the team another chance—by teaching them how to coach. Having spent years as a volleyball player and coach herself, Pappas knew firsthand how competitive it could be. At one of her first tryouts as a coach, 70 kids showed up, but she could only select 14.
“I remember the hit in my stomach when I had to cut so many kids,” she says. “It didn’t feel fair. I wanted to give them a chance to learn and enjoy the sport like I did.”
Given that the limiting factor in recreational volleyball teams is generally that there are not enough coaches to match demand, Pappas’s goal with her venture is to make becoming a coach more accessible. By making training available online so prospective coaches can more easily prepare for certification, she hopes to not only produce more coaches and more teams, but also give students who want to stay involved in the sport an outlet.
Now, as Pappas prepares to graduate this month with a specialization in service management, that idea has become more than just a moment of inspiration. After months of planning, she piloted her volleyball coaching program this past summer, training aspiring young coaches and setting the stage for its full launch. But her journey didn’t stop there—she’s already begun her next adventure: culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Napa, California.
Building the foundation
Pappas’s story is a testament to how Gustavson’s mandatory co-op work-term program can serve as a launching pad for unexpected opportunities. From her first co-op as an assistant manager at the Fairmont Empress to launching her own business, she has leveraged her experiences to build something entirely her own.
Her first co-op, as part of the Fairmont Gold team at the Empress, introduced her to the fast-paced, customer-focused world of high-end hospitality.
“I learned how to connect with people quickly, which was invaluable,” she says. “That ability to build relationships in minutes helped me later when I was communicating with people over email for my project.”
Her second co-op couldn’t have been more different. Working for Riptide Studios, a small video production company in Victoria, Pappas honed her skills in social media management, content creation and video editing. These new skills turned out to be crucial when she built her volleyball coaching program, as she had to produce all the content herself.
“I’m recording, editing, and producing everything for the course—totally on my own,” she explains. “If I hadn’t had those earlier experiences, I don’t think I would have been able to do it.”
Turning inspiration into action
The volleyball coaching program, piloted over the summer, provided high school students with coaching skills to help bridge the gap in local sports programs. Pappas’s goal was to give more kids a chance to stay involved in the sport they loved, whether or not they made the team.
“I wanted to make the program accessible, especially given the challenges students face with tight schedules and financial constraints,” she says.
Although Pappas sees opportunity to expand beyond high-school students to anyone interested in the sport, she isn’t rushing to fully launch the program. Inspired by her culinary education, she plans to integrate a nutrition component, giving coaches tools to teach nutrition, explain its importance, and promote a balanced approach that prioritizes athlete well-being over pure performance.
Learning to adapt
Looking back, Pappas credits much of her success to the flexibility and real-world experience offered by the business program at Gustavson. She initially thought she would specialize in entrepreneurship, but along the way, she realized service management offered her the best chance to broaden her skills.
“I knew I wanted to learn something new,” she says. “I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and while I love that mindset, I didn’t want to pay for a degree to learn things I already knew.”
This openness to learning is what helped Pappas refine her idea into a viable business. The lessons she learned in financial accounting, under Professor Doug Stewart, were instrumental in figuring out the financials for her project. Meanwhile, Andrew Park's class in information management helped her select the right platform to host her course.
“These classes were tough, but they gave me the tools I needed,” she says. “I feel like I’ve gained such a well-rounded skill set that I can apply to anything—whether it’s coaching, hospitality, or even my future in culinary arts.”
What’s next?
Pappas is already fully immersed in her studies at culinary school in California. For her, culinary arts is another way to connect with people—just like sports.
“Food, like sports, is a way to bring people together,” she explains. “I want to create those moments where people come together over a meal, just like they do on the court.”
With culinary school underway, it’s a busy, exciting time. But Pappas is ready to face it with the same entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability that she’s cultivated throughout her time at UVic.