{"id":162365,"date":"2025-10-20T10:43:46","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T14:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=162365"},"modified":"2025-10-22T14:47:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T18:47:35","slug":"wright-states-raj-soin-college-of-business-to-launch-sandler-center-for-innovation-and-entrepreneurship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2025\/10\/20\/wright-states-raj-soin-college-of-business-to-launch-sandler-center-for-innovation-and-entrepreneurship\/","title":{"rendered":"Wright State\u2019s Raj Soin College of Business to launch Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Jonah Sandler, founder of Scene75 Entertainment Center and longtime supporter of Wright State University, is helping launch the Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Raj Soin College of Business to support student entrepreneurs and strengthen the region\u2019s innovation ecosystem. (Photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n

Jonah Sandler grew up in a family of entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

His father, Les Sandler, has been an entrepreneur all of his life, starting his first business at the age of 12. Sandler\u2019s grandmother and two of his uncles also launched their own businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was ingrained in the family culture that we\u2019re an entrepreneurial bunch,\u201d Jonah Sandler said.<\/p>\n

In 2012, Sandler followed in his family\u2019s footsteps when he opened Scene75 Entertainment Center in Dayton. Since then, Scene75 has expanded to locations in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Chicago.<\/p>\n

The largest indoor entertainment center in the nation, Scene75 was named top family entertainment center in the world in both 2016 and 2021 by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur industry peers recognized it as being something special,\u201d said Sandler, who sold Scene75 to new owners in 2023.<\/p>\n

After selling Scene75, Sandler did extensive soul searching before deciding on his next endeavor. He knew that he had a passion for helping local entrepreneurs and wanted to discover businesses that could benefit from his capital, as well as his operational experience.<\/p>\n

Through his new company, Escena Investments, Sandler assists entrepreneurs in making valuable connections and identifies business ideas in which he\u2019d like to invest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to replace and replicate the passion that I had for Scene75,\u201d said Sandler, \u201cbut I\u2019m finding that by doing many things that are of interest, I\u2019m finding that passion again.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of Sandler\u2019s newest passions is the creation of the Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Wright State University\u2019s Raj Soin College of Business<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A gift from Sandler and his parents, Les and Renee Sandler, will enable the college to take the support it provides to aspiring entrepreneurs to the next level.<\/p>\n

\u201cEntrepreneurship is about more than just starting a business \u2014 it\u2019s about solving problems, creating value and driving regional growth,\u201d said Rachel Sturm, Ph.D., associate dean of the Raj Soin College of Business. \u201cWith the incredibly generous support from the Sandler family, this center represents our commitment to helping students and business leaders collaborate in ways that will foster the economic prosperity and innovation capacity of our region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sturm views the Sandler Center as a new hub that will ignite creativity, cultivate entrepreneurial thinking and play a primary role in the region\u2019s entrepreneurship ecosystem.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe center seeks to serve as a catalyst for students, entrepreneurs and business leaders to come together, share ideas and build ventures that shape the future of our community,\u201d said Sturm. \u201cBy creating a space that blends education with real-world opportunity, the center is committed to fueling Dayton\u2019s entrepreneurial spirit while preparing the next generation of changemakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

As entrepreneur in residence in the Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Jason Trimbach, left, will mentor Wright State students and encourage students to think with an entrepreneurial mindset.<\/p><\/div>\n

A dedicated incubator space on the second floor of Rike Hall will be transformed into the Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is expected to open in spring 2026.<\/p>\n

The Sandler family gift will enable the college to expand its bachelor\u2019s degree and minor programs in entrepreneurship<\/a> and hire an entrepreneur in residence, a new staff position to support student entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to get individuals to realize how much horsepower they actually have internally and how creative their mind can be to get them to a whole other level of success than they ever thought they could achieve,\u201d said Jason Trimbach, entrepreneur in residence.<\/p>\n

Like Sandler, Trimbach understands the challenges of owning a business and knows what it takes to be successful. For 22 years, he helped run a family-owned HVAC distribution business.<\/p>\n

Trimbach looks forward to connecting students with mentors, helping them make their businesses work and encouraging students to think with an entrepreneurial mindset \u2014 whether they launch their own businesses or work in an existing company.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see it as an opportunity to have students be more career and job ready when they graduate,\u201d said Trimbach. \u201cWhat is taught needs to be a direct reflection of what the business world needs out of the students. It excites me that it\u2019s just started and I can already see where it\u2019s going to go and how it\u2019s going to help people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aeshani Kumar, president of Wright State\u2019s student Entrepreneurship Club, looks forward to the mentorship, resources and connections that the Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will provide.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will equip students with the tools to transform ideas into ventures that strengthen both our careers and the regional economy, ensuring we are not only learning about entrepreneurship but actively shaping innovation that benefits the region and beyond,\u201d said Kumar.<\/p>\n

Sandler envisions the center as a place where all students can benefit, not just business students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that students across the campus come in, share their ideas, and explore how entrepreneurship can be a path of great fulfillment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While Sandler is not a graduate of Wright State, he has developed a great affinity for the university over the years.<\/p>\n

He first got involved with the Raj Soin College of Business 12 years ago through the Professional Business Institute, a summer camp where high school students tackled real-world business challenges provided by Scene75.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great program. I thoroughly enjoyed it,\u201d said Sandler. \u201cIt was one of the highlights every year for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandler also serves on the Raj Soin College of Business Dean\u2019s Corporate Advisory Board and has been a judge for Wright Venture<\/a>, a competition for student entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jonah Sandler hopes the Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will connect regional businesses with Wright State and its students.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI always enjoyed how the students here are doing many things, not just from their own studies but from working jobs off campus,\u201d said Sandler. \u201cSome are raising families. Some are trying to do whatever they can with their own entrepreneurial ideas to be able to pay for their tuition. It\u2019s very real world.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of his greatest hopes for the Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is that it will connect businesses throughout the region to Wright State students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe center can be a conduit for other businesses to find what they love about Wright State the same way that I did,\u201d Sandler said. \u201cThere are a lot of businesses out there who could benefit from what this college offers, whether it\u2019s additional learning or simply a chance to connect with students. The entrepreneur center will help bring people into the fold of what Wright State can do to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wright State University\u2019s Raj Soin College of Business will launch the Sandler Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, made possible by a gift from the Sandler family to support student entrepreneurs and strengthen the region\u2019s innovation ecosystem. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":162382,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,729,748,2040,725,2050,715,4908],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-162365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-around-campus","category-business","category-giving","category-home-news-sidebar","category-mba","category-news","category-supply-chain-management-marketing-and-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162365"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":162454,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162365\/revisions\/162454"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}