Get to Know MS in Entrepreneurship Student: Unica Le

The MS in Entrepreneurship program is made up of a diverse group of students who come from various backgrounds and experiences. We love to highlight students from the current cohort, so read on to hear more about Unica’s journey to the program.

Please tell us your name.

Unica Le.

Where are you from?

I am a proud Chinese-Vietnamese American, born and raised in Seattle, Washington. My mom is from Guangdong, China. My dad is from Hanoi, Vietnam. Both my parents immigrated to America, providing me with educational opportunities that I’m grateful for. I grew up within three different cultures, and I value my unique cultural background and identity.

What did you do before entering this program?

Before entering the MSE program, I was a Program Assistant at Bellevue College, where I expanded marketing efforts and managed the social media and website accounts for various programs. I also worked at multiple startups, including my Product Management internship at Kernel Labs, where I helped build and launch 0-1 products, one of which was a web-based hybrid 3D/VR immersive presentation platform. These experiences were incredibly valuable and taught me a great deal about collaborating with individuals of diverse skill sets, including engineers, product managers, and growth hackers.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur? Did you have any entrepreneurship experience before entering this program?

I’ve been a creator my whole life. I’ve started new projects every year (from making piano improvs, writing poetry, designing vision boards, starting a student club, spearheading a health and wellness initiative on campus, creating content, building portfolios, developing a resume coaching business, and now— launching GUNI’s Delight, a gift dessert business that provides handcrafted nougat treats!)

Being a part of the MS in ENTRE program has been exciting and fun. If it hadn’t been for the program, I don’t think I would have started GUNI’s Delight. My cohort has been incredibly supportive, encouraging me to launch this new venture. One of my colleagues even became my first paying customer, which motivated me to learn how to develop and design my brand’s packaging AND create my own business social media channel at https://www.instagram.com/gunidelight (very grateful for the support from my colleagues and for returning buyers!). This entrepreneurship experience taught me a lot about taking risks, testing prototypes, and putting yourself out there— it’s part of what being an entrepreneur is about!

Tell us why you are excited to be a part of the current cohort for the MS ENTRE degree program?

This program has been exciting, as it allows us to put our ideas into practice. I learned a lot from the classes I took throughout the quarter, and the professors have been great resources. I also really like how diverse our cohort is because everyone has unique ideas! This year, over 60% of our peers are international students, and I’ve enjoyed learning and working with them! One of my favorite parts of the program was visiting startup studios such as Madrona Venture Labs (MVL) and resource labs like UW GIX (Global Innovation Exchange). At GIX, we had the opportunity to work on 3D printing and laser cutting for prototyping, which was incredibly exciting to see and produce! That is when I learned how to prototype my gift treat box for GUNI’s Delight!

What advantages do you see to opening a business now?

I feel like digital/online marketing is taking the world by storm. If you want to build your own business brand, create a work portfolio. If you want to sell products, start an online (e-commerce/Etsy) store. These are the advantages that I see to starting a business right now. For me, I have developed a portfolio that generated leads and conversions. This comes with learning content marketing strategies, design thinking, knowing who your customers are, inputting the right SEO keywords, and many more. These areas will be discussed throughout the MS in ENTRE program. Overall, the program enabled me to build strong connections and relationships with folks, which goes a long way. Therefore, relationship-building is one of the biggest advantages of opening a business, as it offers opportunities for feedback, suggestions, and new ideas.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Starting GUNI’s Delight has been a fun journey! My family, friends, and colleagues all love the treats! Throughout the program, I’ve been participating in pop-up and maker fairs. So in the future, I may participate in local pop-up fairs or farmer’s markets in the Seattle, Bellevue, or Redmond area!

In addition, I’ve recently started a UGC (user-generated content) business, and within a week, I’ve secured two partnership deals with Airbnb Clients! In the next 5 years, I envision myself continuing this content creation business, growing my own coaching business to help other creators/entrepreneurs do the same, as well as partnering with other businesses/brands to optimize their marketing goals. I’m also in the process of writing my first e-book and am aiming to publish it either at the end of May or early June this year! As a creative entrepreneur, I’m excited to see where these ventures might take me!

What do you like to do for fun?

I love practicing martial arts (karate/self-defense). I have been training at my local MMA studio for almost 3 years now. I get especially excited during tournament season. Overall, this activity makes me feel strong, empowered, and alive. During my downtime hours, I also like to read and write blogs. You can visit my website to learn more about what I do.

What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about applying to the MS ENTRE degree program?

If you have an idea or a problem you want to solve, I’d say go for it! I’ve started multiple side hustles, each providing valuable, exciting learning experiences, and they’ve also helped me forge unique friendships and connections along the way. If you are serious about applying to the MSE program, I’d talk to students who went through and completed the program so you can get a sense of what their experience was like!

Learn About MS in Entrepreneurship

• Sign up for the MS in Entrepreneurship email list
• Watch the MS in Entrepreneurship On Demand Info Session
• Visit the MS in Entrepreneurship website

This post is part of a series where we ask current students to answer questions about their experience at Foster. Explore the 11 questions tag for more interviews.