Basketball's Mugambi displaying entrepreneurial spirit at Acadia

By Sara Baxter - Kenyan born Jerome Mugambi is currently in his third year of a Bachelor of Business Administration majoring in Business Technology Management at Acadia University. Having grown up in Ontario, Mugambi has been interested in basketball since he moved to Canada at age five.

The current forward on the Varsity Men's Basketball team first played organized basketball when he was 12 years old. After focusing seriously on basketball throughout high school, Jerome had a difficult decision to make when it came to determining where to attend university.

"I picked Acadia because in my last two years of high school I played both basketball and lacrosse at the highest level available and I decided I wanted to be more of a basketball player [in university]. I was looking at the states but decided on Acadia because my mom wanted me to stay in Canada" explained Mugambi about his choice to move to Wolfville three years ago.

Coach Duffie and the community atmosphere in Wolfville were highlights for Mugambi when he came to tour Acadia, and after one visit he was sold.

Originally planning to pursue science and work towards becoming a surgeon, Mugambi changed his focus to business after a conversation with a high school teacher.

"I have an innate sense of business and run some of my own businesses, so I thought getting some formal training would be good" said Jerome.

Entrepreneurship

Having recently received the John Hugh Robinson Scholarship which recognizes a third-year business student with a passion for life and an outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, Mugambi has already begun pursuing his passion for entrepreneurship. He currently operates a vintage guitar business where he sells left-handed guitars through online platforms.

Over the summer, he ran a consignment sneaker store predominantly through online channels, until the month of August when he opened a Pop-up shop in Oakville with a few other entrepreneurs. Mugambi is also in the works of building a blockchain centred business.

"I've always been the type of person to try to find decent margins with the product I'm interested in and try to find channels of distribution. I like to be excited about what I'm selling or promoting" said Mugambi when asked how he decides what businesses to get involved in.

Basketball at Acadia

Having just finished his third year on the men's basketball team, Mugambi says that basketball "is a grind, but I like it a lot".

"[Basketball at Acadia] provides me with challenges both mentally and physically that I didn't know were possible" said Mugambi. "I like having people around me to push me to be the best athlete I can be".

Jerome says that "being part of a family is always nice" and he says his basketball team at Acadia really has become his family. He said he has formed bonds that he knows will last a lifetime.

"Watching people succeed in the classroom as well as off the court has been a really great thing" said Mugambi of his teammates.

When asked how he and his teammates support each other off the court, Jerome said, "I like to let someone know that if they ever need someone to talk to I am more than willing to talk to them."

As a mentor for a disabled student at Acadia through disability services, Jerome really emphasises the importance of a good education and trying your best in the classroom. He was also a teaching assistant for a computer class last year which helped him become an even better student. 

After Acadia, Mugambi definitely wants to continue his education and potentially work for himself one day. He's considering pursuing a Masters of Business Administration or a Law degree at an institution in either Canada or the United States. "I want to have my own entrepreneurial ventures but then be able to be a philanthropist one day" said Mugambi.

With one more year remaining in his time at Acadia, Mugambi is looking forward to another year of basketball and is excited to see where he goes next.