Charlie Zhang, founder of the Laguna Hills-based Pick Up Stix restaurant chain, has been named Entrepreneur-in-Residence by Concordia University Irvine’s business school.
Zhang will mentor and counsel students on new business ideas, guest lecture in undergraduate and graduate classes, and keep office hours. Students across majors will have access to Zhang’s counsel.
He began in his role August 22 and will also meet with members of the business student fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, to discuss career options, and review students’ business plans for Concordia’s second annual Cornelius Business Plan Competition next spring.
Entrepreneurs in Residence at Concordia must be Christian business leaders who have started a successful company.
Pick Up Stix was No. 19 on the Business Journal’s list of OC-based restaurant chains with about $115 million in annual systemwide sales. It employs 375 at 24 OC locations, and has 68 restaurants systemwide.
The chain is a subsidiary of Mandarin Holdings Group LP in Delaware.
