When Ericsson takes a smartphone maker to court over its patents, the cases can run in as many as 13 countries at once. Roy Maharaj ’93, Ericsson’s chief licensing officer, explains why the deals still get made in person, and how a first-generation finance graduate of the Leavey School of Business came to lead them.

Budget concerns, supply chain delays, tariffs, and deadlines occupy the mind of anyone leading a complex business operation, including Bronco Racing’s students. Now in its second year of competition, Santa Clara University’s Formula SAE Electric team combines engineering and business smarts to take a $60k-$70k race car from concept to the racetrack.

Economics ranked eighth among 73 majors for mid-career median income, yet its five most common jobs account for only about one-quarter of graduates. New research co-authored by Kevin Chiu, a lecturer in economics at Leavey, maps where the rest build their careers, from software development to public service.

When the WNBA awarded the Bay Area an expansion team in 2023, the franchise had no name, no colors, no roster and no fans. Two years later, the Golden State Valkyries had sold out every home game of their first season, set league attendance records, and built a season-ticket waiting list. The executive who led that build, team President Jess Smith, is the inaugural recipient of the Sports Innovator of the Year award at the Bay Area Sports Business Awards.