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Trojan Basketball Star Kiki Iriafen Pursues Entrepreneurship at Marshall
Trojan Basketball Star Kiki Iriafen Pursues Entrepreneurship at Marshall
Before Trojan forward Kiki Iriafen heads to the WNBA, she is back in her hometown of Los Angeles to get her Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship at USC Marshall.
Kiki Iriafen is achieving excellence in the MSEI program.
[Photo courtesy of USC Athletics]
Kiki Iriafen has had an illustrious start to her Trojan basketball career. The pre-season All-American is averaging a near double-double for the highly ranked Trojan basketball team and is considered a consensus top-five pick in the 2025 WNBA draft.
Yet, Iriafen isn’t satisfied with on-the-court success. A graduate transfer from Stanford University, she returned to her hometown of Los Angeles to play basketball in front of her family and bring her academic talents to the USC Marshall School of Business, where Iriafen is expanding her entrepreneurial horizons.
She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MSEI), offered by the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Marshall. After just one semester in the MSEI program, Iriafen is thrilled with her decision to attend USC.
“It’s a one-year master’s program, but you get so much from it,” Iriafen said. “From guest speakers coming in, from us being able to tap into different networks and resources in just one year — also to play at a very high level. Honestly, why not? How could you say no to that?”
The World of Startups
Between games and practices, Iriafen is exploring the world of startups, soaking in the practical experience of her professors and learning the entrepreneurial mindset fostered within the Greif Center.
“Definitely, I see myself owning my own company one day. I don’t know exactly in what, but I know I have the resources to help me,” Iriafen said.
During the summer, Iriafen and her classmates participated in a “one-week sprint of a course,” in which incoming students learned the fundamentals of entrepreneurship: ideation, pitching investors and fundraising, developing and launching a product — all while cultivating and connecting with a network.
“Rather than coming up with a hypothetical venture, you can go out and create it, and you have the people around you — your peers, your professors — to help you realize that,” Iriafen said of the program. “If you want to look into what are great startups to get involved in and how you key out those promising startups, MSEI is a great way to do that.”
I think striving for excellence in all that I do, whether that’s on the court or in the classroom, is something that’s been instilled in me since I was little and something that I don’t take lightly.
— Kiki Iriafen
MSEI ’25 / Trojan Forward
Iriafen’s favorite course is BAEP 552: Venture Feasibility with Hovig Tchalian, assistant professor of clinical entrepreneurship. According to Iriafen, Tchalian invites a collaborative, conversational atmosphere, while challenging students to create their own ventures and pitch them to the class on Tuesday nights.
“That’s one of the classes I look forward to. When we have a game, I’m like, ‘No! Why is it on Tuesday?’ Because I love going to that class,” Iriafen said.
Tchalian often took note of Iriafen’s commitment and active participation in class, providing engaged and thoughtful responses. Along with other Marshall professors, he appreciates the demanding schedules of students-athletes and strives to set them up for academic success despite the challenges.
“I’ve had a number of student-athletes in my classes over the last few years, and I’ve found them to be smart, disciplined, and conscientious,” Tchalian said. “I and other Marshall faculty realize that athletes have a lot on their plates and a very full daily schedule. We appreciate their dedication and hold them to the same standards we hold other students to. But we also try to be flexible if a game or two interferes with the schedule.”
Family, Trojans, and an Unlikely Tradition
Iriafen's drive to excel began during her childhood in Los Angeles, when her parents instilled in her a world-class work ethic and encouraged excellence in the classroom, as well as on the court. The culture of the USC women’s basketball team fosters the same high-achieving mindset.
When deciding whether to come to USC, Iriafen toured with members of the women’s basketball team, including fellow grad transfers and basketball players McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla. Her future teammates couldn’t speak highly enough about their own time in MSEI, the supportive culture, and how the program set them up for their post-basketball careers.
Once enrolled, Iriafen saw first hand why other Trojan players vouched for the program.
“Everybody is very pro [student-athlete]. You can do both. [They] can help make it work for you,” Iriafen said. “I think that’s been one of the things that I’ve loved about the program as well.”
Even as she enters the last semester of her college career, Iriafen is determined to succeed in all facets of her education. Whether posting up the Big Ten center or pitching a startup in Professor Tchalian’s class, Iriafen is constantly pushing for success at the highest levels.
“I think in anything that I do, I want to do it with excellence,” Iriafen explained. “Of course, that’s not going to be perfect, but I think striving for excellence in all that I do, whether that’s on the court or in the classroom, is something that’s been instilled in me since I was little and something that I don’t take lightly.”
Back in Los Angeles, Iriafen’s journey has come full circle. Each night, as she dons the cardinal and gold, she can gaze to the stands to see two families: the one that raised her and the new one made at Marshall.
“It honestly feels like I have Senior Night every single night here in Galen Center,” Iriafen reflected. “To be able to have my parents and my siblings come to every single game, it just makes me want to play even harder, like I’m playing for something bigger than myself.”
As the next class of graduate transfers tours USC, Iriafen plans to offer them the same warm Marshall welcome she received.
“I hope to help promote the longevity of this MSEI-USC women’s basketball pipeline,” Iriafen said.
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