Heather Brown
Before she ever held a title, launched a company, or took a vote as an elected official, Heather Brown was learning how to serve — quietly, intentionally, and with curiosity.
She was in middle school when her family relocated from the United States to Saudi Arabia, and while this was not her first move, it certainly was her most formative.
Unlike most teens faced with upheaval, Brown didn’t resist. Rather, she leaned in. Sure, living abroad came with challenges. But it also opened doors, especially through her family’s travels.
“My parents were intentional,” Brown recalls. “We didn’t just visit cities. We went to small villages, immersed ourselves in local cultures, and listened to people’s stories. I saw poverty, yes, but also joy, resilience, and love. It changed me.”
What she gained from those years wasn’t just a global worldview but also a sense of responsibility. To care. To act. And to use whatever future platform she would occupy to make a difference.
That sense of purpose would carry the 2025 recipient of the Patrick T. Smith Achievement in Service Award through every season of her life — from student leader to member of the Nevada Board of Regents, from entrepreneur to equity advocate.
Service as Identity
Brown’s commitment to service came into full focus at UNLV, where she pursued a degree in political science and discovered her voice as an organizer, advocate, and coalition-builder.
As Nevada Student Affairs director in CSUN, she launched 23 student-facing programs designed to improve the college experience for her peers. “That experience taught me the power of coalition-building, of vision backed by hard work,” she says. “I also discovered that I could energize others, get them excited about what’s possible.”
“Those early lessons about leadership, initiative, and believing in something bigger than yourself have been invaluable in every step of my professional journey since.”
That journey began after Brown graduated from UNLV and relocated to Washington, D.C., where she served as chief of staff for the Young Democrats of America and founded the D.C. chapter of the UNLV Alumni Association. She later moved to Brussels, where she ran volunteer engagement for a European political party, each chapter deepening her belief in people-powered systems and purposeful change.
Eventually, Brown returned home to Las Vegas — and to service.
From Startup to Systemwide Impact
As co-founder of StartUp Vegas, Brown created more than a business incubator; she built a movement. Recognizing the barriers faced by early-stage entrepreneurs, she helped develop a community-based ecosystem rooted in mentorship, access, and equity.
She also built a bridge to her alma mater, launching a paid internship program that gave UNLV students hands-on experience in real, high-growth environments.
In 2022, Brown’s lifelong call to advocacy took another step forward: She ran for, and won, a seat on the Nevada Board of Regents, where she represents District 6 with a fierce commitment to equity, access, and student success.
Brown’s tireless advocacy for college students up and down the Silver State stretches far beyond the classroom, too. One of her core missions is expanding workforce development so students graduate not just with credentials but with careers in reach.
“As chair of the Workforce Committee, I’ve worked to ensure that student success doesn’t end at graduation,” Brown says. “We’re expanding access to certifications, streamlining pathways through the system, and building partnerships with businesses to ensure that our graduates enter the workforce with real, sustainable skills that lead to scalable, well-paying careers.”
Leading Through Action
True to form, Brown doesn’t just legislate change, she lives it. She donates her entire Regent stipend back to UNLV, funding book scholarships for students in the College of Liberal Arts.
“Sometimes a little help makes all the difference,” she says. “I know firsthand that the smallest gestures can sometimes create the biggest turning points.”
That principle of quiet, consistent, everyday service is rooted in the way she was raised.
“My parents were philanthropic in their own way — not with grand gestures, but through everyday acts of generosity and involvement,” Brown says. “They gave their time, energy, and empathy to the people around them. They showed me that service is about showing up just as much as giving back.
“Through them, I became curious about the world and deeply aware of the different journeys people are on. I owe my passion and purpose to my parents.”
The Rebel Spirit in Action
When Brown received word that she had been selected for this year’s Achievement in Service Award, she was quite literally standing atop UNLV.
She was on the rooftop of the university’s new College of Engineering building, helping pitch UNLV’s role in Southern Nevada’s future to executives scouting the city for a new headquarters.
“It was surreal,” she reflects. “There I was, looking out over my hometown, advocating for my alma mater, and learning I’d been chosen for this honor. It was full-circle in every way.”
And fitting. Because Heather Brown’s story isn’t one of personal ambition; it’s a story of deliberate, continual, and compassionate service. Of looking at systems and asking how they can do better. Of remembering where she came from and choosing, again and again, to lift others as she rises.
“My parents didn’t raise me to be impressive,” she says. “They raised me to care. They raised me to act.”
And that’s exactly what she’s done.
As someone who grew up in Las Vegas and graduated from a local high school, was UNLV always the goal? Or did you consider leaving home and attending college elsewhere?
I always knew I was going to college, that was never a question. And like many high school seniors, I considered leaving town. But coming from a family without a lot of financial resources, that was difficult.
Thankfully, I was fortunate to receive scholarships and financial aid. Both not only made UNLV accessible but further instilled in me a sense of gratitude that only strengthened throughout my journey.
Attending UNLV allowed me to stay close to my community, contribute to the city I love, and still get a world-class education. Looking back, I now realize that choosing UNLV wasn’t a fallback; it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
When you got to UNLV, did you have a plan for your academic and professional future already mapped out, or did you arrive on campus looking to find a passion?
I had a plan, one I’d been refining since the eighth grade: I wanted to be a U.S. diplomat.
I was exposed to that world while living in Saudi Arabia, and thought it was the coolest thing for someone to represent their country abroad. But you had to be 21 years old to take the examination, so I had three years to prepare when I started UNLV. What I didn’t anticipate was how the university would expand my original vision.
Being on campus gave me something I hadn’t fully experienced before: freedom. Freedom to explore beyond my lived experiences, to ask deeper questions, to challenge assumptions, and to discover new passions I never knew I had.
UNLV didn’t just support my ambitions, it disrupted them in the best possible way. Through student involvement, mentorship, and real engagement with the campus community, I found myself on a completely different trajectory than I had planned.
I remain incredibly grateful for that redirection. It shaped not only my career path, but how I choose to live and lead every day.
At what point did you know for sure that you made the right call to become a Rebel?
It wasn’t one big moment; it was a hundred small ones.
But if I had to choose something specific, it would have to be the first time I sat in a student government meeting and realized that my voice actually mattered. I wasn’t just learning about leadership, I was practicing it. I wasn’t just studying community impact, I was helping to mold it.
There’s something powerful about realizing you’re not just at a university, you’re part of it. You have the ability to influence, to build, to challenge, to grow. That was when I knew I made the right choice.
I wasn’t only a Rebel in name, I was becoming one in spirit.
Of all the extracurricular activities you were involved with as a Rebel student, which one conjures up the fondest memories?
Without question, student government! CSUN was the most formative and rewarding experience of my time at UNLV.
It’s where I learned how to be an advocate — not because of a title, but in my action. I learned how to listen, how to lead, and how to stand up for what matters to students. Equally as important, it led to friendships that have lasted far beyond college.
I think back to being a fan at Rebels games, organizing initiatives that improved student life, and staying up late working on ideas we truly believed could change our campus for the better. We weren’t just building programs, we were building community.
What’s your best advice to the current UNLV student who is struggling to fit in, be it academically, socially, or both?
Join a club. Find something that sparks your curiosity and gets you just a little outside your comfort zone.
UNLV is a place of incredible diversity, not just in people, but in interests, passions, and perspectives. Somewhere on campus, your people are waiting — the ones who will challenge you, support you, and make you feel seen.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. None of us did. But showing up, even when you feel like you might not belong, is the first step toward finding connection. And connection makes all the difference.
College is about more than coursework. It’s about becoming. So be curious, be open. And most importantly, don’t give up. Your place is here, even if you haven’t found it yet.
Shortly after graduating from UNLV, you relocated to Washington, D.C., for professional reasons. While there, you started and led the UNLV alumni chapter in the nation’s capital. Why was that important?
Even being 2,500 miles from campus, I still loved being a Rebel, and I wanted to create that same sense of community in D.C. that had meant so much when I was a student.
It was about more than starting an alumni network. It was an extension of my time on campus, only now with adult responsibilities and, thankfully, an adult paycheck. Being involved wasn’t mandatory anymore, it was intentional. And I chose to make space for it because UNLV represented a time of deep personal growth.
That feeling of being connected to something meaningful, of belonging to a place that helped you become yourself, that’s not something I ever want to lose. Starting the chapter was my way of keeping that spirit alive and sharing it with others who felt the same.
What sparked your interest in entrepreneurship, and what was the impetus for launching Start-Up Vegas?
Entrepreneurship has always been in my DNA. My mom was an entrepreneur, and growing up, I watched her build businesses from nothing, solve problems creatively, take risks, and forge her own path. So when I was younger I naturally started thinking about how I could do the same, how I could use that mindset to change the world around me.
But my real growth as an entrepreneur began when I moved back to Las Vegas during the pandemic to join a startup. As we built our company, it became clear that while our city had incredible potential, there were significant gaps in the startup ecosystem. Those gaps made it harder for founders to connect, scale, and thrive.
That’s when my cofounder and I launched StartUp Vegas. We didn’t just want to build a network, we wanted to build a real community — one where entrepreneurs could find best practices, honest feedback, mentorship, and tangible opportunities to grow their businesses.
We listened closely to what startup founders were struggling with, and we designed programming around those exact pain points, pitch practice, talent development, or mentorship.
What started as a simple idea has grown into a recognized platform that’s helping establish the future of innovation in Southern Nevada.
From funding scholarships to the work you do as a member of the Nevada Board of Regents, you have long had a passion for supporting student success and helping students get the most from their college experience. What led to this advocacy, and why should others join in this cause?
I remember what it was like to be a student, juggling academics, a job, campus involvement, and personal growth — all while trying to make sense of who I was becoming. It wasn’t easy. I made mistakes. But those moments — the messy, formative, complicated ones — were where the most important learning happened.
That’s why I take my role as a regent so seriously. I see it as an opportunity to advocate for students in a way I didn’t always feel advocated for. I want to give students the space to take risks, to stumble, and to grow, but also to make sure their voices are heard and their needs are met.
This work is my passion. But it shouldn’t be mine alone. If you’ve ever been shaped by education or ever benefited from someone else’s advocacy, then you already have a reason to give back.
The future is being sculpted right now by students across our state’s campuses. And I want to make sure we give them all the opportunities and resources needed to thrive.
What is your message to the current UNLV student about the importance of giving back, both to their future alma mater and their community at-large.
Service isn’t something you add to your life; it’s something that shapes it.
The value of your education will never be measured by the title on your door or the number on your paycheck. It will be defined by the problems you dare to solve, the people you choose to serve, and the courage you show in caring deeply, even when it’s inconvenient, and especially when it’s difficult.
I recently gave a commencement speech, and part of my message was:
“The future rewards those who press on. But pressing on doesn’t just mean grinding toward personal success. It means leading with empathy, uplifting others, and imagining what has never been done, not only for yourself, but for everyone who comes after you.
“The world you’re entering is complex, chaotic, and, yes at times, unforgiving. But it is also full of possibilities. History isn’t shaped by those who played it safe. It’s shaped by those who had the courage to care and acted on it.”
So my message is this: Be bold in thought. Be kind in action. Be relentless in pursuit of what is right. Be cautious of a life not fully lived. And be willing to give back to the community that raised you and the university that helped make you who you are today and who you’ll be in the future.
Because that future isn’t waiting to be discovered; it’s waiting to be built by hands like yours, minds like yours, hearts like yours. Go out and shape it. Not just for yourself, but for everyone who will one day look back and say, “Because of them, I could.”
As someone who has devoted so much of their life to service, can you put into context what it means to receive this honor?
It means the world to me, in part because of what it represents but also because of who it comes from: UNLV, a place that shaped and continues to inspire me.
The award itself also affirmed something I deeply believe: that service, when grounded in love for your community and your institution, can build something lasting.
