Niko Lanzi, '15 BS Hotel Administration - Hospitality Management, opened and runs Basecamp Outdoor Gear, which rents and sells camping and backpacking gear.

Yadira Martinez, '18 BS Healthcare Administration, and Grant Anderson, '18 BS Engineering - Mechanical Engineering, are a couple who met at UNLV and bonded through their shared dream of owning their own business. After planning her sister's baby shower, they discovered a market for baby shower games. They say that what they wanted for their first product was simple — funny games that catered to millennial parents, with Instagram-worthy designs. After countless hours of research they launched what they believe to be the perfect product for any baby shower, Babble Games. They say their baby shower game variety pack is just the first building block. A portion of their proceeds goes to charity.

Meghan Grunow Hartley, '06 BA Art, faced a near-death experience with a traumatic recovery in 2015. She said the severity of her symptoms forced her to find an income that was extremely flexible. She now is a busy freelance writer who is focusing on a cannabis niche. She writes for two cannabis public relations agencies as well as for two cannabis publications; Leafly and Civilized. She plans to spend next winter in Uruguay, covering the state of cannabis in the first country to legalize it. Before switching careers she spent more than a decade in marketing. Her hobbies include painting, working on a book, going to happy hours, and hanging out at the beach. She lives in San Pedro, California.

Nancy Olson, '01 BSBA - Finance, is an assistant U.S. attorney in the Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney's officer for the District of Nevada.

Matt Engle, '91 BSBA - Management, this year began working with the Insurance Office of America as a commercial insurance broker to build his own practice. He specializes in insurance programs in the construction, hospitality, non-profit, technology, and emerging cannabis industries. He recently finished terms as board chair for both the Las Vegas Natural History Museum and the Henderson Chamber's IMPAC Board. His hobbies include making wine and hiking. He recently celebrated 25 years of marriage and has two children, Tabitha Engle, '17 BS Entertainment Engineering Design, and Madison Engle, a UNLV junior majoring in psychology who is a member of the Honors College and captain of the Scarlet Dance Line.

Alba Arango, '91 BS Secondary Education, '94 BA History, '97 MA History, is the author of the Decoders series as well as the JJ Bennett: Junior Spy series. She is a retired high school teacher turned full-time author. Her newest book, The Miner's Gold, was released Feb. 1. It is the sixth book in the Decoders series and is aimed at children ages 8-11. She loves coffee and chocolate — particularly together. Her hobbies include traveling, shopping, cooking, and eating.

Brent Denison, '04 MFA - Theatre Arts, relocated from the West Coast back to his hometown area in Florida. He recently was promoted to senior manager, customer service and training for The Straz Center, the fourth largest performing arts center in the nation. He also is facilitator of the center's Guest Experience Council. His hobby is having fun at Florida's Busch Gardens and the Disney parks. He lives in Riverview.

Brianna Vargas Zambrano, '14 BA Journalism and Media Studies, is married to Alex Zambrano, '15 BS Business Administration. Their son, AC, is turning 1 in April. The family lives in North Las Vegas. 

Ross Bennett, '15 BA Communication Studies, is a global account manager for the Microsoft Account Team within Cisco Systems. He is part of a team of seven account managers at Cisco who are responsible for advising Microsoft on their investment with Cisco Systems within Microsoft's business processes on a global scale. He lives in Seattle.

Steve Gordon, '77 BS Hotel Administration, has been named program director of the television-radio department of Park School, Ithaca College. He was promoted to associate professor in 2015. After graduating from UNLV he worked as director of marketing for Del Web Hotels. He also worked for Viacom Productions as executive vice president. In 2008 he earned a master's degree from Ithaca College. Skiing, swimming, running, and camping are among his hobbies. He and his wife, Jaime Wolffe, have three grown children.   

Karen Prescia Lastra Dowling, '87 MBA, is CEO and owner of Dowling Consulting Services, which has offices in Mokena and St. Charles, Illinois. In 2017, she and her husband, Ronald Dowling, co-authored the book A Guide to Getting Your House in Order, an owner's manual to help provide a foundation for a successful retirement. Topics include Social Security strategies, asset organization, investment solutions and legacy planning. The firm has a comprehensive focus on wealth accumulation, preservation, and income planning. The couple hosts seminars to educate the community regarding many subjects, including Medicaid strategies and aid & attendance for veterans. She is a certified estate planners and certified Medicaid planner as well as an investment advisor for her registered investment advisory firm, Chancellor Financial Services. She enjoys traveling and going to concerts, sporting events, and movies. She is the mother of Chancellor Joseph Lastra, '16 Master of Education - Higher Education. She lives in Frankfort.    

Yolanda Lonnie Tuttle Jones, '07 BS in Hotel Administration, works for Disney Vacation Club as a vacation advisor. She was selected as a leader-among-leaders for the Side-By Side Trainer Team, Online Communications Flight Team, and Membership Magic Team, assisting with Disney Vacation Club member events at Walt Disney World Resort. In 2011 she earned a master of tourism administration degree from George Washington University. Photography, cooking, and visiting Disney are her hobbies. She married Robert M. Jones Jr in 2015. The couple lives in Auburndale, Florida, where hey have purchased their first home.