Student-Run Saxbys Cafe Thrives at Lincoln Center Campus With Two Gabelli School Undergrads at the Helm
Undergraduate | Feb 27, 2026 | Gabelli School of Business
Since its October opening, Saxbys Fordham has become the Lincoln Center campus’s go-to spot for coffee, sandwiches, smoothies, and more. The high-performing retail establishment is staffed and managed completely by Fordham students.
The cafe’s original student CEO, Aidan Engelmann, an undergraduate global finance major in his senior year at the Gabelli School, was responsible for launching the business. “Our team members were phenomenal from the start. They lived out our core values,” he said. “We grew to become one of the highest-performing Saxbys, and no one really expected that of us in our inaugural semester.”
Saxbys’ patented Experiential Learning Platform and social impact-driven mission align with Fordham’s Jesuit values. And Assistant Dean Vincent DeCola, SJ, notes that the cafe isn’t just a business education lab; it’s a valid, for-profit venture.
Engelmann led a team of 40-50 students, overseeing all aspects of finance, marketing, and operations, while earning course credit in the process. “When you’re running this cafe, and you get to see how the financials reflect the actions you take, along with whatever else was happening that month, it brings your understanding of how businesses operate to the next level,” he asserted.
Engelmann’s term as CEO is over, but he isn’t done with Saxbys. He recently assumed the role of Saxbys’ SVP for recruitment on campus, gaining insights into HR and compliance functions. “Saxbys has added so many tools to my toolkit,” he said. “Whatever I do afterwards, I know that I have the ability to take on any challenge, whether it’s the work I’ll be doing this summer in Morgan Stanley’s 2025 Firm Risk Management Summer Analyst Program, or in a future managerial role.”
In January, Borna ShayeiMousavi took the helm. A finance/pre-law student in his sophomore year who had been a team leader at Saxbys last semester, ShayeiMousavi began his tenure as CEO with an unexpected test of leadership—a massive snowstorm that created supply chain issues and staffing challenges. “The week of the storm, we were the top-performing cafe out of all of Saxbys,” he shared. “It showed me how strong my team is and how adaptable we are.”
Engelmann and ShayeiMousavi are grateful for the advice and support they’ve received from faculty members and administrators, ranging from Fordham President Tania Tetlow to the advisors and professors who’ve mentored them, including Father DeCola; Neve Devine, assistant dean; Tim Malefyt, PhD, clinical professor and director of the MS in Strategic Marketing Communications program; James McCann, senior lecturer in finance and business economics; and Jennifer O’Neil, associate director of personal and professional development.
President Tetlow invited Engelmann and ShayeiMousavi to make a presentation to the Board of Trustees, during which ShayeiMousavi shared his community-centered vision for Saxbys. “We’re looking at ways to really make this a hub for students,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, it’s a cafe run by students, for students.”
