Marketing with Purpose

Matthew Arias, Class of 2021, recently accepted a position as an Account Coordinator at David&Goliath, a creative marketing agency in nearby El Segundo. A Los Angeles native, Matthew was a standout on the LMU College of Business Administration’s A-LIST (Applied Learning in Societal Transformation) track — one of four content-specific and career-focused “Pathways” offered to LMU marketing majors.

The A-LIST Pathway, led by LMU Marketing Professors Mitchell Hamilton and Julian Saint Clair, strives to produce future business leaders with the understanding that profit-maximization and societal well-being are not mutually exclusive. LMU CBA’s additional marketing Pathways include “Marketing Analytics” (MA Pathway), “Congruity of Interests" (COIN), and the immersive “M-School” (M-School Pathway).

“My marketing education at LMU helped me understand how to think instead of just what to think,” Matthew said, adding that the A-LIST Pathway afforded him a good mix of experiential learning, creative freedoms, and professional exploration. “I not only understand myself better, but how to put the university mission into practice out in Los Angeles, and the world at large.”

He says that his favorite experiential learning endeavor was the chance to work as a Brand Marketing Consultant for Vector90, a co-working space founded by David Gross and the late Nipsey Hussle. Along with his A-LIST marketing cohort, Matthew was tasked with crafting and implementing a corporate sponsorship plan for the company -- which aims to create a professional networking base for LA’s underserved communities.

“I’m very interested in understanding why people do what they do,” Matthew, who also minored in Sociology, said. “And to a greater degree, why companies do what they do — how to take their mission and channel it into some societal good while still turning a profit.”

Drawn to the bluff for its top-ranked business school and strong sense of community, Matthew says that his LMU experience began long before he arrived as a first-year student, recalling visits to campus as a kid for LMU’s summer baseball camp.

“Even then, I could tell that LMU was a special place,” Matthew said, adding that when it came time to make his final college decision, LMU was eager to offer him the support and guidance needed to find a financially feasible way to join the Lion Pride.

Outside of the classroom, Matthew was a Brand Marketing Intern for LMU Marketing and Communications (LMU MarComm), playing an integral role in helping to launch the LMU Brand Ambassador Program. Additionally, he participated in the LMU Student Worker Program and is a Delta Sigma Phi fraternity member.

As for what advice he has for future LMU Lions?

“Push yourself to your limits, so you know what those limits are,” Matthew said. “It will help you understand who you are and how best to pursue your professional goals down the line.”