Expanding Entrepreneurship with Chris Crucitti ’97

When we think of entrepreneurship, many of us imagine the stories of the men and women who take big risks to create new businesses. But Chris Crucitti ’97 wants us to broaden that perspective. The alumnus recently returned to the hilltop to speak with students in Stephen Johnson’s SUPA Entrepreneurship and Global Economy classes about the leadership ethos he has developed over the course of his career.

“I used to think that entrepreneurship was rolling up your sleeves and starting your own business. But that’s not always the case,” he said. “Entrepreneurship is a mindset: an approach to growing a business.

After graduating from Canterbury, Chris earned a BS in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Science from Ithaca College and an MS in Health Management from American University before joining the pharmaceutical industry. He currently serves as the Chief Growth Officer at Model N, a software company that provides revenue management technology for pharmaceutical, life science, and technology companies. In this role, he takes an entrepreneurial approach in leading the company’s global growth strategy, overseeing sales, customer support, and marketing teams.

Chris encouraged students to look at entrepreneurship not as a specific business plan or outcome, but as a growth strategy based on curiosity. What problems do you observe in a given industry or company? Or what “white space” exists that might be explored and shaped into something that creates value? Maintaining curiosity, he says, is a vital first step. Following through with a plan can often be summed up with a single question—one that Canterbury students are encouraged to think about in class, on the field, and in their communities:

“Ask yourself every day: what impact do you want to have?” he advises. “Write down your goals and track them over time. The earlier you can start to do that, the better edge you’ll have.”

“I really enjoyed having Mr. Crucitti in class,” says Mason Kuchinski '26. “It was great to hear someone who has professional experience and loves what they're doing. His advice and experience reflected how we’ve been talking about entrepreneurship while offering a unique perspective. That it's not just building a business from scratch but helping existing businesses through intelligence and creativity.”

It’s always a pleasure to welcome alumni back to campus. Thank you, Chris, for helping guide and inspire the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs!