Okinaga School of Business, Dr. Shoichi Okinaga "Founder"

Colorado Heights University Announces Okinaga School of Business July, 2009
Colorado Heights University today announced the launch of its new school of business, The Okinaga School of Business. CHU is an ACICS accredited university located on Colorado’s most historic and famous campus, formerly known as Loretto Heights College, which began its operations in 1879.

“It is fitting that we launch this business school, named after our benefactor, Dr. Shoichi Okinaga. We are now a university that will focus on building a global platform for management education, training, and career development,” said Tony Sanichara, the CEO and CFO of the university.

In line with its Mission to “provide affordable access to the highest quality of American business education anywhere…” the university will be launching campuses throughout Asia, the first of which will be in Vietnam.

The university now targets low/middle income students in the US and in Asia. “These are the people who need access but cannot get it because they have been systematically ignored through pricing and recruiting policies. We are driven by our new vision to target these students in the US and in developing nations, classified by C K Prahalad and Harvey C Freuhauf, Professors of Corporate Strategy and International Business at The University of Michigan Business School, as being at the Bottom of the Pyramid, the “BOP Market.” “We believe that education is the essential tool by which we can break the cycle of poverty and bring opportunities that will open the door to economic prosperity, social mobility, and self-esteem,” said Tony Sanichara.

Under the Okinaga School of Business, the university now offers a compelling mix of business programs. It has an undergraduate degree in International Business with several valuable and relevant minors. At the graduate level, it plans to offer six different tracks. “We believe in functional concentrations at the MBA level because these concentrations provide students in developing countries with the useable skills that will position them on a fast track to the C-team,” Tony remarked. The university now offers MBAs with concentrations in Finance, Accounting, and Health Care Management. There will be other concentrations and multiple professional programs, such as a Masters in Finance - with such concentrations as Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, and Financial Institution Management – and a Masters in Professional Accounting.

Colorado Heights University now occupies the campus of Loretto Heights College, which started its operations in Denver in 1879. The College became the most prestigious women’s college in the Western United States and is now Colorado’s most historic campus with its iconic tower that can be seen from miles away. The campus is now fully co-educational and consists of 19 buildings located on 76-acres of trees and beautifully landscaped lawns. The campus houses the largest Americorps operations in the United States. It is also home to St. Augustine’s College and Southwest Early College.

For more information or to request interviews, contact Nicholas Bowlby – (303) 937-4027 – e-mail: