Four years ago, Borna ShayeiMousavi, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’28, could not have imagined running a cafe in New York City. Today, he is the second student cafe executive officer (SCEO) of Fordham’s student-run cafe, Saxbys, while balancing the distance between him and his family and his drive for academic and career success.
ShayeiMousavi, a finance major on the pre-law track, started working for Saxbys as a team lead last semester. When campus recruiters reached out to encourage him to apply for the SCEO position, he recognized it as a rare opportunity.
“These kinds of opportunities are gold,” ShayeiMousavi said.
After five rounds of interviews, he was selected for the position. Despite being a young SCEO and leading students older than himself, ShayeiMousavi says his age has not affected his approach to leadership.
If you expect someone to hold a standard and you’re not holding that standard, then you shouldn’t be their leader. Borna ShayeiMousavi, GSBLC ’28
“I try to keep a professional standard, regardless of my age, and every team member in the cafe does the same,” ShayeiMousavi said. “If you expect someone to hold a standard and you’re not holding that standard, then you shouldn’t be their leader.”
ShayeiMousavi’s approach toward leadership is rooted in experiences that extend beyond Fordham.
Before moving to the United States, ShayeiMousavi spent 16 years living in Iran. Though he excelled academically, he said that professional opportunities felt limited there. In high school, he relocated to Canada with his mother and younger sister. This transition placed unexpected responsibilities on him at a young age. By 16, he was helping his family with navigating housing contracts, translating bills and managing financial logistics, experiences he said forced him to mature quickly.
“A 16-year-old shouldn’t have to worry about (those things),” ShayeiMousavi said. “But I knew that one day, I was going to get somewhere.”
After graduating as valedictorian, ShayeiMousavi set his sights on New York City, reasoning that “the best of the best are here.” Fordham offered him a scholarship, and he moved again. Due to travel restrictions tied to his Iranian passport, he has been unable to see his family in person since starting university.
If you told me that I was going to be the CEO of an on-campus cafe and doing an interview for a newspaper, I wouldn’t have believed it. Borna ShayeiMousavi, GSBLC ’28
“I took that risk and I sacrificed all these things … because I know in my mind that one day, I’m going to be the best; I’m going to be successful,” ShayeiMousavi said. “I want to make my parents and all my friends and family proud, (because) I owe it to them.”
That sense of sacrifice shaped ShayeiMousavi’s perspective toward the opportunity of being Saxbys’ SCEO.
“If you told me that I was going to be the CEO of an on-campus cafe and doing an interview for a newspaper, I wouldn’t have believed it,” ShayeiMousavi said. “My life has completely changed over these four years.”
Beyond daily operations, ShayeiMousavi sees Saxbys as a community hub rather than just a business. Because it is student-run, he believes that it creates a different kind of environment than other on-campus dining locations.
“They’re happy to see their friends. They come back more often,” ShayeiMousavi said. “We’re all students, and students are coming in (and) showing up for students.”
He hopes to strengthen that sense of connection through marketing initiatives and outreach efforts that can position Saxbys as a gathering place at Fordham. From tabling events to product launches, ShayeiMousavi said he wants the cafe to be a place where students feel valued and welcomed.
Alongside those efforts, ShayeiMousavi credits his team for the cafe’s positive performance this semester, given that Fordham’s Saxbys is still in its first year of operation.
“We’re one of the top-performing cafes,” ShayeiMousavi said. “That doesn’t come from me being a good leader. That comes from my team being a good team.”
For ShayeiMousavi, leadership is defined by the ability to navigate hardships.
“Your maturity doesn’t come with age,” ShayeiMousavi said. “It comes from experience, from what you’ve gone through.”
If I can come here, go through all of this and do something like this, then anyone can. Borna ShayeiMousavi, GSBLC ’28
Those experiences, he believes, influence how he manages his team and makes decisions.
ShayeiMousavi also carries a personal motivation for success. Years ago, he promised his mother that she would see him on the front page of a newspaper. He said that sitting down for his interview with the Fordham Observer felt like a step toward fulfilling a bigger promise of achievement.
“If she sees me as someone who’s being interviewed, maybe she’ll still miss me, but at least I’ll know I’ve made her a little bit proud,” ShayeiMousavi said.
Looking ahead, ShayeiMousavi sees his time at Saxbys working with guests and managing a team as preparation for a future in finance law.
“If I can come here, go through all of this and do something like this, then anyone can,” ShayeiMousavi said.
As Fordham’s Saxbys continues to navigate the demands of a student-run business, ShayeiMousavi plans to emphasize connection, both among the team running the cafe and the broader campus community they serve.