Impacting the World Through Entrepreneurial Spirit: Spring 2026 Graduate Dylan Castillo

At the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), the H-E-B School of Business and Administration (HEBSBA) prepares Business students to "graduate ready to become the socially and globally aware professionals who will lead industries in Texas and around the world" (uiw.edu). Educators seek to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit that lives and breathes through each student, knowing that they have the potential to shape our world in new and exciting ways.

One of HEBSBA's spring 2026 graduates includes Dylan Castillo, Business Management major with an Entrepreneurship minor.

Wanting to remain close to home while attending college, Castillo came across UIW. After feeling a strong sense of community and touring the beautiful Broadway campus, he knew he had found the right university for him. Castillo discovered that UIW's supportive learning environment, engaging professors and connective class settings allowed him to build strong relationships with faculty and fully immerse himself in his chosen curriculum.

"UIW's values-based education has encouraged me to grow beyond the classroom," noted Castillo. "Being in a diverse and community-oriented campus environment has exposed me to different perspectives and helped me become a more open-minded and confident person."

While pursuing his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and minor in Entrepreneurship, Castillo has found both fields to be empowering, practical and creative. He especially likes to explore business aspects such as identifying opportunities, assessing risks and how innovative ideas can turn into businesses.

During his time at UIW, Castillo has developed and tested multiple ventures, including his first on-campus pop-up marketplace where he sewed and sold upcycled designer handbags. Additionally, he's created and sold handcrafted textile pieces, customized jewelry and mirror engravings. In November 2025, he was able to sell his work in the student entrepreneur section at UIW's 39th annual Light the Way holiday festival.

Castillo has even launched his own business venture called DD's Creations, where he transforms antiques into unique handcrafted jewelry. He shared that DD's Creations originates from his years of experimenting with handmade crafts and immersion in new hobbies. In middle school, he hand-painted shoes, which taught him patience, encouraged attention to detail and ignited his excitement for creating. From there, his interests expanded into rug making, sewing, mirror engraving and making rings from vintage spoons. He noted that each craft has strengthened his skills and has impacted the identity of DD's Creations.

Castillo has also taken the initiative to take advantage of several learning and networking opportunities, including attending San Antonio Startup Week and Geekdom's Startup Bootcamp.

"What drives me to keep learning and refining my craft is a combination of purpose and curiosity," shared Castillo. "My goal has always been to grow as a person and hopefully create something of value to my community here in San Antonio."

Castillo is already making his impact both at and beyond the Nest.

This year, Castillo was invited to share his insights on future technological developments as a guest at Alamo Angel's "The Humanoid Bet" event. Alongside other speakers, he explored where true investment opportunities exist versus speculations, and how entrepreneurs must consider scalability, ethics and long-term impact as these technologies become more integrated into society.

On the Broadway campus, Castillo has competed in the University's pitch competition, provided solutions alongside team members for a local business client named Lemonade Circle and is a member of UIW's Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization. Additionally, he recently had the distinguished honor of being named the very first recipient of the "Beckendorf Center Outstanding Student in Entrepreneurship" award at the Delta Mu Delta induction ceremony.

"It was such an honor to receive this award, and meaningful to me," expressed Castillo. "Being the first recipient makes it even more special, and I'm grateful to represent what's possible through dedication and community support at UIW. I look forward to continuing to represent this University and make it proud."

"Dylan is quite a humble and unassuming guy," said Teresa Harrison, PhD, UIW professor of Management. "To be able to take his artistic ability and couple that with his entrepreneurial mindset is quite impressive. I have enjoyed watching him take his business idea to reality during his time at UIW and I can't wait to see what's next for him. This is only the beginning!"

Before Castillo officially continues to shape our world as we know it as a UIW graduate, he shared this message:

"It feels surreal to me that I'm finally getting my degree after all the work I put into it. This represents years of growth, sacrifice and dedication. My next step is continuing to grow DD's Creations and hopefully owning a workshop/makerspace where people can learn from me and have a safe space to work on their crafts. Thank you to the UIW community for the overwhelming support, encouragement and belief in my potential. It means the world!"