Let's Give A Warm Welcome to the New Associate Director, Kent Pelisari!

Kent Pelisari

We’re excited to welcome Kent Pelisari as the new Associate Director of the WET Center. A familiar face in the Central Valley startup scene, Kent brings years of experience in business consulting, product development, and strategic growth, from helping entrepreneurs refine their first pitch decks to scaling local ventures across multiple locations.

In this Q&A, Kent shares what drew him to the WET Center, how he thinks about balancing vision with practicality, and why building community is at the heart of everything he does.

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Q: Tell us about yourself.

Kent: “I have been a Central Valley resident since 1996. My parents decided to relocate our family from Muncie, Indiana, for a career opportunity at Madera Glass/Saint-GoBain containers. I graduated from Clovis West High School and enrolled at Santa Monica College before transferring to CSU Long Beach, where I graduated in 2007. While attending CSU Long Beach, I owned and operated a Live Scan background verification business while being a full-time student. The Live Scan business sparked my entrepreneurial drive and curiosity about various business sectors. 

After graduation, I worked for a boutique business consulting and investment banking firm called Growthink. I was a business consultant and development associate who focused on business plans, market research, and feasibility study services. After more than a decade in Los Angeles, it was the right time to come back to the Central Valley and start a new chapter with my wife, Jennifer, and our two sons, Asher and Levi. 

Since my return to the Central Valley, I have worked in the medical industry, food retail, and mechanical engineering business sector, and with individual entrepreneurs with their business plans and product/service offerings. During one of my consulting engagements, I was offered a CFO and general manager position at Kuppa Joy Coffee House. After transitioning out of this role, I accepted a director position at the Pi Shop, a product incubator associated with Blue Dolphin Design & Engineering, located in downtown Fresno. I began with the Pi Shop and Blue Dolphin in 2019 and dedicated over five years to both the nonprofit and for-profit entities.”

Q: What brought you to the WET Center?

Kent: “I started collaborating with the WET Center while I was working at the Pi Shop. Both organizations served as incubators. At the time, I was trying to break down silos within the Central Valley. I was reaching out to nonprofits and private organizations that wanted to help startups, entrepreneurs, and community members who had new product and service offering ideas. Not knowing where to start, I Googled Product and Business Incubators in the Central Valley, Fresno County, and stumbled across the Fresno State WET Center. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the WET Center was very similar to the Product Incubator that I was currently managing and directing. I thought to myself, “Why haven’t I partnered with the WET Center before?” After a few phone calls, emails, and formal introductions, I became a supporter and have been since that time. Over the past six years, I have attended almost every event the WET Center has hosted. I'm now part of this great organization, and I'm happy to be working with a focused and goal-oriented team here at the WET Center.”

Q: As the new Assistant Director of the WET Center, how do you plan to balance innovation, sustainability, and practical application within the center's programs and initiatives?

Kent: “Organization is key. There are numerous moving components, events, and partnerships at the WET Center. I think the key component here is just being organized and staying in contact with the community and everyone involved with the WET Center. That's the only way to keep everything balanced and everyone informed.

In my own business, I've found that organization makes life a lot easier and limits anxiety. When you’re organized, you have a clear view of what’s ahead, allowing you to prepare effectively. The preparation is key to solving many issues. Simply asking the right questions about procedures and activities can help identify issues related to the company's function. I was taught that in investment banking, like in consulting, if you don't ask questions, you cannot know there is a problem.”

Q: Can you share a pivotal moment or experience that solidified your commitment to entrepreneurship?

Kent: “What really sparked my interest in entrepreneurship was working in Los Angeles at a company reviewing pitch decks, business plans, financial models, and working with entrepreneurs to resolve startup funding, sustainability issues, and exit strategies. It was gratifying when the same people would call me back a year later, having received funding from an angel investor, or a client would reach out and request a new business plan and financials. Helping someone at the ideation stage, witnessing their growth, and developing their business provides great personal satisfaction. What truly keeps my passion alive in entrepreneurship is the excitement and determination of the entrepreneurs who have the vision and drive to take on the challenges. I look forward to contributing to the launch of new services and products into the market with the help of the WET Center's vast resources and networking channels.”

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share? 

Kent: “I’m excited to be part of the talented team here at the WET Center. I have been aware of the activities at the facility since 2019 and have always felt it provides valuable services to the area. My experiences attending seasonal events at the WET Center have been positive and memorable. One event that is highly anticipated this year is the 2025 Valley Ventures 9th Cohort Industry Pitch Event. I attended last year's 2024 Valley Ventures 8th Cohort Industry Pitch Event, where I networked with entrepreneurship-minded business professionals and startup businesses competing in the pitch competition from Northern and Central Coast California. I will be planning, promoting, and working for the upcoming WET Center events with Eric Hadden, Chakty Carrillo, Peggy Cromwell, and Lauren Cubre.

Another goal of mine would be to enrich and broaden the workforce opportunity bowl, and attract discrete manufacturing and processing industries to the Fresno County area. There is a lot of potential here, and it lines up with everything we are doing at the WET Center by supporting innovation, growing the economy, and building something that lasts.”