Entrepreneur and Veteran Creates Scholarship to Help Students Succeed at Whitman

For Darren Mungkhalodom ’19 M.S., success has always been rooted in resourcefulness, determination and an entrepreneurial spirit that ignited long before he ever stepped into a college classroom. Growing up, he was the type of kid who turned opportunities into enterprises—selling chocolate bars from Price Club to classmates, flipping baseball cards and spotting profit potential in everything from collectibles to early DIY projects. That instinct to build, scale and improve never left him. It simply evolved. 

Today, Mungkhalodom is the owner of three Fresh Coat Painters franchises—two in Rochester, New York, and one in Florida—as well as the co-owner of a thriving Thai restaurant that is on track to reach $1 million in sales in its first year. He has also bought and consolidated multiple small painting businesses, proving his ability in not only starting companies but strengthening and scaling them with a strategic, long-term vision. 

In recognition of the education that helped sharpen those instincts, Mungkhalodom recently made a $50,000 pledge to establish the Darren Mungkhalodom G’19 Retention Scholarship at the Whitman School of Management, joining the Whitman Leadership Circle donor society. 

Mungkhalodom’s path to Whitman came after a career as an infantry squad leader in the U.S. Army, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. His military service shaped his entrepreneurial mindset in powerful ways. 

“Discipline is everything,” he explains. “As a business owner, you work 15 or 16 hours a day. You make hard decisions. And you need people to trust your judgment. In the Army, leading troops into battle, you learn the importance of confidence, preparation and taking care of your team. That stays with you.” 

He went on to leadership roles at Walmart and Cintas. He also launched and sold a pet harness brand on eBay, but he knew he wanted to build something larger—and do it on his own terms. 

When he came across Syracuse University’s master’s program in entrepreneurship, something clicked. “Syracuse had one of the best programs I could find,” he says. “The courses, the professors—everything gave me the skills to build a real business plan and act on it.” 

Those lessons stuck with him. When he brought his first business plan to a bank, the branch manager told him it was the best he’d ever seen. 

“Everything I learned in the master’s program helped me build, scale and sustain my business,” Mungkhalodom says. “Anyone can start a business, but scaling it—that’s the real challenge. Whitman taught me how to do that.” 

Giving back to Syracuse in the form of a scholarship was a natural next step for Mungkhalodom. As a veteran, he deeply appreciated the University’s commitment to service members and their families, and he also wanted to give students who were struggling financially a chance to stay at the Whitman School and succeed. “Throughout my whole life, I’ve liked to help people. I didn’t grow up with money, so that’s why I’ve worked so hard to succeed,” he says. “So, if I can help someone in the Whitman community by sponsoring a student, then I’m going to do it,” says Mungkhalodom. 

Aside from his generosity, he has also given of his time at the Whitman School, acting as a judge in the Spring 2025 Senior Capstone Competition. “I am consistently impressed by the students’ creativity and readiness,” he says of the experience that is the culmination of students’ four years at Whitman. 

His advice to today’s Whitman students is simple: “Just do it. You’re young. You have time to fail and get back up. I’ve hit roadblocks, but each one made me stronger. Learn, adjust and don’t repeat the same mistake.” 

For Mungkhalodom, entrepreneurship isn’t just a career—it’s a lifelong mindset. And now, through his financial support and ongoing engagement, he’s helping inspire and empower the next generation of Whitman innovators to build their own paths forward. 

By Caroline K. Reff