When Michael Starace, ’10, ’11, was inducted into The W. A. Franke College of Business Hall of Fame in fall 2025, it marked a full-circle moment. The recognition celebrated a career built on strategy, service, and generosity—but for Starace, it was also deeply personal.
“It’s hard to put into words,” he said. “I feel like someone who’s just won the World Series or the Super Bowl. It’s the recognition of where I started and where I am now. It feels surreal. I’m just incredibly grateful.”
Alongside his professional accomplishments as associate director of program finance at Raytheon, Starace and his family founded Mission: Vivere—a nonprofit that honors the life and legacy of his younger brother, Anthony, an NAU alumnus, Army ROTC cadet, and entrepreneur who passed away in 2024.
“Anthony was motivated and had passion beyond anybody I’ve ever met,” Starace said. “He wanted to change the world for the better. NAU gave him his voice and his purpose, and ROTC changed his life.”
Vivere—Italian for “to live”—was Anthony’s personal motto. The foundation that bears its name supports Army ROTC cadets and student entrepreneurs at NAU, with a focus on students who may lack a traditional support system. Starace has also provided generous support for the Venture Studio at NAU, an experiential innovation space in Cline Library where students transform ideas into real-world solutions.
“We want students to know that even a complete stranger is there to support them,” Starace said. “My brother wanted to be that person for others. We’ve been fortunate, and if there’s anything we can do to pay it forward—we will.”
Starace’s own path to NAU began unexpectedly. After a rocky start at another university, he enrolled in a few last-minute classes in Flagstaff—following his sister Brittany, a marketing major in The W. A. Franke College of Business. The first class he walked into was Introduction to Accounting, taught by NAU Professor Emeritus Lawrence Mohrweis.
“That class changed my life,” Starace said. “Accounting just clicked. His classes were engaging, full of real-world problem solving. We connected over our love for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and that class became like a family. After it, he asked me to be a student instructor.”
After graduating with his bachelor’s in accounting, Starace stayed to complete his MBA, drawn by the strong faculty and a one-year cohort model.
“NAU prepared me exceptionally well,” he said. “When I talked with friends from places like the Wharton School or Columbia, I realized we were learning the same things. I didn’t feel behind, and, if anything, I had an edge.”
But what mattered most, Starace said, was the community.
“My family is incredibly important to me, and being at NAU was like a continuation of that village.”
That’s the essence of Mission: Vivere—a village of support rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a chance to live fully and lead with purpose. “It’s bigger than me,” Starace said. “It’s bigger than my family. It’s bigger than my brother. Anthony is the spirit behind it—but it belongs to everyone who needs that support.”
