As a UB student, Denzel Luna noticed an interesting new trend among some of the student-athletes he knew. A high school friend upgraded from a Honda Civic to a C-Class Mercedes Benz in just six months. “These were 18-year-olds I knew playing college sports.”
He had questions — not necessarily about how these students were financing their new, upgraded lifestyles, but how they were navigating the new taxes that came along with them. Or even whether they knew about these new taxes at all.
To answer those questions, Denzel began by talking to his teammates on the UB basketball team. He also reached out to friends from high school in Orlando. “I started asking them, ‘Hey, what’s your knowledge on this?’” he said. “It started to become clear that there were glaring gaps.”
In 2021, new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules allowed student-athletes to earn money through endorsements. The income was real, and so was the paperwork. Many athletes felt lost when tax season came around, unsure how to handle their new responsibilities. Students were earning money from sponsors and facing challenges they hadn’t dealt with before. Denzel kept hearing the same questions.
“What do I owe?”
“When do I pay?”
“What do I do with this 1099?”
From idea to usable steps
He began with simple tools: a checklist, a way to track income as it came in, clear expense categories, and reminders to pay taxes on time. He shared the idea with his mentor, Bill Guerrero, who was UB’s Chief Financial Officer at the time, and asked for feedback.
Denzel then took his idea to UB’s Innovation Center, where he connected with mentors, including C.J Watson, Joe Ziskin (who would become his advisor), and UB’s VP of Innovation, Strategy, and Advancement, Elena Cahill. Together, they stress-tested the concept as a viable business idea, focusing on compliance and habits student-athletes can actually keep.
Denzel graduated from UB with a degree in Accounting in May of 2025. By that time, while still a UB student, he had already developed and launched his fintech app, Nexa Tax — a tool that guides student-athletes on tracking NIL income, organizing receipts, and preparing for U.S. tax filings. The goal was simple. Make it easier for student-athletes to earn revenue from their name, image, and likeness without falling into tax pitfalls. “Eighteen-year-olds making six-figure incomes is a surreal thing,” shared Denzel. “I wanted to build a tangible tool to help these students.”
A UB foundation
Denzel didn’t come to campus planning to build a fintech product. He arrived to play basketball, discovered a passion for accounting, and found professors who supported his interests. He credits his close relationships with Accounting faculty, hands-on work at UB’s VITA Tax clinic, and three summer internships at PwC in Stamford and New York for expanding his career outlook. UB’s Bauer Innovation Center became his home base, where mentors and staff helped him turn real experiences and big ideas into practical product decisions.
Listening turns into features
As Nexa took shape, Denzel gained feedback from real users. He ran formal onboarding for University of Nevada and UB athletes, held an information session with Wake Forest University (where he is now pursuing his master’s in accounting in the tax consulting track as a Deloitte Foundation Scholar), and partnered with several NIL agencies that collectively support dozens of NCAA Division I athletes across programs such as Tulane, Syracuse, and Kansas. Two student ambassadors, who also serve as interns, use Nexa and share their experiences with their athletic communities.
Early user feedback became the product’s spine. Nexa 1.0 focused on the moments that cause the most stress: getting information submitted quickly and getting organized information out cleanly. Denzel is now raising funds to build 2.0 with deeper guidance and school-friendly views, while keeping the app’s language plain and the steps short enough to complete in-between class and practice.
Building his team
Denzel’s first hires came from University of Bridgeport.
Two UB master’s students joined Nexa’s tech team, and a third engineer arrived through a UB connection. A head of marketing based in Fairfield, CT, came aboard after Denzel spotted his work on LinkedIn. Nexa’s intern program is underway, including an ambassador coordinator who is deeply embedded in the college athletics ecosystem. The approach is straightforward: recruit builders and athletes who understand the day-to-day reality of NIL, then let their feedback help shape the roadmap.
Why it matters
NIL created opportunities for student-athletes. It also created new responsibilities for students who are, in effect, running small businesses for the first time. Without a clear system, the burden shows up late; at filing time, in missed quarterly payments, or in avoidable financial anxiety. Nexa aims to lower that burden with a guided path that student-athletes can keep using all year. For international students, the app provides preparation support that helps reduce guesswork. For campus staff, it provides a reliable resource during busy athletics seasons.
What UB made possible
When Denzel talks about progress, he comes back to relationships and hands-on experiences. UB professors taught him to value clarity. Mentors asked hard, practical questions. The VITA Tax clinic turned theory into practice for students. The Innovation Center has stayed in his corner even after graduation. “I can go to events and come back to a home base,” he explains, “I can say, ‘Here’s what I’m being presented with. What do you think?’”
That feedback loop, he says, keeps the work grounded and makes the next decision simpler.
What’s next?
Since launching, more than 250 student-athletes have downloaded Nexa, and 15 users have reported earnings of six figures. Denzel is in active conversations with five-plus NCAA Division I programs for onboarding, and athletes on Nexa include representation from UCLA Women’s Basketball, UConn Football, and Wake Forest Football.
The plan for year two is focused on reaching more college athletes and helping them stay ready all year, not just during tax season. Denzel aims to support athletes through tax season by forming partnerships that make filing returns easier and by automating tasks that are now done by hand in the app. After he finishes graduate school this spring and completes his CPA requirements, he plans to start working at ProSport Accountants in the fall. This firm specializes in taxes for professional and college athletes. At the same time, he will keep growing Nexa by adding to the team, building stronger partnerships, and bringing in more users.
One year after completing his degree at UB and launching Nexa Tax, Denzel’s measure for success is simple: Do student athletes get back time and confidence? From an idea shaped at UB to a tool refined with mentorship, teammates, and early users, Nexa is doing precisely that.
UB congratulates Denzel on turning a problem with real financial implications into a viable product while representing UB’s spirit of practical, hands-on innovation so well.
Ideas grow faster with the right support. Learn more about University of Bridgeport’s Innovation Center and how it helps students and alumni turn big ideas into real-world solutions.
With over 14 years of experience in writing and communications, Abby Levandoski is a seasoned storyteller specializing in highlighting stories that build community. As the communications manager for University of Bridgeport, Abby produces compelling narratives highlighting academic programs, research initiatives, and student success. Her work has earned positive media coverage across print, digital, and TV platforms. Abby holds a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in political science, bringing a strategic and creative approach to her role in higher education marketing and communications.