I bring over 25 years of combined academic and executive leadership experience, bridging higher education, global entrepreneurship, and institutional growth. Currently serving as Assistant Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and Kiril Sokoloff Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, I sit on the executive leadership team at the University of the Virgin Islands, where I lead strategic initiatives in innovation, ecosystem development, and cross-college collaboration.

My experience includes founding and directing entrepreneurship centers and academic programs across multiple universities, managing complex budgets, leading faculty governance, and aligning programs with accreditation and institutional priorities. I have chaired strategic planning committees, served on business school leadership councils, and overseen program development at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Beyond academia, I bring extensive international business leadership: I have founded and run companies overseas, built distribution networks in 48 countries, and negotiated partnerships across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. I am bilingual in Spanish and English, with a deep understanding of cross-cultural collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

As Campus Dean, I would leverage this blend of executive leadership, global market experience, and academic governance to advance Texas Tech University Costa Rica’s mission. My priorities would include strengthening academic excellence, recruiting and developing world-class faculty, enhancing student success, securing funding opportunities, and building sustainable partnerships with government, industry, and community stakeholders.

I lead with a workforce-first mindset, aligning academic program with labor market demand and regional economic priorities. Through employer partnerships, grant development, andstrategic program design, I build high-wage, high-demand career pathways that deliver that deliver measurable student completion, employment, and economic impact outcomes.

Education/Academic qualification

D.B.A., Business Administration, Grenoble Ecole de Management
2011

M.B.A., Entrepreneurship, University of Florida
2005

B.A., Business Administration, Washington State University
2022

External positions

Assistant Vice President, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development,, University of the Virgin Islands
2023 - 2026

Endowed Chair, Kiril Sokoloff Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of the Virgin Islands
2023 - 2026

Visiting Professor, Entrepreneurship, Lewis and Clark College
2022 - 2023

Academic Director, Huizenga Business Innovation Academy, Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship
2020 - 2022

Director, B.I.S. in Social Entrepreneurship, Andrew Young School of Public Administration, Georgia State University
2018 - 2019

Director, Center for Entrepreneurship, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
2014 - 2018

Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship, California Lutheran University
2013 - 2014

Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator, California Lutheran University
2013 - 2014

Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship, California State University, Chico
2011 - 2012

Faculty Member, Evergreen State College
2006 - 2011

Meditation Teacher, Dhamma Org.: 1999 - Present

Entrepreneurship Volunteer (Inaugural Program), AmeriCorps VISTA: 2002 - 2004