The five founding members of the Maestro Entrepreneur Center each played a pivotal role in the establishment of the robust organization. Julissa Carielo, Willie Ng, Ramiro Cavazos, Chris Martinez, and Leslie Garcia each contributed their talents and skills to the conception of the center. As Maestro approaches its five year anniversary, it’s critical to acknowledge how these individuals created the framework and carried out a vision to make the Maestro Entrepreneur Center a reality. Their dedication to the mission has allowed the nonprofit to thrive many years later and have the ability to provide resources and tools for so many small and local businesses.

Leslie Garcia is a founding member of the Maestro Entrepreneur Center. Currently, Garcia is an audit partner with RSM.

Garcia first got involved with the Maestro Center after being approached by Julissa Carielo. She was interested in Carielo’s vision and wanted to be a part of the team.

“I was impressed with her enthusiasm and dedication,” Garcia said. “The process was a good brainstorming session on how we could help the community.”

It was important for Garcia to become involved not only to support a friend, but because the center was focused on an objective that she cared about.

“I wanted to help my friend Julissa and also wanted to be involved in a cause I believed in,” she said.

Garcia has maintained involvement with the Maestro Center through participation in the advisory board. Since its’ inception, Garcia has seen the center grow in a number of ways.

“Maestro has grown in name recognition, recipients of its assistance and growth of the staff and the board who have transformed,” she said.

As a founding member, Garcia has been able to meet many new people through the center. She is proud of how involved Maestro has continued to be with the community, the center’s new space, and the growth the center has seen throughout the years.

Ultimately, Garcia foresees more development for the future of the Maestro Entrepreneur Center.

“[For the future of Maestro], I see growth and more name recognition.”