This series will be lead by local experts and advisors who will assist in getting your business ready for next level growth and expansion.
Elva Trevino
Founder and CEO
Champions Club
Elva Trevino
Elva Trevino is the Founder and CEO of Champions Club, a gym for leaders, that has been recognized by the mayors of the City of Houston, the City of McAllen and more. She was nominated top 100 visionaries in healthcare in 2020 for her creative approach to health and fitness and her advocacy for mental health and leadership development.
Elva is now a board member for Fit Houston a non profit colliding leaders from every industry imaginable and the City Of Houston as they partake and commit to helping Houston become the healthiest city in the country , via the Walk 30 city wide initiative and helping Houstonians to have free access to outdoor gyms and more. This stemmed from the inaugural class of the Houston 2036 Equity Task Force and is set to become the largest health and fitness movement in the history of Houston's existence.
She mentors leaders in life, business and leadership and has a passion for helping others to find their mental strength, clarity and purpose , and is committed to strengthening the homes of others, no matter the visions and circumstances . She is a single mother and loves her parenting leadership role above all things.
Melissa Vela is a Community Manager in Houston, Texas for JPMorgan Chase. She is a local ambassador for Chase whose job is to build and nurture relationships with key community leaders, nonprofit partners, and small businesses at the neighborhood level. Melissa hosts financial health workshops, facilitates non-profit partnerships and offers community programming. She is helping to advance racial equity by supporting Black and Latinx communities with tools and resources to help them improve their financial wellbeing. Her work is tied to a $30 Billion Racial Equity Commitment JPMorgan Chase announced at the end of 2020. This is an effort to reverse the effects that structural barriers in the U.S. have created like profound racial inequalities, made worse by the pandemic With over 17 years of experience in the financial services industry, Melissa has held a number of positions within the bank. She is currently a member of Business Resource Groups at Chase like Adelante and Women On The Move and serves on Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s Go Tejano Committee. Melissa Vela is a native Houstonian and spends her free time with her family. She recently was awarded with the 2022 National Latino Leader Award by the National Diversity Council and the 2022 Marilyn Sims Leadership Award from the University of Houston Clear Lake. She graduated from the University of Houston Clear Lake with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management.
As a Sr. Business Banking Consultant, Amanda’s focus and responsibility is to be trusted advisor to minority entrepreneurs within the underserved communities in Houston, Texas. Her main objective is to provide mentorship to small businesses which includes educating entrepreneurs who are looking to start, run and grow their own business. In doing so, she utilizes her connectivity to community development financial institutions (CDFI’s) and other networking avenues to illustrate the importance of strategic business planning, cash management and potential lending.
Her main goal is to make an impact in local communities by equipping minority-owned small businesses, offering resources, and making access to working capital attainable.
Amanda has over 13 years of business banking experience, which encompasses being a Branch Manager, SBA Loan Coordinator, Business Underwriter, and a Business Relationship Manager. Due to previous roles, her comprehensive knowledge in finance and credit has improved the lives of clients and the well-being of their businesses through financial solutions, education, and advice. Amanda graduated Cum Laude with her Bachelors in Business Administration from St. Edward’s University.
Entrepreneur Success Program Manager at IFundWomen
IFundWomen
Kalish Nesbitt
Kalish Nesbitt is the Entrepreneur Success Program Manager at IFundWomen where she manages the day-to-day operations of IFundWomen programs that support entrepreneurs. Kalish started her entrepreneurial journey in 2017 when she launched The POSE Box, a self-care subscription box for women. Kalish has since become a certified Director of Operation and created Well-Run Retail, an operations consulting firm where she helps entrepreneurs calm the chaos in their business by providing innovative growth strategies, smoother workflows, and effective team management. Kalish is passionate about helping entrepreneurs execute their vision with ease so that they can have scaleable structures and enjoy the lifestyle they set out to create.
A trailblazer in breaking barriers, succeeding in male dominated industries in Engineering and Entertainment. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, of Dominican Republican descendant. Carina Lopez has 10+ years of engineering experience, continuously developing company wide courses, and has maintained her DJ business for 3 years. Cari aims to entertain and inspire others to follow their dreams no matter how big or small they may seem. She is a self taught personal finance expert and motivated to teach life changing knowledge to her peers as a way to reach financial freedom. Her energy transcends into her ability to lead and build a community with purpose.
Natalia & Karina Suazo has partnered with PHP Agency with the mission to provide financial education to the underserved communities in America and help protect family legacies through life insurance products.
With the vision of one day opening a community center to empower with financial literacy, the PHP opportunity allows agents to do just that all while earning an income and building a part-time or full-time business to achieve financial freedom.