My Story
Born in Guadalajara. Raised in South Central. Building in Silicon Valley.
My mother brought me to the United States when I was two years old. She raised me, my older brother, and two sisters on her own in South Central Los Angeles, working as a seamstress so we could have a shot at something more. She always told me: "Education is the one thing they can never take away from you."
In high school at Foshay Learning Center, my math teacher introduced me to FIRST Robotics. That single opportunity changed my life. For the first time, I saw that a kid from my neighborhood could build, lead, and compete at the highest level.
I went on to earn my B.S. in Computer Science from CSU Chico, then founded Quijas Consulting and grew it from a solo operation to a distributed network with seven concurrent project managers. I joined CodeCentral in Las Vegas as their first lead instructor, eventually becoming curriculum director and opening a second center. I led STEM programs at The Pathway School in Pennsylvania, and founded Innovator's Oasis -- all driven by the same belief my mother gave me.
Today I lead AI and Computer Science strategy at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, a $6.66M nonprofit serving underserved students across 17 districts. But my mission has never changed: ensure that where you're born doesn't determine what you become.
Relationship Builder
Partnerships with districts, sponsors, families, and communities are the foundation of everything I build.
Two-Time CEO
Founded and scaled two organizations from zero -- building revenue, teams, and sustainable operations.
Equity-Driven
Every initiative starts with the students who have the least access.
