CALI Strong Chairman, Jennifer Echeverria, accepted into prestigious Stanford Graduate School of Business Entrepreneur Leaders Program SLELP3

Jennifer Echeverria takes part in the third cohort of the prestigious Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program (SLELP3) in Palo Alto, California.

CALI Strong, The California Sports Company, is pleased to announce that the company’s founder and Chairman, Jennifer Echeverria, has been selected to participate in the third cohort of the prestigious Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program (SLELP3) in Palo Alto, California.

Jennifer Echeverria will engage in the highly immersive six-week program that provides business owners with education, enhanced networking, personal mentorship, and a better understanding of accessing capital resources to grow their businesses.

“I feel honored and blessed to have been part of such a program. It is an incredible opportunity to unify Hispanic businesses and resources to make the community a better one,” explains CALI Strong founder and Chairman Jennifer Echeverria. “I have already forged some great friendships and business alliances. We will help each other build our brands. The entire program is based on an exciting concept. I look forward to being one of the success stories highlighted in the program. That’s my goal.”

Stanford Professors Hayagreeva "Huggy" Rao and Robert Sutton: How Do You Scale Excellence?

Only 77 entrepreneurs from across the United States out of hundreds of applicants were chosen to participate in the exclusive six-week curriculum. Stanford Graduate School of Business professors and the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN) jointly developed the program.

Manuel Oblitas (Co-Visual Net Design), Jim Stroessor (CEO CALI Strong), Jennifer Echeverria (Chairman CALI Strong), and Juan Carlos (President Business Development Icon Apparel Group LLC) alums from the same graduating class of the Stanford GSB #SLELP3 Cohort.

The Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI) is a Stanford University research initiative housed within the Stanford Graduate School of Business. SLEI explores and expands our nation’s knowledge of the Latino entrepreneurship segment in our economy through research, knowledge dissemination, and facilitated collaboration.

Separate from Stanford University, The Latino Business Action Network is a nonprofit entrepreneurship organization based in Palo Alto, California. Their goal is to strengthen the United States by improving the lives of Latinos through entrepreneurship education and a nationwide support network. LBAN does this by empowering Latino communities in the U.S. to grow firms that create jobs substantially, develop leaders, and spawn the next generation of Latino companies. LBAN aims to increase the number of large Latino-owned businesses by 2020 two-fold. Learn more about LBAN’s programs at LatinoEI.org.

Phil Pompa (Executive Director of Latino Business Action Network) and Stanford Professor Jerry Porras (co-author of the international business bestseller Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies) presenting at the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative

SLELP3 centers on a six-week online course on scaling businesses, “Scaling for Excellence Through Innovation,” created by the vision of Stanford professors Huggy Rao and Bob Sutton. The customized curriculum includes videos of successful Latino entrepreneurs, mentorship pairing, weekly live webinars, and connections to capital resources.

SLELP3 was created to guide growing companies in avoiding the pitfalls of scaling their business. It provides start-up executives & founders with valuable concepts and frameworks, enhanced access to capital, personal mentoring from successful entrepreneurs and investors, and a better understanding of the capital resources necessary to grow their businesses, create jobs, and build a stronger economy. Participants were chosen based on their drive, work ethic, and ambition to help develop communities across the United States.

Participants of the third cohort of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program (SLELP3):

• Adrian Rosas, TRE & Associates, LLC, Austin, TX
• Agustina Sartori, GlamST, San Francisco, CA
• Alfonso Kennard, Jr., Kennard Attorneys At Law, Houston, TX
• Amanda Tobak, Industrial Chemical of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• Amparo Vigil, Puerto Alegre, San Francisco, CA
• Aner Iglesias, Baja Ranch Supermarkets, Monrovia, CA
• Annette Quintana, Istonish, Inc., Greenwood Village, CO
• Antonio Munoz, A. Munoz Landscaping, Morgan Hill, CA
• Arturo Noriega, Centro Community Partners, Oakland, CA
• Ayde Mendibles, Body del Sol Medical Spa, Fresno, CA
• Camilo Suero, Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Beverly Hills, MI
• Christina Morales, Felix H. Morales Funeral Home, Houston, TX
• Christopher Roman, KMCC – TV MundoMax, Las Vegas, NV
• Cullen Canazares, Rental Kharma, Inc., Denver, CO
• David Utrilla, U.S. Translation Company, Salt Lake City, UT
• David Aguilar, Biotechnology Reagents Company, Carlsbad, CA
• David Mena, Mena Architects, Mountain View, CA
• Dee Espinoza, Espinoza Consulting Services, La Jara, CO
• Ed Valdez, Momentus Software, Inc., Vancouver, WA
• Eduardo Rabassa, Seeliger y Conde Int Miami LLC, Miami, FL
• Emmanuel Loo, Mexpliqa, Austin, TX
• Etienne Gillard, Waleteros, Miami, FL
• Federico Olivares, 2nd Skull, Cranberry Township, PA
• Felipe Servin, Shoe Lovers, San Francisco, CA
• Gabriel Lechuga, Sr., Plumberex Specialty Products, Inc., Thousand Palms, CA
• Gregory Enriquez, Trapx Security, San Mateo, CA
• Ignacio Covarrubias, Golf Instructions Investors, North Olmsted, OH
• Jeffrey Vigil, My Business Matches, San Antonio, TX
• Jennifer Echeverria, CALI Strong Inc., Del Mar, CA
• Joanna Harvey, Laurus Digital, Washington, DC
• Jorge Ojeda, Hawk Construction, El Paso, TX
• Josh Astete, Web Full Circle, Charlotte, NC
• Juan Mendoza, Peeptrade, Chicago, IL
• Juan Carlos Ceja, Icon Apparel Group, West Sacramento, CA
• Julian Alvarez, LogixBoard Inc., Miami, FL
• Julie Lugones, Fusion Communications, Inc., Miami, FL
• Kristen Sonday, Paladin, New York, NY
• Lawrence Abeyta, APPCityLife, Inc., Albuquerque, NM
• Lawrence Cisneros, In Spirit Group, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
• Lea Marquez Peterson, Tucson Hispanic Chamber, Tucson, AZ
• Leticia Galindo, The 360 Agency, Sherman Oaks, CA
• Lorena Cantarovici, Maria Empanada, Denver, CO
• Lucas Funes, Webee, Cupertino, CA
• Luis Uribe, EcoVerde, LLC., Tempe, AZ
• Manuel Oblitas, Visual Net Design LC, San Antonio, TX
• Marcelo Paez, Paez-Fletcher Co. dba PFC Controls, Miami, FL
• Marco Jacome, Healthcare Alternative Systems, Inc., Chicago, IL
• Maria Marin, Unlimited Recycling, Inc., Richmond, MI
• Maria Fernanda, Agrinos, Davis, CA
• Mario Juaregui, Spindle Cooling and Warehousing, LLC., San Luis, AZ
• Mario Costanz, Happy Tax, Miami Beach, FL
• Martha Montoya, Los Kitos Entertainment, LLC, Orange, CA
• Melinda Garcia, Garcia & Gurney, ALC, Pleasanton, CA
• Melvin Montes, Lynn Truck Parts/Quality Collision Center, Fontana, CA
• Melvin Rubio, List Ventures LLC., Los Angeles, CA
• Michael Fernandez, Factory 360 Inc., New York, NY
• Milton Pedraza, Luxury Institute, LLC, New York, NY
• Minerva Gonzalez, SeverPoint.com, Las Vegas, NV
• Miriam Puentes, Honrama Cellars, Napa, CA
• Monica Peraza, alegreea.com, Austin, TX
• Natasha Pongonis, Oye! Business Intelligence, Columbus, OH
• Omar Veliz, Veliz Company LLC dba Veliz Construction, El Paso, TX
• Omar Duque, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Chicago, IL
• Pamela Feld, IMAP INC. dba Triumph, Tustin, CA
• Paul Orozco, Iguanas Burritozilla Corp., San Jose, CA
• Peter Snitzer, Conffianz, LLC, Fairfax, VA
• Raul Alcaraz, Race Telecommunications, Inc., Millbrae, CA
• Rosa Delgado, Education Consortium, LLC, New York, NY
• Roxana Rodriguez, Caliente Grill, Annapolis, Maryland
• Roxanne Caldera, AnewAmerica Community Corporation, San Jose, CA
• Sarahi Espinoza, DREAMer’s Roadmap, Palo Alto, CA
• Silvina Moschini, Yandiki, New York, NY
• Stephen Ingle, Creative Kids, El Paso, TX
• Tania Torres, Torres Multicultural Communications, Phoenix, AZ
• Thomas Terronez, Medix LC (dba Medix Dental), Davenport, IA
• Valeria Girimonte, REDD Intelligence, New York, NY
• Victor Celaya, ARTO LLC, New York, NY

Class Photo Of Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program (SLELP3)

About the Author: Jim Stroesser

Jim Stroesser has amassed 38 years of experience in global consumer branding across the sports, fashion, and entertainment industries. Starting his career as a tech rep, he ascended to CEO roles with some of the world's leading brands. As the Co-Founder and CEO of CALI Strong Inc., a direct-to-consumer sports brand based in San Diego, CA, Jim has led the company in producing premium apparel, footwear, equipment, and accessories.

His tenure as Owner/Partner at Converse is particularly noteworthy. Jim was pivotal in reviving the brand from bankruptcy in 2001, elevating its value from $120 million to $285 million, and playing a crucial role in its $305 million sale to Nike in 2003, marking one of the century's significant mergers and acquisitions.

Beyond Converse, Jim has held senior management positions at renowned companies such as Nike, Quiksilver, Oakley, LA Gear, Pony, and Adio. He is also actively involved in several boards of directors positions, including SDSI, led by Chairman Bill Walton, which focuses on mentoring companies and assisting in capital raising efforts.