Grenell Martin joins the Nevada SBDC at UNLV after an illustrious 30-year career in the banking industry where he gained proven experience in business development, operations management, budgeting and forecasting, lending, strategic business planning and financial management. He has a Bachelors in Sociology from Humboldt State University. Grenell has been married 48 years with one
Sophia Long is a Marketing Project Coordinator at Black Fire Innovation in Las Vegas. Originally from San Jose, California, Sophia is a proud first-generation college graduate. With a BS in Marketing, she is passionate about digital marketing, supporting small businesses, and fostering innovation. Sophia excels at helping brands grow and navigate the dynamic digital landscape
Karma is a marketing strategist, digital marketing expert, and copywriter with over 23 years of marketing, sales, and customer service experience in a variety of industries (Tech, B2B, Hospitality, Travel, Health, and more). After graduating from PR/journalism school she became a copywriter at a PR agency. Fueled by a passion for the evolving landscape of
Patrick has come full circle by coming to work at the SBDC. He worked in helping professions before graduating from California State University-Chico with a B.A. degree in Social Work in 1980. After graduation he continued to work with youth and families but in 1983, he was recruited by Bank of America to their training
Luis Caldera has been a resident of Las Vegas for 22 years. He possesses 7 years of expertise in business administration, bookkeeping, and business formation. Luis specializes in business entities and licensing, placing a particular emphasis on construction licensing. Having contributed to the initiation of numerous businesses across diverse sectors, his dedication lies in assisting
Zach currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Technology and Partnerships at UNLV and the Executive Director of the UNLV Research Foundation. Zach is responsible for driving new ideas to life changing products and services, engaging industry in mutually beneficial collaborations, supporting small businesses formation and growth through services rendered by the Nevada Small
Carmen comes with extensive management and business development experience across different industries, such as H&R Block, 7-Eleven Corporate and PepsiCo. In her tenure with these industries she has developed well-honed communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills. The value she brings is her leadership, understanding of managing a business, work ethic and a creative entrepreneurial spirit
Rachel joins Nevada SBDC with 20 years of experience in executive recruitment, corporate talent acquisition, HR Consulting, and as a small business owner. Her most recent experiences have been in supporting our Las Vegas small business community. She has worked on a national level with consumer brand leaders, non-profit organizations, and in the arts and
George Garcia joined the SBDC team eager to share his expertise with the southern Nevada business community. George is a highly committed and dynamic mentor, providing solutions in the area of Business Financing, Business Planning, Organizational Management, Leadership, Developing top-performing teams, Succession Planning and Franchising. To best identify the needs of business owners, George leans
Mandi Elliott is a transplant from Houston, Texas who recently relocated to Las Vegas. She has BS in education and experience in economic development, market strategies, non-profit administration, and local chambers of commerce. Mandi owns a Virtual Assistant business that offers a variety of services to a wide range of clients: Executive Assistance, Website Development, Graphic Design,