Centro Team
GRACIE SANDOVAL
Technology Guru
Gracie is responsible for Salesforce administration and configuration at Centro. She brings her expertise in Salesforce customization and optimization to streamline business processes and enhance user experience, ensuring the platform meets the organization's needs efficiently and effectively. With a background in Esthetics from Skyline College, Gracie made a successful transition into the tech industry and has accumulated 3 years of experience in the Salesforce ecosystem.
LESLY ARELLANO
Community Success Lead
Lesly Arellano leads community engagement at Centro and serves as the main point of contact for E-Suite Partners. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Political Economy. Lesly comes from an entrepreneurial family and has gained experience managing her family’s business. She is passionate about serving the community, and in her involvement, she has collaborated with organizations that support the education and economic development of underserved communities in the Bay Area.
VERNISHA WILLIAMS
Manager of Strategic Partnerships & Entrepreneurship Trainer
Vernisha serves as an Entrepreneur Trainer for Centro Community Partners based in California. She is currently the owner of a company that connects individuals and businesses to quality notary services nationwide. Vernisha has over 7 years of experience starting and growing multiple businesses and is very passionate about inspiring others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Vernisha holds a B.A. Degree in Psychology from Holy Names University.
PATRICIA ALANYA
Centro Programs and Operations Manager
Patricia has over 20 years of experience in the education industry, gaining professional experience in organizational management, educational program development, and leadership. Her strengths include analytical thinking, solution creation, and team development. She has the capacity for responsibility, teamwork, and achieving organizational objectives. She is passionate about working in organizations with a growth mindset, innovation, and social justice. Among her values are integrity, authentic leadership, and self-discipline. Patricia earned a Bachelor's in Administration, Finance, and Global Business from the Telesup Private University of Lima, Peru.
NANCY MCDONALD
Entrepreneurship Trainer
Nancy serves as an Entrepreneur Trainer for Centro. She holds a BS in hospitality and tourism management from San Francisco State University. After years in the hospitality industry, she joined the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising focusing in promoting, marketing and events management. After COVID’s impact, Nancy became committed to collaborative entrepreneurship and began her cohorting entrepreneurship programs with Centro to empower the small business entrepreneurs. She has connected entrepreneurs to co-work, support, and collaborate in the small business communities.
LUISA CHINCHILLA
Community Success Coordinator
Luisa is in the community, advising and supporting low-income women and BIPOC entrepreneurs from underserved communities to access Centro’s programs and services. She is passionate about helping people overcome their challenges and thrive. She listens and guides them to reach their goals. Luisa has seven years of work experience in customer, delivery, and community service. She is a Psychology undergraduate student at San Francisco State University and earned an Associate of Arts in Psychology at Skyline College. She is originally from Ibague, Colombia, and enjoys painting and cooking.
ANISHA CARTER
Product Director
Anisha Carter has a proven track record of driving innovation and growth. With a focus on customer-centricity, she launched and scaled TaxAct’s virtual expert experience called Xpert Assist which generated $2 million in incremental revenue for the TaxAct organization. She learned the fundamentals of product management during her time at Intuit where she served as the Plano Innovation Catalyst Leader and product manager for Proconnect Tax Online. Beyond her professional life, she founded the Spark Mentorship and Scholarship to empower students in her hometown. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Hampton University and is currently focusing on social entrepreneurship as an MBA Candidate 2024 at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys Latin dance, yoga instruction, and singing!
COURTNEY WOOD
Entrepreneurship Trainer
Courtney serves as an Entrepreneur Trainer for Centro in Stockton, California. Having worked in several small businesses within the Food & Beverage industry, she appreciates and respects the entrepreneurial struggle. Courtney holds both an MBA and a BA in Sociology from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. She also has experience in economic development and enjoys connecting entrepreneurs with resources that can aid them in achieving their goals.
RAYDA DELGADO
Marketing & Social Media Manager
Rayda leads the marketing and social media at Centro. She promotes entrepreneurship education, financial literacy, and leadership development opportunities and inclusion for entrepreneurs of color to feel guided and empower themselves to start, grow, and sustain their businesses for financial stability. She is a Marketing and Advertising specialist with six years of professional experience with an BA degree in Marketing at the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola and Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de America Latina with a certificate in Marketing Ads and Digital Media.
RAE DI TIERO
Salesforce Business Analyst
Rae is our Salesforce Business Analyst at Centro. With a profound command of Salesforce, Rae engineers innovative solutions, spanning configuration, customization, data modeling, and analytics to optimize Centro’s business processes. Beyond her role at Centro, Rae is dedicated to professional excellence, pursuing a Biology degree, and actively engaging in community service. She serves on leadership boards outside of Centro for QTBIPOC and Disability communities and leads the Indigenous Trailblazers Salesforce User group. On weekends, Rae transitions to her own entrepreneurship as a small bakery owner, showcasing entrepreneurial spirit at local farmers’ markets.
ARTURO A. NORIEGA
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Arturo is an author and social impact leader with over 30 years of work experience as a nonprofit leader and management consultant. As the author of "In Pursuit of a Noble Cause, A Social Justice Leadership Journey," He provides a perspective on community-based innovation, racial equity, and social justice in nonprofit development. He specializes in economic development, strategy, risk management, finance, and organizational change management. In 2023, he was a visiting social entrepreneur at the Centro of Social Innovation at Stanford University. He earned a Leadership Certificate from the Stanford School of Business, an MBA in Strategic Management and Leadership from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University, and a BA in Economics and a concentration in Finance from the Haas School of Business of U.C Berkeley.
CARLO ARELLANO
Capital Access Manager & Entrepreneurship Trainer
Carlo leads our Spanish Basic Entrepreneurship Program in Oakland. Before, he spent three years in Mexico City helping small and medium-size businesses increase their productivity and competitiveness in collaboration with the Secretaría del Trabajo y Fomento al Empleo. Carlo also grew up in an entrepreneurial family, and this very personal experience is what inspired him and led him into the field. He also has a degree in Economy and a Postgraduate in Globalization and International Economy from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).
DAMANBIR SINGH
Development Manager
Damanbir is responsible for development of relationships with funders through presentations, personal meetings and regular communications. As part of his role, he also searches for potential funders such as corporations, family foundations and individuals for supporting Centro’s programs and initiatives, nationally and internationally. Damanbir brings in a mixed bag of experience having worked in finance, startups, education and small family businesses. Damanbir has an MBA from University of San Francisco and MS in International Management from Portland State University.
Centro Board
Board Chairperson
Anita Dharapuram is a Community Development Officer at PNC Bank, covering the State of California. She partners with nonprofit organizations and internal partners to ensure PNC receives an outstanding Community Reinvestment Act rating by exceeding set goals. Before joining PNC, Anita served as Executive Director of several nonprofit organizations focusing on economic development, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. She has deep knowledge of racial and social justice frameworks to support BIPOC communities in need. Anita currently serves as the first woman Board Chair in the 50-year history of Casa Familiar. She has also been the Board Chair of the National Asian-Pacific American Women’s Forum. Outside work, she enjoys living in Los Angeles with her rambunctious puppies and delightful husband.
Board Treasurer
Felix is Partner at Carroll & Associates LLP and manages most of the firm’s internal audit and risk management consulting engagements. He has 25 years of experience and expertise in enterprise risk management, indirect lending, risk-based lending and pricing, credit scoring systems, real estate lending, collections, investments, asset liability management and accounting systems infrastructure. Felix is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), licensed in the states of California and Nevada, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is also a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), and a Certified Technical Guideline Auditor (CTGA) with respect to TR-39 PIN Security and Symmetric Key Management. Felix graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Advisors
Vijay Sathe, Advisor
Dr. Ruth Kim, Advisor
Dr. Jennifer Madden, Advisor
Lisa Margulies, Advisor
Cladia Viek, Advisor
Andrea Levere, Advisor