Eva Vázquez Ortiz

Eva F. Vázquez Ortiz  is the Director of the A.Masrin Center for Global Entrepreneurship & Family Business at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Prior to embracing this professional opportunity, Ms. Vázquez served as Director of Economic Development for Boys and Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico. At this not-for-profit organization she led the design of two key initiatives: a formal entrepreneurship curriculum for children 9 to 18 years old, and a multicomponent incubator to propel microbusinesses in distressed communities.  From 2013 to 2018, Ms. Vázquez was full-time management and entrepreneurship professor at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. She was appointed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs to Co-Chair the Standard IV Committee (Support of Student Experience) for the re-accreditation of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. She also joined the Academic Council and the Committee for Curriculum Revisions. In 2014, she launched her own firm Vaulting Ventures, aiming to continue contributing to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through her company she co-designed Travesía al Exito, Empresas Fonalledas first Business Competition.  From 2015 to 2018 she mentored the three winners of the competition as they opened their stores at Plaza Las Américas (Puerto Ricos largest shopping mall) and grow their businesses. Prior to her academic career Ms. Vázquez worked as Senior Manager of Grupo Guayacán, Inc, where she teamed with colleagues to design and develop the organizations three core initiatives: the EnterPRize Business Plan Competition, the Puerto Rico Venture Forum and the Guayacán Venture Accelerator. Today, these initiatives are considered founding pillars of the Puerto Rico entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Mrs. Vázquez was selected to participate from the first cohort of UCLA W-50 and is a Price - Babson Fellow in Entrepreneurship Education.  Eva is a Doctorate Candidate from IE Business School (Madrid, Spain) expected to graduate in 2020. She has a Masters in Research Methodology in Management Science from IE Business School, a Masters in International Business from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico and a Bachelor in Communications from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón where she was recognized as the highest GPA of her class. Ms. Vázquez is a former member of the Track and Field Puerto Rico National Team and holds the Central American female pole-vaulting record of 1997. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, embracing the best job she has ever held, mom of Mario Iván.