We are a community focused on building awareness, and provide inclusive programming around our Latinx Business leaders, students, alumni and key stakeholders in the Orange County and Southern California region.
We seek to provide resources and opportunities to support today and tomorrow’s U.S. Latinx leaders with awareness that Latino-owned businesses are the fastest growing business segment in the United States. Over the last decade, Latino-owned businesses have successfully grown 34% - far more than any other segment in the economy.
With this in mind, our main objectives are to:
Build Community |
Awareness |
Provide Programming |
Coming soon!
The purpose of the LXi Student Orientation is to welcome students and celebrate the start of the year. It is a great opportunity for our students to meet each other and learn how the Latinx Initiative can help provide additional support and resources.
Join us quarterly for an hour of cafecito and la comunidad! Get inspired by our guest speaker series and network with your fellow peers. Additionally, we offer professional development workshops and opportunities to engage with the Merage and Orange County communities. We look forward to announcing our 2023-24 Cafecito Series soon!
The Merage Latinx Initiative is excited to announce the availability of scholarships to students that embody the mission of LXi. More information will be made available in Fall 2023. Stay tuned to this page for further details.
The goals of the Merage School LXi Mentorship Program are to provide current students with a trusted member of the Latinx business community to turn to for guidance on issues related to both academic and professional development. The program aims to provide support and advice as our students transition into their professional career by connecting them to a business leader in our community that will help them succeed and thrive.
During our inaugural launch of our Mentorship program, we paired 10 mentors with 10 mentees. Applications for our next cohort is set to open in Fall 2023. If you are interested in learning more, becoming a mentor or applying to be a mentee, please contact latinxmerage@uci.edu for more information or sign up here.
Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA)
Bienvenido/a to the ALPFAmilia! The Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) is the longest-standing and largest national minority-based organization with over 95,000 active members. ALPFA develops UCI students as business leaders by creating professional opportunities and empowering relationships with firms in finance, consulting, accounting, and much more! We strive for our members to achieve professional growth by fostering a network-driven environment that champions integrity, leadership, and community service. If you would like to become an official member, please visit our website and complete our Membership Application!
Latino Business Student Association (LBSA)
The Latino Business Student Association is a student run non-profit organization established in 2003. The purpose of LBSA is to assist its members, from various ethnic backgrounds and fields of studies at UCI, in the pursuit of professional skills and careers while raising awareness of the Latino culture. The organization accomplishes this by focusing on its three pillars: Professional Development, Social Interaction, and Community Service, with the foundation of Academic Achievement.
Ana Patricia Calvillo
President
BA in Business Administration, 2024
apcalvil@uci.edu
Jackub Amin Galindo
EVP
BA in Business Administration, 2025
jackubg@uci.edu
Cristina Marie Garcia
EVP
BA in Education, 2024
cristmg4@uci.edu
Karina Ramirez
Co-VP of Development
MA in Professional Accountancy, 2024
kramire6@uci.edu
Medha Sarkar
Co-VP of Development
BA in Business Economics, 2025
msarkar1@uci.edu
Jannett Ciranda
VP of Marketing
BA in Business Administration, 2026
jciranda@uci.edu
Abraham Huerta
VP of Internal Relations
BA in Business Administration, 2025
abrahah7@uci.edu
Connor Ruffalo
VP of Finance
BA in Business Economics, 2027
ruffaloc@uci.edu
Diego Toscano
VP of Communications
MS in Healthcare Management, 2025
dvtoscan@uci.edu
“The ALPFA 2023 Convention developed me professionally, taught me new skills, and gave me the opportunity to interview on-site and secure an offer! I met people working for companies I was interested in, and they helped me not only find an internship, but also find my passion, where I fit in the corporate world, and my value as a candidate. I encourage my peers to get involved with ALPFA and attend the annual Convention to learn more about themselves and their unique career path!”
Medha Sarkar, BA in Business Economics, 2025
Co-VP of Development
ALPFA 2023 Convention Attendee
Maritza Salazar Campo, PhD
Assistant Professor
Organization and Management
Merage School
Burt Alvaro Slusher, MS
Assistant Dean
MBA and Specialty Masters Programs
Merage School
Natalia Sanchez
Assistant Director
Recruitment and Admissions
Master of Finance, Master of Professional Accountancy Programs
Merage School
Lisa Shulman
Associate Director
Recruitment and Admissions
Master of Science in Business Analytics
Merage School
Janet Antunez Rojas
Business Solutions Architect
Merage Tech
Merage School
Women's History Month: Community Leader Alex Banos, MPAc '18
“My family is what inspired me to pursue this career path,” said Banos. “My mom is from Mexico and my dad is from the borders of Belize and Guatemala, and they made the sacrifice of moving to the U.S. when I was 5 years old so that I could have a better life.”
Merage School Students Launch Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) Chapter at UCI
Established in Los Angeles in 1972, ALPFA is the first national Latinx professional association in the United States and has an active network of over 95,000 members. The new UCI chapter was formalized in summer 2020.