I am the son of immigrants with a rich cultural background; my roots extend from Mexico City to San José, California. My family heritage is deeply rooted in the coasts of Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexico—spaces that  hold a special place in my heart, places that I've called home, and where I have created enduring cherished memories. My parents' journey to the United States in pursuit of a better life for me and my siblings has profoundly shaped the person I am. It remains the driving force behind my entrepreneurial and personal efforts and aspirations.

My entrepreneurial journey began to take shape through the deep love and appreciation for the arts as I completed the digital arts track at Lincoln High School. Those four high school years served as the foundation for everything I needed to pursue a Graphic Design major in college. It is also marked by memories of uncertainty and insecurities after seeing the great talent around the classroom, leading me away from my desired major. So, when I transferred to San José State University, I declared a broader Business Management field as my major. My passion for the arts then resurfaced during my last year in college, allowing me to obtain my B.S. degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Marketing and Advertising. This reconnection with visual design through advertising, held together by the marketing field of study, was a pivotal moment.

After graduating from SJSU, a few failed career moves and businesses, including a soccer league website and a pop-culture retail store, the horizon looked promising in 2009 when Kooltura Marketing came to fruition. The agency is rooted immensely in my passion for the arts, as well as the love and respect for my culture, heritage, and traditions. It is born out of the deep desire to channel culture through each design and strategy, addressing the lack of ads, billboards, and marketing efforts in my native language. The first seven years were full of uncertainty and financial struggles, leading me to question if I was in the right business with the right approach, or if I was sacrificing my family’s well-being and financial stability in the process. My hope has always been to make my parents proud, and to meaningfully contribute to my community, and the community my family, my sons now call home.

My personal and professional success can be attributed to a profound appreciation and comprehension of the values, beliefs, traditions, and strengths that I learned from my parents and that I actively see play out in communities I serve. Similarly, EASTSIDE Magazine is also fueled and aimed at creating a tangible platform to showcase and uplift the stories of the remarkable work unfolding in East San José. The platform I co-founded continues to highlight the community’s deeply rooted history, cultural vibrancy, ample assets, and considerable resources from a space of agency and community power. It will continue to serve as a platform for our most vulnerable stories, a space to celebrate our joys, and where the truth of our journeys can be shared for our collective benefit.