My name is Christie Nguyen & I am a proud second-generation co-owner of a small family business, mother to three young & beautiful children, CSUF alum, Co-Founder of Nailing It For America & a Nail Pro Association Member. We are beyond blessed to be able to give back to our community through our Nailing It for America initiative alongside some of the most respected & philanthropic members of Orange County.

I was born and raised by two extremely hard working parents who have sacrificed everything for my brother and I. For the first half of my life, we lived in Northern California and eventually migrated down to Southern California, halfway during my high school years. It was a bit rough to say the least, but definitely a blessing in disguise. As a proud alumni of Cal State Fullerton, I left with a strong sense of community and knowledge in 2010 with a degree in Business with an emphasis in Marketing. Until this day, I still hold some of my best memories and professors at CSUF. While obtaining my degree at CSUF as a full time student, I also worked full time in retail and business banking for about seven years. This taught me growth, hard work, the importance of building relationships and managing my finances. It was about seven years into banking that I decided to leave the career I built, to embark on one of the most challenging yet rewarding journeys to date, to be a stay at home mom, now to three young and beautiful children who I have dedicated my life to.

Three years ago, my parents & I co-founded Studio 18 Nail Bar after they decided to retire from their engineering careers. We wanted to open the doors to an exquisite nail bar that catered to individuals who wanted to escape from the reality of life, where you could indulge in homemade, organic, luscious and top notch services. Studio 18 Nail Bar was officially born on April 15, 2017. As my parents work tirelessly as the Co-Director of Operations, I am the Managing Director of the business we pour our heart and souls into. As I offer the second generation viewpoint to our business, this has been the ultimate dream, to be able to work closely with the people I respect & love the most all while being a part of growing an amazing community, in the City of Tustin. Working so closely with my parents in our family business, this has given me insight of who they are and to see all the struggles they have ever endured from childhood to the Fall of Saigon to the present, there has never been a job that compares to what I am currently achieving side by side with them.

Chris R. Venhoff is a Senior Vice President at U.S. Bank and currently serves as the Consumer & Business Banking Leader for Orange County. Chris has over 23 years of experience at U.S. Bank and has held numerous leadership positions during that time. He has served on numerous local non-profit boards and is passionate about giving back to the community. Chris proudly serves on the board for our local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Chris also serves as the Management Advisor for the U.S. Bank Orange County Development Network. In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and son and loves to attend local sporting events.

Damien Pirro is currently the Senior Vice President and Business Banking Regional Manager for Orange County. Prior to this role he built out and managed the Southern California Emerging Business Banking team. He has been in banking for 18 years spending time in both mortgage and business banking. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, he spent 8 years at Chase also managing business banking.

Outside of work, Damien enjoys spending time with his wife and 4 children. He loves food, trying new restaurants, and hosting dinners. He also likes working out to off-set his love for food, really enjoys basketball and tennis. His favorite show – The Office.

Suzette grew up in Manila, Philippines and attended the University of Santo Tomas, one of the oldest existing universities in the Philippines, and then Long Beach City College. She has worked at Farmers & Merchants Bank for a total of over 29 years. She is a Home Loan Consultant, and her area of expertise is mortgage financing and refinancing of 1 – 4 unit residential properties.

She is one of 2 Emerging Markets Loan Consultants for F&M. This is a special role she was entrusted with to collaborate with F&M’s Home Loan Center Manager as well as the Fair
Lending Officer who reports to the Board of Directors efforts to establish and cultivate relationships within various organizations to ensure F&M is serving diverse ethnicities and are
reaching out to underserved individuals and majority minority communities. She currently represents F&M as a sponsor for the FACCOC (Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County).

She has 2 sons, whom she considers as 2 of her life’s greatest blessings: 28-year old Cameron, who has been married for 4 years now and serves in law enforcement; and 25-year old Christian, who’s a Youth Worship Director at their church and is currently in training to be a financial advisor.

She’s passionate about utilizing her God-given gifts, one of which is her counseling nature, to assist her clients in finding the best home loan. When not helping clients purchase their dream homes, you can find her at Fellowship with family & friends and at U-Jam fitness classes.

Mark Morales is Vice President of the SBA Division of City National Bank. Mark has over 20 years of business banking experience and specializes in SBA financing and loan programs for diverse owned businesses. Mark is the SBA Los Angeles District Office – 2016 Financial Services Champion of the Year and the State of California Department of Insurance – 2018 Insurance Diversity Trailblazer.

Mark not only helps businesses grow through loans, he has initiated multiple programs on SBA Loan Programs, Access to Capital and minority business certifications for CPA’s, business groups, chambers, corporations and business owners. He has been the featured speaker for the Beauty Industry Market Access (BIMA) Program for the Long Beach Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) since 2013. Mark has been the featured speaker at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, Business Fundamentals Bootcamp in Beverly Hills, Beauty Industry West trade group in Los Angeles, SBA Panel for the NGLCC International conferences in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Desert, California Department of Insurance 4 th , 5 th , 6 th and 7 th Annual Diversity Summits in Sacramento and Los Angeles, the US Veteran Business Alliance in Los Angeles, Farmers Insurance CEO, Executives and LGBT Employee Resource Group, Toyota Financial Services LGBT Employee Resource Group and Supplier Diversity Executives. Moderated the SBA/CPUC/LAGLCC/NGLCC program at Southern California Gas, Meet the Buyers Events at City National Bank and was the first LGBT Master of Ceremonies for the 4 th Annual SBA Los Angeles District Office Faith-Based Small Business Summit at USC.

Like his professional work, Mark’s humanitarian efforts lie at the intersection of business and community development by way of board involvement (Treasurer, Vice President and President) at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (LAGLCC) where he currently serves as President Emeritus. Serving with the LAGLCC allows Mark to use his skills to help cultivate strong relationships with professional leaders, corporate partners, sponsors and business owners.

In 2013 Mark purchased one of his long time business banking clients, Charles Jacobsen, Inc., an importer of antique furniture and accessories from Asia. Though he does not manage the day to day activities of the business, he was instrumental in arranging the financing, design of the new website, contract negotiation, social media, LGBTBE certification, charitable giving and community outreach of the company.

In March 2015 Mark was appointed to the State of California Department of Insurance “Insurance Diversity Task Force” whose mission is to encourage increased insurer procurement from California’s diverse suppliers and diversity amongst insurer governing boards. He was the first LGBT Business Enterprise advocate/representative since the task force inception in 2011. In eight months he grew the participation of LGBT Business Enterprises at the 2015 Insurance Diversity Summit in Sacramento by 700% over the prior year. Mark was reappointed in 2017 for a second term. In the time he has been on the task force the spend with California LGBT businesses has doubled to $10 million in 2017.

In October 2016 Mark was asked to join the SBA-Milken Institute Partnership for Lending to Underserved Markets (PLUM) Los Angeles Task Force as a member of the Financial and Insurance Industry Cluster Group. His experience as a business owner, a community leader, a minority advocate and a commercial lender give him a unique perspective in all of his endeavors.

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Donna Ruff joined the Corporate Social Responsibility team, managing Supplier Diversity & Development at MUFG, Union Bank N.A. in 2018. The MUFG Union Bank, N.A. Office of Supplier Diversity and Development is committed to promoting economic vitality in the communities they serve and increasing the number of diverse business enterprises from which they purchase goods and services.

Donna thrives to help diverse businesses do business with the bank and brings the necessary expertise to continue building on strong and sustainable supplier diversity initiatives. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and MBA. Before joining the Union Bank family, Donna brings more than 15 years of experience, supporting business development and managing supplier diversity for a non-diverse private corporation, where she was successful at implementing sourcing, process improvement and mentoring programs for small and diverse businesses.

Donna is a committee participant with the Financial Services Roundtable for Supplier Diversity, Western Regional Supplier Development Council Board Member, Advisory Council Co-Chairperson for the Asian Business Association – Los Angeles and Advisory Council member with the UC Small and Diverse Business Advisory Council.

Rebecca Rosen is the director of field marketing for Cox Business in California, where she leads a phenomenal team of product and traditional marketers.

An industry veteran, Rebecca has spent 20 years in telecommunications in training, product management, product marketing, communications and demand generation roles, and ultimately leading
marketing teams.

Before Cox, Rebecca was the Vice President of Marketing for Broadvoice, a UCaaS provider headquartered in Northridge. Previously she worked for brands such as ShoreTel and TelePacific, now TPx, and consulted for Microsoft, Apple, VMware, Ingram Micro, ESET, and other well-known technology brands.

Rebecca has was featured in the book How to be a Woman in Technology by Cheryl O’Donohue and has won industry awards, including being named to the Channel Partners Circle of Excellence and CRN’s Women of the Channel. She has served on the Alliance of Channel Women, Technology Channel Association, and Channel Partners boards. Currently, she serves as a commissioner of the arts for the City of Simi Valley.

Rebecca received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from George Mason University and Master of Fine Arts from Arizona State University, where she worked at a think tank to integrate art and technology.

Currently, I am the director of the CSUF North Small Business Development Center, one of nine centers under the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center, a program offering no-cost assistance to small business owners to help them start and grow their businesses. Our team of consultants help entrepreneurs launch and expand through growth planning, startup assistance, marketing strategies, access to capital and building their teams.

I have founded multiple businesses, including The MarCom Network, a marketing and creative consultancy firm, which helps small businesses build exposure and increase their sales; and BreakThrough Networking, Inc., helping clients build relationships, leverage connections, and use social media platforms to take their business to the next level. I have earned my BA in communications and advertising from CSUF and my MBA in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University.

A resident of Orange County, I have been married for more than 20 years and have two children. I enjoy helping business owners in the areas of marketing, operations, entrepreneurship and organizational leadership.

Jason Yim is the CEO and Executive Creative Director of Trigger – The Mixed Reality Agency©, a full-service agency that works with brands to employ XR technology solutions from concept and
development to deployment and measurement. As a pioneer in the industry, he has over 10 years of XR experience and has creatively led over 200,000 hours of development, notably as a showcase developer for Google and Amazon, as a preferred partner for Snap, Facebook, Instagram and for Verizon's 5G Innovation team.

Jason’s recent high-profile work demonstrates the wide spectrum of use cases for AR, VR and XR, including Entertainment Marketing (Spider-man, Toy Story 4, Star Wars), Fan Engagement (NHL, The PGA Tour, The NBA) Ecommerce (LEGO, Nestlé, adidas), and Enterprise (AT&T, Verizon, Honda).

Jason is a world-recognized XR speaker with talks at major industry conferences including AWS, CES, SXSW, TedX and Augmented World Expo. Jason has 5 assigned Patents in AR/XR and was named to “Next Reality's “30 People to Watch in Augmented Reality for 2020.”

Nancy Yoon is the Founder of “Asians in LA,” a social network of Asian American influencers for good from politics, entertainment, nonprofit and community leaders and a PR media agency for the Asian American community in Southern California.

She is also a digital storyteller, actor, TV host (Spectrum News 1 SoCal – DiverCITY show segment), speaker, and connector for the Asian American community with numerous years of experience working in entertainment, marketing, international and talent relations, media & communications, nonprofits, and finance. As an Asian American influencer, community leader, and AAPI and diversity advocate, she is helping to push for diversity and inclusion for minorities including Asian Americans and women in entertainment, corporations, and boards.

In entertainment, she worked for the Walt Disney Company in Corporate Operations Planning and later at the Disney Channel in Talent Development & Casting producing music specials and TV shows with diverse celebrities such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child, and N’Sync. At Fox Family, she was the Director of Marketing producing music specials and managing over 60 television shows. In front of the camera, Nancy has acted in numerous commercials, and top television shows including CSI Las Vegas, and Days of our Lives. Her talent extends to media & communications including hosting for the STARZ network and representing major corporate clients worldwide such as Adidas and Philips.

She managed partnerships with celebrities, politicians, dignitaries, and high net worth individuals (HNWI) working with amfAR, Clinton Foundation, Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Fuller Theological Seminary. Nancy lived in Europe for several years with her husband, Thomas, where she headed International Relations for Life Ball, one of the largest AIDS charity in the world working with the Clinton Global Initiative, UNAIDS, UNODC, and managing European marketing for three countries at LG Electronics.

Nancy is a member and judge of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (EMMYS), Tiffany Circle board and Philanthropy Committee of the American Red Cross, Deacon at Bel Air Church, Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Glass Leadership Institute, ADL-Asian Jewish Initiative, ADL Regional Board Nominating Committee, founding member of ADL’s LA for Good (partnering with over 100 community and non profit organizations), PBS SoCal Asian American Community Council, Board Member of WICT (Women in Cable Telecommunications), Member of Council of Korean Americans (CKA), Korean American Leaders in Hollywood and L.A. Mayor Garcetti’s Film and TV Task Force. She and her Austrian husband co-founded Europeans in LA, the largest social network of Europeans in Los Angeles and Asians in LA a social network for the Asian American community. They both live in Los Angeles.

Mr. Jeffrey Bautista is President of Echo Millennial, a dynamic web design and digital marketing firm specializing in digital products like websites, digital media content, social media marketing strategies, and search engine marketing strategies for small businesses & start-ups, chambers of commerce, and professional associations. Echo Millennial is based in Fullerton, CA and services clients all over the U.S., Philippines, and Australia.

Jeff graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science from Cal Poly Pomona in 2003. After graduation, he embarked on a career a Civilian Scientist for the Department of Defense, assigned to the US Navy. By the time he permanently separated from government service in 2007, he had risen to become a Senior Analysts and Project Lead.

In 2007, Jeff found himself in a new calling, one that was far different than his current career path. Together with friends, Jeff took his love of technology and the web and founded a small digital media design and development agency — Halcyon Design. There he worked with clients small and large, with the most notable being Disney, ABC, PBS, the US AirForce, and US Army. It was a successful experience, as he took an initial $1000 investment and turned it into a $300K /yr company.

Halcyon Design closed its doors in 2013 despite continuing success. Jeff took some time off and dabbled in other business ventures. As it were, Jeff couldn’t resist the desire for entrepreneurship, so he founded Echo Millennial in Fall 2014. Since then the company has experienced consistent growth, having grown from a team of one, to now having a satellite office in the Philippines, which supports our overseas clients there and in Australia.

In his free time, Jeff enjoys traveling, experiencing different cultures through its music, cuisine and drink. He’s a huge Star Wars and Disney fan. When outside, he can found conducting “board” meetings out in the surf at Huntington Beach, or out hiking and playing with his best friend, Gizmo.