Our Team

Sandra D. Marin Ruiz, Ed.D.

Expertise: International trade, technology commercialization, access to capital, project management, leadership and policy analysis and public administration.

Sandra D. Marin Ruiz, Ed.D. is the Assistant Vice President for Innovation and Business Development, the Regional Director of the Florida Apex Accelerator and Florida SBDC at FAU.

Her broad background also encompasses expertise and credentials as a Florida Small Business Development Center consultant, university professor, and certified program director for Kauffman FastTrac, SBDC Global, and Lean LaunchPad, and extensive experience as an entrepreneur and business owner. She is passionate about linking local needs to national and international policy. She is well recognized for being part of a positive force to support organizations in implementing entrepreneurship and social innovation programs.

Angel Rentas

Expertise: Access to capital, business financing and planning, loan development

Angel Rentas is a certified business consultant specializing in finance and loan package development and is an expert in assisting small and medium sized businesses establish and grow their operations. He has 35 years of banking and finance experience as a bank officer and portfolio manager serving private and public corporations. Concentrating on finance, commercial lending and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Guaranty Loan Program, he has served as vice president for several major local banks.

As a loan officer for the SBA he covered disasters in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and Sacramento under the SBA Disaster Loan Program. He has also worked as a business financial analyst with the Office of Minority Business Enterprise, the National Economic Development Association and the Hialeah Dade Development, Inc. Rentas graduated with a degree in accounting from the Harford Institute in New York concentrating on business administration.

Jazmine Loiselle

Expertise: Strategic marketing and branding, digital media strategy, web development

Jazmine Loiselle is a certified business consultant at the Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida Atlantic University. As a certified business consultant, Loiselle assists her clients in strategic marketing and the online challenges businesses face in marketing their brand and creating engaging digital content. Her extensive marketing communications and design experience in diverse industries enables her to assist a variety of businesses in reaching their marketing goals. Her education includes a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and studies as a master's audit student in Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab.

In addition to running her own consultancy business, she's held creative technology positions with MIT, Apple and Levi Strauss & Co. She has also served as a founding faculty member for some of the first digital arts programs in Northern California, at San Francisco State University, the Academy of Art University and the College of Marin.

George E. Gadson, MA

Expertise: Strategic marketing, finance, nonprofit strategy, creative economy

George E. Gadson is a certified business consultant working with creative economy entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations. He has more than 20 years of management experience with large banking institutions and small private and public corporations. He has worked in economic development as the former vice president of Business Development at the Broward Alliance, currently the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the principal planner of Regional Economic Development for the South Florida Regional Planning Council, and the associate director for Business and Corporate Development at Florida Atlantic University.

Gadson is a business owner and one of Florida's most well-known and highly sought after artists. He has been commissioned to create works of art for many high-profile events – including the White House Christmas tree and the South Florida Super Bowl. He received his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and master's degree in education in 2008 from the Brewer Christian College and Graduate School in Jacksonville, Fla.

Rafael Cruz, MBA, CGBP, EDFP

Expertise: Strategic planning, branding, marketing, finance, executive development, creative economy, nonprofit strategy, international business

Rafael Cruz is a certified business consultant specializing in economic development alongside strategic planning and leadership development of both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He is well-known in both Broward and Palm Beach counties for his commitment in developing strategic community partnerships in the economic development community.

His broad background also encompasses a career in corporate leadership, finance, marketing and branding, international business and the creative economy.

Andrea JohnBaptiste

Expertise: start-up, non profits, capacity building, strategic plans, business plans, marketing, marketing plans, creative economy, construction, green business, tutoring, day cards, restaurants, food service

Andrea M. JohnBaptiste has served as a development consultant to businesses, nonprofits, and communities, since 2006. Internal and external consultancies in which she has engaged, have spanned the US, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Belize. JohnBaptiste holds a master’s in organizational management and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Phoenix and Ithaca College in New York. A lifetime learner and educator, she serves as adjunct faculty at two universities in South Florida, where she teaches business, sociology and general Education.

She has been nominated for several honors and awards and was awarded the 2019 Rising Star Award by the Broward County Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2014 she was also a nominee for the National Women’s History Project: Women of Courage, Women of Character as a Trailblazer and Pioneer, recognized for entrepreneurship, leadership and fundraising. JohnBaptiste is committed to promoting the awareness of the cultural diversity of the Caribbean and its impact and influences globally. She volunteers on several boards of directors of organizations working to elevate and increase the recognition of the socio-cultural impact of the region.

Bob Glidewell

Expertise: The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)

Bob Glidewell is a technical counselor and resource development professional who works closely with small businesses, entrepreneurs and universities, including Florida Atlantic University, seeking assistance to research possible program sponsors and to develop grant proposals and other funding opportunities. At the invitation of the National Science Foundation, he has served as commercial reviewer on SBIR/STTR Phase l and ll grant review panels for 12 years. Glidewell began his resource development career in 1996 and has assisted various nonprofit organizations, businesses and universities in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Florida. He is a member of the National Organization of Resource Development Professionals. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southwest Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s degree in English-creative writing non-fiction, with a double minor in both environmental studies and natural resources from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Jackie Ramirez, MBA

Expertise: Sales growth, business management, strategic planning, human resources

Jackie Ramirez is a certified business consultant assisting clients with strategic planning, business development and communications. She is a highly regarded speaker on the development of effective organizational working relationships through communications, a facilitator and a certified emotional intelligence coach.

Ramirez began her career with Zenger-Miller in Tampa, Fla., designing the merger of three competing sales forces and the realignment and mapping of a new customer relationship process. She has more than 25 years of experience in an organizational redesign, team design and leadership development that encompasses the banking, high-tech, finance, publishing, manufacturing and services industries. She holds a master's in business administration from Florida Atlantic University and a bachelor's degree in economics from Inter-American University in Puerto Rico.

Annette Gray

Expertise: Funding, business management, marketing, economic development

Annette Gray is a certified business management and operations consultant. She is the current vice-chair of the Palm Beach County Advisory Commission on Women, and the former board chair of the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. Gray has a master's in business administration and is currently pursuing a degree in management and leadership from the University of Liverpool in London England and a management and leadership certification from Harvard University.

Before entrepreneurship, Gray led and managed teams at Fortune 500 Companies, such as Maryland Bank National Association America Bank and government entities such as the city of West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority. She has more than 20 years of experience in education, marketing, economic development, strategic planning in the private and public sectors and a diverse insight into the many aspects of how to run a successful business. She is particularly passionate about the topics surrounding multigenerational workforce emotional intelligence, change management, strategic planning, growth and funding strategies.

Pierre Taschereau

Expertise: International Trade and Export Development, Economic Development Strategies, Aviation and Aerospace Business Development, Small Business Growth and Expansion, Workforce Development and Talent Acquisition, Public-Private Partnerships in Economic Development

Pierre Taschereau is an International Trade Business Consultant at Florida Atlantic University's Small Business Development Center, aiding small businesses in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. With a robust background in economic development, Pierre has served on various Boards and was appointed to the Southeast District Export Council by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Pierre's achievements include winning the NAIOP's 'Economic Impact Deal of the Year' for Spirit Airlines and Chewy headquarters and receiving awards from Focus Brasil and the Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce. He has taught at Broward College's Aviation Institute and engaged with professional organizations like ULI, ISTAT, NBAA, and Aviation Week.

Before SBDC, Pierre led business development strategies in Martin County, focusing on sectors like aviation, marine, and technology, and worked to attract and retain businesses in Broward County with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. His earlier roles include workforce development at CareerSource Broward. Pierre holds a B.S. in Community Psychology and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

Sara Alshareef, Ph.D.

Expertise: Growth specialist, business development, business plan, customer Discovery, navigating market opportunities

Sara Alshareef, Ph.D.  is a consultant in residence at FAU-College of Business- FAU. She is an Affiliate Professor at the CoB and holds a doctorate in entrepreneurship from Royal Holloway University of London. Prior to joining the Florida SBDC at FAU, she was an Assistant Professor of management where she taught entrepreneurship, leadership, and business strategy to students earning their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Alshareef acts as a liaison between faculty, students, and businesses through developing applied learning programs. Her expertise extends to supporting clients from the Chilean SBDC Network (SERCOTEC) in navigating the soft-landing process to enter the Florida market in the United States. Alshareef's remarkable contributions have earned her the International Program Excellence Award from NASBITE International, recognizing her outstanding and innovative developments in international education, counseling, training, trade promotion, and research. She has showcased her work at the USASBE conference and her work has been published in Sage Business Cases. As a growth specialist consultant, Alshareef serves clients in different sectors and actively engages with Florida business communities and delivers various entrepreneurship training- educational programs and outreach programs. Beyond that, she serves as a judge for entrepreneurial competitions and works closely with founders and business owners from all around the world.

David Badal

Expertise: Capital Access, Business Valuation, FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis) M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions)

David Badal is a distinguished accounting professional with over a decade of progressive expertise in the domains of accounting and finance, having navigated the intricate landscapes of start-ups, hedge funds, and multimillion-dollar privately held enterprises. His track record is underscored by a remarkable ability to streamline operational processes, catalyzing growth and elevating both efficiency and bottom-line profitability.

Commencing his career in the esteemed realm of private accounting, Mr. Badal honed his skills within one of the United States' largest tile wholesalers, where he laid the foundation for his illustrious journey. Subsequently, he ascended to the esteemed position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at a pioneering not-for-profit startup, before charting an impressive trajectory into the intricate world of hedge funds.

With an enduring commitment to excellence, Mr. Badal has garnered a wealth of experience spanning a decade, encompassing the development and meticulous analysis of financial statements, the orchestration of precise budgeting and forecasting, and the intricate art of determining valuations across diverse industry sectors. His professional journey is a testament to his unwavering dedication to financial stewardship and strategic foresight.

Teri Takahashi

Expertise: Business planning and management, accounting

Teri Takahashi is a certified business consultant and our business manager at the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). She oversees the budget and records function of the SBDC operations. She also works with clients to develop business plans for startups and existing companies. Before joining the Florida SBDC, Takahashi owned her own successful property management company.

Her previous roles include serving as the associate director for finance and administration where she was directly responsible for managing more than 16 accounts, keeping the Florida SBDC at FAU's budget lean and balanced. She has also worked with the Florida SBDC Network headquarters to implement financial reporting policies that all centers now utilize. Takahashi holds a degree in business management from FAU.

Crystal Ferrari

Expertise: Liason for the Florida Apex Accelerator

Crystal Ferrari is an acquisition and government contracts specialist. She has a master’s degree in Acquisition and Contract Management from the University of Maryland. Crystal has worked for nearly 20 years in various roles throughout the federal government. She has also been recognized for her accomplishments in supply chain management and optimization. Crystal is passionate about helping small businesses understand the nuances of the government sector in order to find success.

J.J. Raju

Expertise: Liason for the Florida Apex Accelerator

Jaison Raju is a business growth and government contracts specialist. His tenures with local agencies and nonprofits in South Florida were in the areas of supplier diversity, inclusion, small business support and economic development. He has a master’s degree in business from the Wayne State University and has recently completed a master of science degree in finance with the executive program within FAU’s College of Business. Raju has worked in Southeast Michigan where he provided leadership and program direction to TechTown, Detroit’s largest business incubator and research park. His work resulted in the consolidation of resources into one leading signature program and then scaling it from 15 startups to 107 startup clients. He is currently working with local county government to implement a new equal business opportunity ordinance that is an innovative public procurement policy to improve procurement of products and services from local small minority women-owned firms in the region.