STRIDE Facilitators

The Program's Facilitators

The STRIDE program is proud to partner with Texas A&M University-San Antonio and local business leaders to present a specialized curriculum for emerging entrepreneurs.

Learn more about each of the program's facilitator below.

STEPHANIE BLACK

Assistant Professor
College Of Business

Department of Management and Marketing at Texas A&M University-San Antonio

DANIEL GLASER, PH.D.

Professor

College Of Business

Department of Management and Marketing at Texas A&M University-San Antonio

MATTHEW MANGUM, J.D., LL.M.

Assistant Professor

College Of Business

Department of Management and Marketing at Texas A&M University-San Antonio

RICHARD GREEN, PH.D., C.P.A.

Associate Professor
College Of Business
Department of Accounting and Finance at Texas A&M University-San Antonio

WEIXING FORD

Assistant Professor
College Of Business
Department of Business Administration at Texas A&M University-San Antonio

DR. ADRIAN GUARDIA

Instructional Associate Professor
College Of Business
Department of Management and Marketing at Texas A&M University-San Antonio

CHIN-YEN ALICE LIU, PHD

Associate Professor, College of Business
College Of Business
Department of Management and Marketing at Texas A&M University-San Antonio

ROSANTINA ARANDA

Founder & President of Business Lending Advocate

LA JUANA (LJ) CHAMBERS LAWSON

CEO and Founder of Tacit Growth Strategies

RENEE WATSON, BBA, MPA, ECMCA,

Director, Title VI Coordinator DBE Liaison Officer at the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Department of Bexar County

STRIDE Entrepreneurship Leadership Program Launches Sept. 2022

The Bank of San Antonio partners with Texas A&M University—San Antonio to launch STRIDE program for local entrepreneurs to earn hands-on business training free of charge.

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STRIDE program founders from left to right: Brandi Vitier, The Bank of San Antonio Market Executive, Patti Wilson, Texas Partners Bank Chief Human Resources Officer, and Angelica Palm, Texas Partners Bank Marketing & Communications Director.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

STRIDE — a certification program for entrepreneurs ready to take their business to the next level.

The STRIDE Program’s highly specialized curriculum is a solutions-focused program designed to meet the needs of emerging entrepreneurs who are looking to develop their own strengths-based leadership and personal brand.

Learn About STRIDE

I have over thirty-two years of banking experience serving the financial needs of business owners. My banking experience has given me insight into both lenders’ decision-making processes and business owners’ credit needs. I apply this knowledge to each client’s loan request and help move qualified applications to approval with minimal delay.

I started working as a business banker in 2008. Before getting this position, I was in training and working as a credit analyst for 2 years. The credit analyst training was designed to educate our future lenders on analyzing financial statements and assessing business risks. Subsequently, we also put together loan packages for commercial lenders to present for approval. Before transitioning to the front line in sales, I helped develop a software called the Commercial Lenders Bonus Program. During the development of this software, I realized the bank did not have small business banking figured out. I felt challenged to figure out why it was so difficult to underwrite small businesses.

When the opportunity to work as a business banker became available, I took the opportunity. I have always been a huge advocate for education and providing my business customers with resources. I decided to audit a 6-week program that was being offered for small businesses called Ice House Entrepreneur and this is when the Business Lending Advocate idea was formulated. I had been working in business banking for about 5 years when I grew very frustrated with the inconsistencies in loan processing requests. I saw a huge gap between the bank and the business owners. At first I thought it was a bank problem then I realized there was a disconnect in the way the information was being presented. I found that the primary reason most business owners do not apply is due to fear of rejection or a lack of knowledge of the requirements. My passion is to bridge the gap between the bank and the business owner and to provide a solution for my client.

In 2015, I decided to test the idea by participating in a pitching contest called Catapult weekend. The idea was well received and was a great learning opportunity. Afterwards, I started the entrepreneurship journey by reading a lot of books, attending business courses, and meeting with various mentors. Six years later after my children graduated from college, I felt I was ready. Prior to that, I could not take the risk because I was a single mom. However, I felt I had a bigger calling. So I decided to utilize my previous experience to help better equip business owners for bank loan applications so they would be able to walk into any bank with confidence.

Managed a $30 million loan portfolio – loans ranging from a $5,000 line of credit to a $2MM Construction Loan
Graduate of UTSA with a Bachelor in Accounting
Certified Project Management Professional in 2020
In 2021 founded Business Lending Advocate with a mission to empower small business owners so they can apply for a business loan with confidence

La Juana “The PMO CEO” Chambers Lawson, MPA, PMP, LSSGB has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Entrepreneur, Forbes, San Antonio Express News (Cover Story), VoyageDallas, MarketWatch, and other publications. She has most recently been named Marquis Who’s Who in America: Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Professionals from the state of Texas. La Juana serves as the Founder and CEO of Tacit Growth Strategies, a leading management consulting firm and project management office (PMO) that specializes in government contracting, grant and proposal writing, impact investment strategy, and comprehensive international business development consulting. La Juana’s book “Master Grant Writing: A Project Manager’s Guide” is an international best-seller and has been lauded as a comprehensive guide that demonstrates how to build and maintain a successful nonprofit or for-profit impact business.

La Juana is the co-host of Real Management Talk with LJ and Jocelyn, Global Director General of the Global Alliance of Angel Investor and Venture Capital Networks of the Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade, San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Honoree 2022, Mentor for Trinity University MIT Venture Mentoring Program, Former President & Board Chair of the Alamo Project Management Institute (PMI), Founding Member of Black Women Lead, Former President & Board Chair of the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum, Interim Board Chair of the State of Texas Kidney Foundation (TKF) & Founding Chair of the Legislation and Public Policy Committee, Board Director of the African American Chamber of Commerce of San Antonio & Procurement Committee Founding Chair, Board Director of the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH)/Bexar County/San Antonio HUD CoC, Best-Selling Author of “A Project Manager’s Guide to Grant Writing”, re-released as “Master Grant Writing: A Project Manager’s Guide” published by River Walk Publishing.

Renee holds a Master Contract Compliance Administrator (MCCA) Certification from Morgan State University. She is identified as a national expert and conducted a workshop on Disparity Studies at the American Contract Compliance Association Conference. She was selected as a National Urban/Rural Fellow and awarded her MPA – Urban Planning and Rural Economic Development, Baruch College, CUNY. She holds a BBA – Management/Marketing from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a graduate of Sam Houston High School in San Antonio, Texas.

She has also worked as the Chief of Staff for State Senator Rodney Ellis, Houston and Councilman George Stevens, San Diego, CA. She was selected as one of the San Antonio Business Journal’s “40 under 40” Rising Stars. Renee is an alumnus of Leadership SAISD, Master Leadership Program (MLP) San Antonio, Leadership Texas, The PhD Project, People to People Ambassador Program ‐ China, Leadership America, Leadership California, and Leadership San Antonio.

Her most recent awards and recognition include the following:

Servant Leader Award, Blacks In Government (BIG) San Antonio Chapter; Athena Leadership Award, North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; Citizen’s Academy, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) – San Antonio District;
Freedom Award, Ford Tribute to Women Business Leaders, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; San Antonio District Office
Women in Business Champion of the Year Award, SBA; Regional Coordinator, Central Region, American Contract Compliance Association; Instructor – “Hire Yourself Ex‐Offender”, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Inmates Program, Detention Center;
Bubba Moeller Award for Community Service, The Associated General Contractors of America ‐ San Antonio Chapter (AGC): and the
"America's Top Diversity Champion" Award from DiversityBusiness.com. Renee is currently serving as the Diversity Committee Chair for the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) San Antonio Chapter and is a member of the ISM National Learning Solutions Advisory Committee.