Speakers

Please join us as we support students through scholarships

Fernando Gonzalez is the Director of Technology Commercialization at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He has spent 30 years involved in copyright and patent licensing, software development, telecommunications, and supporting start-ups. Before joining the university, he was the Executive Director of the Rio Tech Fund, Inc., administering 17 counties for the Texas Emerging Technology Fund.

A special Christmas tradition of the Jewish Santa visting children homes and other events in the RGV for the last 20 years.  He brings joy and laughter to many. 

Michael (Mike) Blum is a Partner and Managing Broker for NAI Rio Grande Valley. He provides leadership to the brokerage team and provides direction on marketing and business strategies. Mike is an aggregator and interpreter of market data regarding strategic regional economic information. His real estate focus is on land, industrial sales and leasing, lease and sale of office and retail space.

Mike has resided in the Rio Grande Valley since 1972, is a former City Planner, Assistant City Manager and elected official in McAllen, Texas. For more than four decades he has been at the leading edge of critical thinking, envisioning the future and bringing to fruition major projects throughout the Rio Grande Valley – Cimarron Country Club, Sharyland Plantation, Anzalduas International Bridge, Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley, and Valencia MarketPlace. Mike is a strategic planner, and active in promoting development of the South Texas Border Region.

 Executive Director for the McAllen Heritage Center