Staff
The Long Beach Accelerator staff is a team of skilled innovators and entrepreneurs with the hands-on experience and industry expertise needed to help you grow your business.
Meet Our Staff
Andrea is an accomplished senior executive, serial entrepreneur, advisor, board member, startup mentor, and thought leader with more than 25 years of business success in diverse industries and verticals. She is passionate about creating successful companies and making existing ones better. Companies led by Andrea have generated double and triple-digit growth, every year, for the last 20 years of her career.
Through her work in her companies and mentoring startups, she has built a network of entrepreneurs, angel investors, family offices, accelerators, early stage VC, high net worth individuals, and service provider partners, and has significant experience sourcing quality technology startup companies and participating in due diligence processes. In addition, Andrea has served as a guest lecturer, giving presentations at global conferences, universities, and councils.
- Andrea and her family are proud 17-year residents of Long Beach
- Achieved recognition as the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s “Woman of the Year” as well as Chapman University’s “An Entrepreneur Making a Difference.”
- Andrea’s companies have been featured in Businessweek, USA Today, and Fast Company
- She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Saint Cloud State University and an Executive MBA from the University of Southern California (USC)
- Member of the Partner Leadership Council for Alliance for SoCal Innovation, 100+ Women Strong Women in Engineering Conference Lead, and guest lecturer and selection committee member at USC’s Venture Lab graduate course which makes investments out of the USC Marshall Venture Fund
- Previously served as an Innovation Advisor at UCI’s Beall School of Applied Innovation, as a Commissioner on the City of Long Beach’s Technology and Innovation and Sustainable City Commissions, and as a member of the Women’s Presidents Organization.
Mariessa has a passion for closing the racial wealth gap and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion through entrepreneurship. Her desire to expand access to capital and resources for underserved founders and communities has led her to the Long Beach Accelerator and also to pursue a Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship degree at the University of Southern California (USC). This career change into the VC world is preceded by her experience working for both public and private entities increasing access for underserved communities from healthcare to employment. She enjoys working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders from grassroots community organizations to all levels of management.
- Mariessa is graduating from USC in May 2023. She holds a BA in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Riverside.
Jame C.
Program and Operations Manager
Jame C. is the Program and Operations Manager for the Long Beach Accelerator. Jame hold a degree in Human Rights, MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science and dual degrees from the University of in Global Business, BS and Women’s and Gender Studies, BA.
- Jame is a three year resident of Long Beach
Are you an expert or leader in your field? Join us.
We welcome experts and leaders from all industries and sectors to become mentors; as well as investors and partners to support our companies.