His addition to the BGC team strengthens the firm’s practice areas of economic and workforce development, supplier diversity, and business strategy.
During his three-year tenure at GO-Biz, Torres was successful in securing more than $108 million in state general funds to provide match and capacity building grants for the federal small business technical assistance providers operating in California. In addition to his work as principal advocate in the state on behalf of small businesses, Torres administered a portfolio of high profile programs including the state’s Innovation Hub (iHub) Network, the state’s defense supplier diversification and cyber resiliency program, CASCADE, the California Cybersecurity IT Health Advisory Board, and the California Cyber Innovation Challenge. In addition, Torres led small business recovery efforts for GO-Biz following major disasters.
“We are excited to welcome Jesse to the BGC leadership team,” said BGC Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Morales, “With his degree of experience and skill, we expect to bring a new level of value and high performance outcomes for our clients.”
Prior to joining GO-Biz in 2015, Torres served as Regional Director for the Los Angeles Small Business Development Center Network and is a former Director of Alumni Affairs for the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.
Torres is a Southern California native and received his Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California Los Angeles. Torres is a member of the board of directors for Union Station Homeless Services and Associated Students UCLA.