Ep11 Jose Garcia Suarez, MBA, Harvard & Stanford graduate: Leadership Development podcast

This leadership development podcast is brought to you by: Ovi Vasquez, Inspirational Leadership Keynote Speaker. Fatherless farm boy from rural Guatemala—Inspiring teams to peak performance. He challenges teams to embrace change and step into bold leadership through leadership culture. He grew up in a village off-the-grid, migrated to the U.S., learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a B.A. in management, in two years.  Ovi has worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. He is a TEDx speaker, author, and a social entrepreneur.

GUEST: Jose Ignacio Garcia Suarez is the founder and CEO of a mission-driven company Griffith Growth. Born in Mexico and raised undocumented in South Central Los Angeles, Jose overcame systemic barriers to graduate from both Harvard & Stanford University. His journey—from navigating the U.S. school system as a child filling out his own forms to being featured by thought leaders like Gary Vaynerchuk—reflects deep resilience, grit, and vision.

Find our guest at: https://www.tiktok.com/@j.i.gs
Find our host at: https://www.ovinspires.com

Leadership Keywords: immigrant leadership, first-generation success, values-based leadership, educational equity, college access, financial literacy, Latinx leadership, faith-driven leadership, youth empowerment, workplace inclusion, mentorship, transferable skills 

Leadership Summary: In this episode, Jose shares how grit, faith, and a donated computer helped him escape poverty in South LA. He breaks down the mindset and systems that got him into Harvard and Stanford, and why he creates Spanish-language videos to reach parents. Corporate leaders will learn how to recognize hidden talent, eliminate bias, and create upward mobility for diverse teams. 

10 Takeaways on Leadership
✅ Faith builds internal stability
✅ Education is the great equalizer
✅ Undocumented youth need access, not pity
✅ Parents need information, not motivation
✅ Bias blocks talent
✅ Mentorship must be intentional
✅ Hunger beats credentials
✅ Outreach is a skill
✅ Cold emails change lives
✅ Leadership begins at home 

5 Titles for Leadership
✅ From Undocumented to CEO
✅ Faith and Grit Beat Privilege
✅ How to Find Harvard-Level Talent in Low-Income Schools
✅ Don’t Be Shy, Be Strategic
✅ Teach in Spanish, Lead in English 

5 Sound Bites for Leadership
🗣 “If you behave badly, you don’t have a right to be here.”
🗣 “I was 10 when I filled out my own magnet school forms.”
🗣 “A free computer changed my life.”
🗣 “Most people won’t answer. Some do. That’s enough.”
🗣 “Post your advice in Spanish. Parents are listening.” 

10 Chapters on Leadership
00:00 – Meet Jose Ignacio
02:00 – Faith and Family Values
05:00 – Becoming His Own Advocate
08:00 – Harvard Dream, Strategic Research
12:00 – Educator Gaps and Access Tips
15:00 – Bias and Hidden Talent at Work
19:00 – Transferable Skills from Parents
24:00 – Convincing Immigrant Parents
28:00 – Free Tools for Growth
33:00 – Leading by Giving Back in Spanish 

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