Geremy Landín, the dynamic leader of the Maestro Entrepreneur Center in San Antonio, has celebrated a milestone as he clocks in one year of significant expansion for the organization. At just 28 years of age, Landín has been on a constant move ever since his graduation from St. Mary's University in 2018 with a master's in public history. His eclectic career path has included brief tenures with notable institutions like the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the H.E. Butt Foundation, according to a report by San Antonio Report.
Despite his youth, Landín's leadership has been well-received by his peers, with esteemed board advisor Willie Vasquez Ng describing Landín's tenure as exceeding expectations. In a mission to build up small businesses across Bexar County, the Maestro Entrepreneur Center has secured increased funding and served an expanding portfolio of businesses under Landín's guidance. Programs ranging from a 12-week accelerator to the Accelerate for Growth initiative, also known as the Second Stage cohort, are a few of the approaches aiding businesses with revenues ranging from $1 million to $5 million to amplify their growth.
Revealed by board chairwoman Janell Davila, is on enhancing access to capital which seems to be a prevalent barrier for small business development. However, Maestro has had to pivot its strategies after recognizing the difficulty these owners face in securing loans, even when community development finance institutions offer less stringent conditions. Instead, more foundational help is being provided to lay the groundwork necessary for businesses to qualify for such assistance.
Apart from the tangible initiatives, Landín has also taken steps to integrate Maestro into the local community more closely. Last month, the center screened a documentary and hosted a vaccine clinic, thus garnerly support and raising awareness of its existence and services. Such efforts, while not directly related to small business development, do indeed deepen relationships within the community, following his previous bid for the City Council District 5.
Landín's personal connection to the small business struggles, sharing insights from his parents' own experiences, underscores the authenticity of his commitment. Complementing in-person outreach, he also utilizes technology efficiently to maintain transparency and record the center's growth, having uploaded Maestro's financials to GuideStar, which in turn, honored the organization with a "gold" seal for its transparency. While Landín admits to facing imposter syndrome at times, he takes gratification from the positive feedback Maestro receives from the small businesses it has aided, emphatically stating to San Antonio Report, "That matters to me."
