Meet Juan Camilo Quintana

Rachel Jimenez
March 3, 2022
Blog
60 likes
Meet Juan Camilo Quintana

Raza Development Fund is proud to welcome Juan Camilo Quintana as RDF’s Credit Associate. He recently graduated with a bachelor’s in business management from Grand Canyon University and is now at RDF to provide support to the Small Business Initiatives and credit department. Our newest addition to the RDF Familia, and we’re excited to get to know Juan.

Juan Camilo Quintana enjoys celebrating his college graduation with his parents.

Join us as we learn more about Juan in this Q&A.

Where are you from?

I am from a small neighborhood close to Bogota, Colombia. I lived there my whole life. I came to the US to go to college. I was grateful to get a student athletic scholarship playing tennis in New Mexico. When COVID-19 hit, it was a really tough situation. The sports were put on hold as was my scholarship. I had to withdraw and go back home, because I didn’t have enough resources to cover tuition.

That was something that I was not expecting.

What brought you to Grand Canyon University?

I did more research to find a way to finish my bachelor’s degree. I reached out to the tennis coach at GCU. He gave me a scholarship offer and I moved here to Phoenix in January 2021. The business program at GCU is amazing. They have great professors and a great facility, plus the campus is beautiful.

Why did you choose to study business?

My dad is the founder of Productos el Arbolito in Colombia. We sell and distribute bakery products. I worked a lot with my dad growing up and when I went back during the pandemic.

It’s amazing to see a business start from scratch and you see it growing. You can actually see it making an impact in a community. It makes you feel that you are doing something important. You are changing lives.

Tell us about your speech to GCU’s Colangelo College of Business Advisory Board

Professor Eduardo Borquez had introduced me to the Dean of the Colangelo College of Business, Dr. Gibb, who invited me to the Advisory Board meeting last month to speak about my background and experience as an international student at GCU. They also wanted me to talk about my new role here at RDF.

It was a really good experience. I wasn’t expecting it. I was able to talk in front of Jerry Colangelo, the College’s namesake and the former owner of the Phoenix Suns. It was amazing to be in front of him talking, and also the President and Vice President of the school.

Jerry Colangelo, former owner of the Phoenix Suns and namesake for the Colangelo College of Business, attends the meeting.

I had the opportunity to talk about RDF and our mission, since we have a great relationship with GCU.

Why work for RDF?

I met David Clower at GCU’s Innovation Center. For international students, it’s tough to get a job here in the US after graduation. But David and RDF gave me this amazing opportunity, so I’m very grateful.

I think it’s amazing to support the Latino community here in the US. Since I came here from scratch, I know how it feels to be basically alone without support. It’s very impressive to make an impact in the community by investing in healthcare, education, small businesses, and affordable housing.

I’m here to help as much as I can.

What are your aspirational goals?

I want to play pro tennis. Every day after work at RDF, I practice and try to find tournaments. I love competing, the feeling when you hit the ball and hear it move.

I also have a few business ideas I want to start during my career.

 

We are excited to have you, Juan!

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Rachel Jimenez
Rachel Jimenez serves as Raza Development Fund's Communications Department Manager. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communications at Arizona State University. Rachel has extensive experience supporting content marketing efforts for national and state non-profits, as well as small businesses.
Phone 602-417-1400
Raza Development Fund (RDF) is the largest national, Latino-focused nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Driven by a mission to close wealth and opportunity gaps in Latino and other under-resourced communities across the United States, RDF provides responsible and attainable financial solutions to community-based organizations focused on health, education, affordable housing, climate resilience, homeownership, and entrepreneurship. RDF was founded in 1999 as a support organization to UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy nonprofit, formerly known as the National Council of La Raza. As a testament to its exceptional financial strength and impact, RDF stands out as one of the few CDFIs with a prestigious AA- S&P rating. Since its inception, RDF has invested more than $1.3 billion across 38 states, leveraging over $6 billion in additional capital.
In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of the Treasury policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Submit a complaint of discrimination, by mail to U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity , 1500 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20220, (202) 622-1160 (phone), (202) 622-0367 (fax), or email crcomplaints@treasury.gov (email).

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