Desiree Figueroa is Program Manager, Student Outreach and Engagement for the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute.
Desiree was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and attended Arizona State University, where she earned a Master of Liberal Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. Prior to joining the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute team in October 2021, she worked in a Montessori setting as an Instructional Assistant for Phoenix Elementary School District #1. Desiree also serves as a Latino arts and culture advocate by indulging her musical passions as a performing musician and director of a local mariachi group in the Valley.
To Desiree, entrepreneurship means finding the right opportunities to harvest innovation and taking substantial risks to make meaningful differences in one’s communities.