Belmont, CA, June 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) President Beth Martin, Ph.D. announced the election Pedro David Espinoza to a 3-year term on the university’s Board of Trustees.
Espinoza is a TED speaker, entrepreneur, AI investor, and author. In 2014, Pedro became the founder & CEO of SmileyGo, an app that helped companies invest smarter. SmileyGo indexes the data of 1.3 million NGOs with users in 30 countries. In 2017, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, recognized Espinoza with the University of California Entrepreneur Award. In 2018, he founded Pan Peru USA, a venture that empowers women to become entrepreneurs. In 2019, he authored a book with Jorge Titinger with contributions from Eric Schmidt, Reed Hastings, and Dan Schulman. Espinoza's book, Differences That Make A Difference, attracted 100 CEOs as contributors, including Pat Gelsinger, CEO at Intel, who wrote the foreword. His book received the Latin International Book Award for the #1 Business Book.
“Pedro is a highly accomplished leader who brings a tremendous expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion. With his entrepreneurial spirit and business development background, Pedro will support NDNU’s efforts to partner with Silicon Valley businesses,” Martin said. The appointment of Pedro Espinoza to the Board of Trustees underscores Notre Dame de Namur University’s ongoing commitment to excellence, diversity, and innovation in higher education.”
"We are delighted to welcome Pedro Espinoza to the Board," said NDNU Board Chair Sr. Jean Stoner, SNDdeN. “We look forward to benefiting from his insights and guidance as we work together to advance the university’s mission of providing a transformative education grounded in social justice and service.”
In 2021, Espinoza was elected Vice Curator for Global Shapers in Palo Alto by the World Economic Forum. In 2022, he was accepted to the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program as a Technology & Innovation Awardee. That same year, he became the Chief Revenue Officer of Ever Technologies. In 2023, Espinoza received Goldman Sachs’ NextGen 30 Under 30 Award, and he was appointed to the Advisory Board of 1t.org of the World Economic Forum.
“I’m honored to be appointed to the Board of Trustees at NDNU. For the last several years, I've admired NDNU's Catholic values of community service, diversity, and the dignity of each person. When I immigrated to the U.S. 10 years ago to pursue higher education at Berkeley, I recognized NDNU for being a private Catholic institution in my favorite part of the Bay Area. I look forward to serving wholeheartedly with the joy and generosity God has provided me,” said Espinoza.
Espinoza has been profiled in Nasdaq, Univision, Telemundo, Hispanic Shark Tank, Times of Israel, KRON-TV, Hispanic Executive, Latin America Reports, Al Dia News, and Forbes. In 2017, The Voice of America named Pedro "The Robinhood of Technology.” He also serves on the board of directors of the Silicon Valley Tech Academy, ActAware, LoyalCard, Inkas Rent A Car, Autoespar, Lunahuana River Resort, and GESA. Espinoza received the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 HITEC 100 Award, which features the 100 most influential global Hispanic executives in technology.
About Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) is a Catholic, not-for-profit, coeducational institution serving adult learners from diverse backgrounds. Established in 1851 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, NDNU is the third-oldest college in California and the first authorized to grant women a baccalaureate degree. The university is WSCUC accredited and offers master’s in business, education, and psychology, undergraduate degree completion programs in business administration and psychology, along with teacher credential programs. NDNU maintains a strong commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and community engagement. For more information, visit www.ndnu.edu
Kurt Allen, Vice President, Marketing and Communications Notre Dame de Namur University 6505083533 kyallen@ndnu.edu
