Ruben Garcia

Ruben Garcia was appointed district director of San Diego's Small Business Association after a stint as head of the National Hispanic Education Foundation. He argues that teaching people how to run a small business is the key to getting ahead, just as education is in so many other facets of life.

"A good education is a basis for creating better wealth, financial stability and helping you do better in business, in order to become a business person," Garcia said. "Those are things that are important to me and I like to see that area really progress."

The SBA predominantly serves as a financial resource for small businesses, but Garcia said he wants to make education more of a priority. By education, he means both teaching current small business owners about business models, marketing and other important tools, as well as telling potential small business owners about the organization.