Eva Vázquez Ortiz

Dr. Eva Vázquez is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, part of the Arizona State University Enterprise, and internationally recognized expert in entrepreneurial ecosystem development, entrepreneurial mentoring, and the design of high-impact accelerator programs. With more than 20 years of experience, she has led, designed, and scaled entrepreneurial development initiatives across Latin America, the United States, and the Caribbean, shaping the growth trajectories of startups, SMEs, and innovation-driven organizations worldwide.

Dr. Vázquez has spearheaded several multi-country accelerators, including AcelerarME (APEP Accelerator) and WE3A, two regional programs supporting the growth of women-owned small and medium enterprises. Operating across 10 countries in Latin America, these initiatives have strengthened hundreds of businesses and advanced economic inclusion by facilitating access to value chains, mentoring networks, and transnational market opportunities. She also applied this expertise to South Korea, co-developing mentoring components for the KISED Demo Day. 

As the Director of Thunderbird’s A. Masrin Center for Global Entrepreneurship & Family Business, Dr. Vázquez played a central leadership role in expanding global programming, building international partnerships, and doubling the Center’s annual revenues through new products development and sponsored initiatives.

Dr. Vázquez’s teaching spans undergraduate, graduate, and executive audiences. At Thunderbird, she teaches Global Entrepreneurship, serves as faculty in the Global Challenge Lab, and mentor teams of master’s students working with multinational clients such as Smucker’s (USA), Scotiabank (Mexico), Toccobo (South Korea), Inorca (Colombia), and ROKA (Spain). She has served as a lecturer in multiple global executive education programs, including the UN Global Compact SDG Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals, DreamCatcher, The LibrES Project, Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative, and the American Express Leadership Academy.

Prior to joining ASU, Dr. Vázquez founded Vaulting Ventures, a consulting firm specializing corporate venturing initiatives for clients including Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Empresas Fonalledas, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico. Earlier, as Senior Manager at Grupo Guayacán, she created Puerto Rico’s first business accelerator and secured more than $2 million in sponsorships and grants, and significantly expanded the island’s entrepreneurial capacity.

Her scholarship focuses on entrepreneurial mentoring, startup accelerators, entrepreneurial ecosystem development, organizational learning in startups, and entrepreneurship success factors. Her doctoral dissertation, Learning at Accelerators: Discerning a New Set of Dynamics and Players, offers a significant contribution to understanding how founders learn within complex, network-based environments. She has presented her research at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) and is currently developing multiple case studies focused on SMEs innovation and growth.

Dr. Vázquez has been an invited speaker and keynote presenter at international forums including the GET Forum, the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC+), the YLAI Closing Forum in Washington, D.C., and conferences focused on innovation, entrepreneurial mentoring, women-led businesses, and ecosystem development in Puerto Rico, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.

Dr. Vázquez holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and an M.Sc. in Research Methodology in Management Science from IE University – IE Business School, graduating with honors. She also earned an M.I.B. in International Business from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico and a B.A. in Communications (Advertising) from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with the highest GPA of her class