Marketing Connect Speaker Series

The Marketing Connect Speaker Series aims to inspire our students to become future business leaders by hosting speaker events that feature CSUEB/CBE alumni or industry leaders in Marketing. We will host 1-2 speaker events every semester. Please come and stay connected to the CBE business community and alumni network. 

Upcoming Events

Nelson Velez

Personal Brand: Our Most Important Product Is Ourselves

Monday, November 3, 2025
6 PM PST
Online via Zoom

A conversation with Nelson Velez, MBA, Territory Sales Director, Salesforce
About the Speaker
Nelson Velez, MBA, is a seasoned Sales Leader, Investor, and Innovator known for driving success in Commercial and Enterprise Markets within Fortune 500 and startup environments, internationally. With extensive experience as a Microsoft and SAP alumnus, he currently serves as a Territory Sales Director at Salesforce. Nelson is a creative problem solver and hands-on leader who is passionate about delivering exceptional bottom-line results through strategic planning and execution. He holds an MBA in Global Innovation from CSU East Bay and a Cybersecurity Certification.

Past Events

Deka Dike

Entrepreneurship and Marketing: Crafting a Path to Professional Success

Deka Dike, MBA '20

CEO and Founder of Omatochi

Michele LaCagnina

Why Email Marketing Still Reigns

Michele LaCagnina, MBA '13
Senior Brand Manager, Abbott
Moh Baagil

Marketing & Digital Media: Making the Pieces Click

Moh Baaghil, BSBA'06,
VP Digital Strategy + eCommerce at Modus by PM Hotel Group

Tommy Ngo

Blockchain and Web3

Tommy Ngo (BSBA '10)
Head of Product, NFT Blockchain Gaming at Zynga
Jericho Apo

Startup Marketing

Jericho Apo
B.A. Sociology '17
Director of Growth Marketing, UPchieve
Nicole Mason

Synergizing Success

Nicole Mason MBA '2019
Owner and Founder of One Mason Lane, LLC

Joe Gura

The Business of Storytelling

Joe Gura
Storytelling Lead for Microsoft Teams Marketing, Microsoft
Div Manickam

Buyer Journey Reimagined

Div Manickam, MBA '11 
Director of WW Services Marketing and Portfolio Management at Lenovo
Angela Stark

The Art & Science of Marketing

Angela Stark (BSBA '97)
SVP of Performance Marketing at Workday
Scott Deutsch

Building a Brand with Digital Marketing

Scott Deutsch

TDK, GM and Vice President Worldwide Sales, Corp., Marketing and Business Developmen


Dorothea Sieber

Why the Best Marketers Always Put Their Customers First

Dorothea Sieber

Vice President, Content & Keynotes at Oracle


Mary Ann Wofford

Advice in Breaking In, Developing and Accelerating a Career in High Tech

Mary Ann Wofford

Salesforce, Area Vice President, Cloud Sales