About Us

STAYinFLA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to make economic freedom accessible to underserved communities through entrepreneurship education, mentoring and networking.  STAYinFLA provides student entrepreneurs with a support system and mentors from within Florida’s entrepreneurial community in order to encourage them to launch, scale and keep their start up and talent in Florida.

Our Founders

Susy Alvarez-Diaz, Ed.D.

Co-founder and Board Member

Susy Alvarez-Diaz brings a unique perscpective to STAYinFLA having worked for Silicon Valley companies Hewlett Packard and Agilent Technologies as well as teaching at the college level for the last 18 years in Entrepreneurship and Management Consulting.  She has held the role of Entrepreneurship Director at University of Miami’s Herbert Business School, where she hosted ABC’s Shark Tank two years in a row and is currently a Senior Lecturer at the university.  She is CEO of her own public relations and marketing consulting firm and appears on CNN Español’s show Dinero.  

Frank Diaz, MSc

Co-founder and Board Member

Frank Diaz has worked in sales and business development for such companies as Bank of America, Citibank and has owned several companies in the mortgage industry.  Currently, he co-owns a public relations and marketing consulting firm for the last two decades. He brings a wealth of knowledge having been appointed to several government boards and committees such as Miami Dade County Public Schools’ Attendance Boundary Committee, Miami-Dade Housing Finance Authority and served as a board member of the Florida Council on Homelessness.