Felipe Lopez Sustaita and Associates
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Felipe Lopez Sustaita
Ascend is a comprehensive 6-month accelerator program that empowers, refines, enhances, and scales Black businesses. It offers individualized business assessments, customized workplan development, and one-on-one technical assistance.
Felipe Lopez Sustaita is a higher education advocate, community leader, and former migrant farm worker. His passion for higher education is fueled by his dedication to lifting communities out of poverty. Felipe works to advance educational, professional, and entrepreneurial opportunities for underrepresented communities. He also regularly returns to work in the agricultural fields of Michigan with his four sons to show them the value of hard work and to keep himself grounded. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and Ferris State University.
Felipe picked oranges, grapefruit, onions, strawberries, asparagus, squash, blueberries, peaches, pears, tomatoes, peppers, apples, and other fruits and vegetables. In 2014, he completed his Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University. Felipe is very passionate about higher education, as he knows that higher education is a pathway out of poverty. He is married to Dr. Danielle M. Flores Lopez and has four sons: Felipe, Amancio, Sion, and Eladio.
Felipe served as an advisor to both Republican and Democrat Governors of Michigan from 2016- 2021, he was the voice for half of million Latino/Hispanic constituents in the State of Michigan. In 2018 Felipe was recognized by the National Football League (NFL), the Detroit Lions, and recorded a Google Talk. He was also selected to be a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Fellow (2019-2021). Felipe has traveled to over 20 countries and in 2022 he published his book “You Can’ Run From Your Destiny, Lessons From A Migrant Worker”. In 2022 Felipe earned his Black Belt in Taekwondo, and was awarded the Key to the City of his hometown Donna, Texas. Felipe is also committed to teaching religious classes to children 3rd grade to 8th grade.
I am a motivational speaker, I just started two years ago.
What inspired you to start a business?
I am a storyteller and I love speaking in front of people. More than anything I love giving folks hope as I share my own story.
What is your vision for the future of your business?
I want eventually do this full time. I have goals of speaking all over the world and giving hope to people. I also see myself buying a blue berry farm in West Michigan.
What goals do you hope the Ascend program will help you achieve?
I just want to learn as much as possible.