John Olarte
March 18, 2019
John Olarte, '95 BSBA - Accounting, is president and CEO of GPPS - Global Printing Packing Shipping, a company that manages and operates business centers at major Las Vegas hotels and resorts. He is involved with all aspects of the company's daily operations, including accounting, finance, and human resources. Since 2014 he has been a part-time adjunct faculty member in UNLV's Hospitality College, covering the areas of financial and managerial hospitality accounting. He also has taught at the University of Phoenix where he earned his MBA in 2014. Previously, he worked at KeyState Corporate Management and at the Mirage Hotel & Casino. An active member of the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce, he has served on the boards of the American Heart Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Community Health Charities of Nevada. Travel, business books, and movies are his hobbies.
Jerry Tsai
March 18, 2019
Jerry Tsai, '10 Master of Education, is the co-founder of EmpowerBus. Founded in 2017, the company focuses on upward mobility for all by providing dignified, reliable, on-time transportation for residents in low or moderate income communities to work, education, and health care. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the company serves central Ohio, but plans are being made to expand throughout the nation next year.
Matthew Goode
March 18, 2019
Matthew Goode, '09 BS Education, is the senior recruitment coordinator at Southern Utah University. He earned a Master of Public Administration - Higher Education degree from Southern Utah.
Larissa Schultz
March 11, 2019
Larissa Schultz, '08 Master of Hospitality Administration, has been hired as AMPLIFY chief of staff for KAABOO Music Festivals — KAABOO Cayman, KAABOO Texas, and KAABOO Del Mar. She oversees staffing for the company's VIP program, which is widely regarded as a top VIP program for large events and festivals in North America. She lives in Los Angeles.
Stephanie Till
March 10, 2019
Stephanie Till, '17 MA History, is a compliance specialist for White Advisors as well as founder and collection manager for the Marijuana Industry Research Archive.
She says she is providing assistance with complex issues and safeguarding an emerging industry’s history. She lives in Henderson.
Shane Jasmine Young
March 10, 2019
Shane Jasmine Young, '04 JD, opened her own law firm in 2017. Her practice focuses on estate planning, kids' protection planning (guardianship), business, and personal Injury. From 2015 to 2017 she was general counsel for Provident Trust Group. Before that she was an attorney at Ballard Spahr and at Snell & Wilmer. Since 2007 she has provide at least 100 hours of pro bono work each year. At one time she played semi-pro basketball and continues to play in a women's league. Other hobbies include yoga, fitness, and travel. She and her husband, who was her high school sweetheart, have five daughters — all of whom play basketball.
Niko Lanzi
March 10, 2019
Niko Lanzi, '15 BS Hotel Administration - Hospitality Management, opened and runs Basecamp Outdoor Gear, which rents and sells camping and backpacking gear.
Yadira Martinez
March 10, 2019
Yadira Martinez, '18 BS Healthcare Administration, and Grant Anderson, '18 BS Engineering - Mechanical Engineering, are a couple who met at UNLV and bonded through their shared dream of owning their own business. After planning her sister's baby shower, they discovered a market for baby shower games. They say that what they wanted for their first product was simple — funny games that catered to millennial parents, with Instagram-worthy designs. After countless hours of research they launched what they believe to be the perfect product for any baby shower, Babble Games. They say their baby shower game variety pack is just the first building block. A portion of their proceeds goes to charity.
Meg Hartley
March 10, 2019
Meghan Grunow Hartley, '06 BA Art, faced a near-death experience with a traumatic recovery in 2015. She said the severity of her symptoms forced her to find an income that was extremely flexible. She now is a busy freelance writer who is focusing on a cannabis niche. She writes for two cannabis public relations agencies as well as for two cannabis publications; Leafly and Civilized. She plans to spend next winter in Uruguay, covering the state of cannabis in the first country to legalize it. Before switching careers she spend more than a decade in marketing. Her hobbies include painting, working on a book, going to happy hours, and hanging out at the beach. She lives in San Pedro, California.
Nancy Olson
March 10, 2019
Nancy Olson, '01 BSBA - Finance, is an assistant U.S. attorney in the Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney's officer for the District of Nevada.
Matt Engle
March 10, 2019
Matt Engle, '91 BSBA - Management, this year began working with the Insurance Office of America as a commercial insurance broker to build his own practice. He specializes in insurance programs in the construction, hospitality, non-profit, technology, and emerging cannabis industries. He recently finished terms as board chair for both the Las Vegas Natural History Museum and the Henderson Chamber's IMPAC Board. His hobbies include making wine and hiking. He recently celebrated 25 years of marriage and has two children, Tabitha Engle, '17 BS Entertainment Engineering Design, and Madison Engle, a UNLV junior majoring in psychology who is a member of the Honors College and captain of the Scarlet Dance Line.
Alba Arango
March 10, 2019
Alba Arango, '91 BS Secondary Education, '94 BA History, '97 MA History, is the author of the Decoders series as well as the JJ Bennett: Junior Spy series. She is a retired high school teacher turned full-time author. Her newest book, The Miner's Gold, was released Feb. 1. It is the sixth book in the Decoders series and is aimed at children ages 8-11. She loves coffee and chocolate — particularly together. Her hobbies include traveling, shopping, cooking, and eating.