Sponsors

Viola Canales is Vice President of Emerging Markets at TEC International, Inc. where she is responsible for strategic planning regarding increasing the participation of women and minority CEOs. Prior to joining TEC, Canales was the U.S. Small Business Administration Regional Administrator in San Francisco from 1994-2001. This Presidential-level appointment placed her in charge of overseeing the regional operations of a cabinet-level federal agency in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, and the U.S. Trust Territories, with ten offices, over 200 employees, and lending more than $3 billion yearly. Other experience includes five years as a litigation attorney with O′Melveny and Myers and four years as an officer in the U.S. Army where she attained the rank of Captain. In the service, Canales was tactical director at the Brigade Fire Distribution Center working with Patriot and Hawk missile systems and at Hawk missile battery platoon leader. Canales is the author of a novel, Tequila Worm, as well as the collection, Orange Candy Slices and Other Secret Tales, and she serves on the board of Radio Bilingue, the largest nonprofit network of radio stations focused on Latino issues and music. Canales earned her J.D. at Harvard University.