Don’t just meet people — make connections that matter.

Join Beach Pride Events (BPE) in collaboration with the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) for Networking Like a Pro on Oct. 22 to learn how to turn conversations into real internship opportunities.

With experts from engineering, media/PR, and local government, plus networking pro Emmanuel Rivera, you’ll walk away with tools to network confidently and effectively.

Make sure to RSVP for this FREE event on Events & Orgs as spots are limited to the first 30 attendees.

This event is only open to current LBSU students.

Meet Our Panelists

Emmanuel Rivera

Rivera is a networking specialist with extensive experience in guiding students and young professionals in career-building strategies. He is also the co-founder and designer of Naturewise Regenerative Design. His expertise lies in fostering authentic connections, personal branding, and effective communication skills to help individuals thrive in professional settings. Emmanuel was part of the Career Development team in the College of Business (COB), where he played a key role in networking with external stakeholders to support graduate business students in expanding their professional networks and honing their networking skills.

Stephanie El Tawil

Stephanie El Tawil serves as the Economic Development & Policy Manager for the Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA). In addition to establishing working relations with Downtown businesses and property owners, financial institutions, commercial brokers, developers, and local economic development officials, she plays a key role in the implementation of office and retail recruitment strategies, supervising the production of market reports, and supervising the business navigator position to assist small business owners with permitting approvals. Before her arrival to DLBA, El Tawil’s previous roles included managing career and leadership development programs at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management, Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville, and Project Manager for the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership. She received her MBA and M.A. from the University of Southern Indiana.

Sergio Baez

With over 20 years of experience in marketing, promotions, and licensing, Baez is a driven and successful executive who leads the food and beverage NBCUniversal licensing strategy across North America. His leadership spans into business development, account management, and strategic thinking skills to cultivate new opportunities and expand relationships with national and regional brands in the licensing sphere, while optimizing NBCU’s breadth of properties and franchises. Baez is also a passionate educator, diversity champion, and community leader. He teaches Advertising and Marketing courses at two California State Universities, serves on the MBA Advisory Board at CSULB Long Beach, and advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the entertainment industry. He is always curious and eager to learn, inspire, and be inspired. His mission is to disrupt, create, and innovate with top-tier CPG and entertainment brands, and to make work more fun and enjoyable through clear strategy and great vision.

John El Yahchouchi

John El Yahchouchi is a fourth-year Aerospace Engineering student and an exchange student from France. He is currently working on a startup focused on developing an AI-powered chatbot that helps students connect for networking and project partnerships. John is passionate about tech, collaboration, and building innovative solutions that bring people together.