City of Los Angeles Small Business Commission - photo of downtown Los Angeles just after sunrise with a golden gradient layered on top

City of Los Angeles Small Business Commission - photo of downtown Los Angeles just after sunrise with a golden gradient layered on top


Jesse Torres

Los Angeles Small Business Commission
Jesse Torres
Founder & Principal, ArroyoWest LLC
Co-Founder, Small Business Front, Inc

Jesse Torres is the principal and founder of ArroyoWest LLC, a minority-owned management consulting firm in Los Angeles County, and the co-founder of Small Business Front Inc., a community building and media startup focused on small businesses.

During his three-year tenure at GO-Biz, Torres successfully secured more than $108 million in state general funds to provide match and capacity-building grants for the federal small business technical assistance providers operating in California. In addition, he administered a portfolio of high-profile Calfornia State programs, including the Innovation Hub Network (iHub), California Advanced Supply Chain Analysis and Diversification Effort (CASCADE), the Cybersecurity IT Health Advisory Board, and the California Cyber Innovation Challenge (CCIC), hosted at Cal Poly Pomona since 2017. Jesse also led small business recovery efforts for GO-Biz following major disasters.

Prior to joining GO-Biz in 2015, Torres served as Regional Director for the Los Angeles Small Business Development Center Network. He is also former Director of Alumni Affairs for the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University.

Jesse Torres is Board Chair for California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity, Advocacy Chair for Union Station Homeless Services, and was appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to the City’s seven-member Small Business Commission. He also serves as a member of the board for Associated Students UCLA and Sustainable Economic Enterprises Los Angeles.