Giselle Gallardo

Giselle Gallardo has had an entrepreneurial mindset since middle school when she began making and selling hair bows-just for fun. A high school program required she develop a business plan and she competed at regional and national levels, receiving mentoring and coaching from business executives.

In 2015, she was named Ernest and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. She credits that experience with her passion for business, especially startups.

Giselle was born in Miami and is the first in her family to graduate college. Her parents fled Cuba for political reasons, seeking asylum in the United States.

During her junior and senior year at FIU Business, Giselle served on the executive board for the Association of Latino Professionals for America, where she mentored students and hosted workshops on resume writing and interviewing skills.

After an internship and two years in sales at Comcast Spotlight, now Effectv, Giselle was hired as a portfolio strategist for the company last year. She works behind the scenes, creating presentations for high-profile accounts highlighting multiplatform advertising channels.

In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Giselle and her boyfriend co-founded Pa’Picar Miami, a charcuterie board business.

After graduation, Giselle plans to remain in the corporate world, working with client engagement. She wants to continue the leadership role that some managers inspired in her.

What does she see as key to success? Roll up your sleeves and work with the team to make them shine.

By Cynthia Corzo
Assistant Director, Media Relations and Communications
College of Business