ACTE's National Work-Based Learning Conference 2026

Eloy Garza is the Founder and CEO of Career Bridge and a Marketing Lecturer at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship. He is the creator of the Student-Led Agency model, a universal engagement work-based learning framework that connects students with businesses to solve real-world challenges. Through this approach, Eloy has engaged thousands of secondary and postsecondary students with hundreds businesses, equipping students with critical 21st-century skills while delivering measurable value to local industries.

His leadership in expanding work-based learning has been recognized nationally by the White House, the U.S. Department of Education, Ford Next Generation Learning, and Advance CTE, where he serves as a Postsecondary State Leadership Fellow. In South Texas, Eloy serves on the Board President of RGV LEAD, where he is building an Opportunity Ecosystem designed to broaden access and scale high-impact work-based learning across the region.

As an educator, innovator, and workforce leader, Eloy is passionate about building bridges between classrooms and careers. He empowers educators and students to unlock opportunities by leveraging industry partnerships, scalable systems, and creative programming that transforms student learning and community prosperity.