Team
Andrew Flamm
Director
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Andrew Flamm serves as Director of the Pace University Small Business Development Center (Pace SBDC), which provides free high-impact consulting and training to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Among the services, the Center offers are helping small business clients to access financing, develop business plans and financial projections, and identify procurement opportunities and strategies for increasing sales. In this role, Mr. Flamm is responsible for strategic planning and capacity-building efforts, marketing, and communications to build greater awareness of the Center's programs and develop collaborations with a wide range of financial institutions, and managing operations to help our client's leverage investment and create jobs in their communities. He also spearheaded the Pace SBDC’s expansion to serve Brooklyn small businesses.
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Prior to joining the Pace SBDC, Mr. Flamm was Senior Director at Empire State Development, where he managed a number of small business lending programs and oversaw the State’s pro bono small business mentorship program. He has also served in senior economic development roles for a number of business groups, conducted merchant organizing in low-income communities, and implemented small business financial and technical assistance training programs and helped underwrite small business loans for community-based lenders.
Mr. Flamm received a Master of Public Administration from NYU, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and presently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business. He also completed Coro New York Leadership Center’s Neighborhood Leadership Program and is an NYSBDC-certified Business Advisor.
Rawle Brown
Business Advisor
Rawle Brown is an NYS-certified Business Advisor at the Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Rawle has served as an SBDC Business Advisor for twenty years and assists existing businesses and entrepreneurs with business plan development and obtaining financing from banks and other non-bank financial institutions. His portfolio includes restaurants, retail, and service businesses along with many other types of industries. The portfolio is also geographically diverse and includes restaurants in Key West to staffing agencies in China to solar power equipment distributors in India to communications companies in Germany. Rawle is also the designated Procurement Liaison for clients attempting to benefit from Government contracts.
Rawle also represents his SBDC at forums and as a panelist at public events, while mentoring and training Pace University graduate students who work at the SBDC. Rawle was the 4th Runner-up Business Advisor of the Year in New York State in 2000 and 2nd Runner–up in 2009. He sees approximately 170 entrepreneurs annually and regularly receives superior reviews from his many clients. Rawle has generated well over $15 million in economic impact during the course of his tenure with the SBDC.
Prior to working with the SBDC, Rawle was a relationship officer with the Securities Banking Division of The Bank of New York. Before that, he was an auditor specializing in Brokerage Houses.
Rawle is a volunteer with the SAT Test Prep Scholarship (STEPS) Program, which encourages disadvantaged high-schoolers to pursue their dreams of attending college.
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​Rawle is a member of Community Board 4 in Brooklyn (covering Bushwick) and is also a member of their Economic Development Committee'
Rawle has a BBA in Accounting from Howard University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
rbrown@pace.edu
212-618-6658
Sandra Cely
Advanced Certified Business Advisor
Sandra is a NYS Advanced Certified Business Advisor at the Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC), where she combines her expertise in finance, accounting, and business advisory with a passion for empowering communities. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Sandra began her professional journey in accounting and auditing within the hospitality industry at Club el Nogal. After immigrating to New York 23 years ago, she adapted to a new culture and refined her skills in the U.S. accounting system, starting with a bookkeeping role at a private transportation company.
Sandra’s career includes serving as Controller at Merchants Hospitality and as a Senior Accountant at Ascendus (formerly Accion East), where she saw firsthand the transformative impact her expertise had on individuals and communities. This inspired her commitment to small business support, which she carried into her roles at the NY SBDC, first at York College and later at Pace University.
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Fluent in English and Spanish, Sandra has spent over a decade helping entrepreneurs overcome challenges and achieve growth. She has guided clients through major crises such as Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic, securing over $10 million in federal grants and loans and preserving more than 500 jobs in New York State. Her ability to navigate complex systems has made her a trusted advisor to small business owners.
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Sandra’s work extends beyond advisory services. She has built strong partnerships with community organizations, financial institutions, and government agencies, focusing on empowering the Hispanic community. Her bilingual skills and cultural insight have created lasting impacts on the businesses and lives of her clients.
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Sandra is currently pursuing an MBA at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business and holds an M.A. in International Business Management and a B.A. in Accounting from Universidad Santo Tomas, as well as an A.S. in Hospitality Management from SENA, Bogotá. Recently recognized with the NYS Advanced Certified Business Advisor Certification, a milestone that reflects her professional growth, expertise, and dedication to the community.
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Collaborating with the Pace SBDC team and the broader NYS SBDC network, Sandra contributes to the success of small businesses while enhancing economic vitality and quality of life in New York State.
scely@pace.edu
212-618-6659
Greg Callender
Certified Business Advisor
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Greg is a NYS-certified Business Advisor at the Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). He has more than 23 years of SBDC experience, including 22 years with Pace University. During that time, Greg has provided business advisory services to over 3,600 existing and/or aspiring small business owners, and has been directly responsible for more than $56 million of credit and/or equity investment in over 180 companies. He has represented the SBDC as a small business subject matter expert appearing on national media outlets including Bloomberg and CNN. Greg has previously been recognized as a Runner-up Business Advisor of the Year. He currently serves on the NYSBDC Lender Relations Committee, and is a member of the NYSBDC Advisors Working Group.
Greg works with clients to thoroughly and objectively analyze their business models, prepare detailed business plans including pro forma financial statements, recommend optimal financing structures, and identify appropriate capital sources. Having worked with companies across a wide variety of industries, he briefly stepped away from the SBDC to serve as CFO of an SBDC client who was ultimately acquired by what is now Infor. A client of Greg’s in the alternative beverage space, with whom Greg worked since the pre-revenue stage, was ultimately acquired by White Rock Beverage Company.
Priding himself on building long-standing relationships, Greg has worked with some clients across multiple decades. In one instance, he initially helped a client obtain a start-up loan, then a few years later special September 11th financing, and most recently COVID-19 related funding.
Prior to joining the SBDC, Greg was an officer in the Corporate Restructuring Division of what is now BNY Mellon, where he managed a portfolio of loans to financially distressed companies with an aggregate credit exposure of over $50 million. He analyzed, negotiated, and prepared recommendations to the bank’s senior management with respect to the restructuring or sale of troubled loans.
Greg received his MBA in Finance from Fordham University, achieving the highest cumulative grade point average of his 371-person graduating class. He received his BS in Communications from St. John’s University.
gcallender@pace.edu
212-618-6657
Susan Gluck
Business Advisor
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Susan is the newest Business Advisor to join the Pace University Small Business Development Center (Pace SBDC). She has used her strategic marketing knowledge and skills in a variety of fields (eg, finance, entertainment, travel, startups, and non-profits). During her time at SiriusXM Radio, Susan worked on the Interactive team developing web, email and social media, and later joined the Auto-Conversion marketing team, which helped grow the subscriber base 16% (i.e., adding $50M more revenue/month) during her time there. While earning her MBA, Susan led digital marketing efforts at AIChE where her collaborations with the sales, conference, education, and publishing teams led to a 19% y.o.y. increase in web traffic.
While Susan will address all business concerns of SBDC clients, her area of focus will be on strengthening their product marketing plans with an eye on increasing revenue and driving growth. With Susan’s expertise in digital media marketing, including email and social media, she will also help market the center.
Susan is a graduate of Pace University’s Lubin School of Business, having earned her MBA through the school’s Executive MBA program in 2019. She also received a certificate in Digital Media Marketing from NYU’s School of Professional Studies and earned her BA from Ithaca College. Susan is also a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and 600+ hours, yoga instructor-training certified. An avid connector, Susan is VP of Membership of the French/Bilingual Toastmasters of NY group, plus an annual volunteer at IC Alumni Networking Nights, and a member of The Product Group, a Meetup group that supports startups and founders in their pursuit to overcome product and business challenges.
Joe Peterson
Associate Business Advisor
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Joe Peterson joined the Pace SBDC in 2020 as a Student Intern and became a NYS-Certified Business Advisor in May of 2023. A creative at heart with a strong grasp on communications, Joe has a wide range of experience encompassing social media management, digital design, business planning, marketing, and researching. He is trained in Adobe Creative Suite, familiar with most web design platforms, and has assisted business owners using a variety of database, point-of-sale, and CRM systems. Joe recently became Crowdfund Better Certified and is prepared to help entrepreneurs plan, launch, and grow their businesses using crowdfunding as a fundraising tool.
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Joe's duties include one-on-one business advisement as well as marketing efforts to raise awareness about the Pace SBDC and its offerings. As part of his work with the SBDC, Joe has engaged with Pace’s Entrepreneurship Club and looks forward to establishing deep relationships with both his clients and the small business community at-large. Prior to joining the Pace SBDC, Joe worked as an intern for the New York Public Library, an academic mentor through Pace’s AHRC NYC program, and as a technical assistant with New York Film Academy. A proud Pace University alumni, Joe graduated from Pace’s Pforzheimer Honors College and Lubin School of Business with a BBA in Arts Management and minor in Digital Media Studies.
In his free time, Joe is a remote volunteer for the Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation, a non-profit working to prevent suicide in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. Joe also works as a mentor for Defy Ventures, an organization in New York seeking to empower formerly incarcerated people through entrepreneurship.
Roxanna Astorga
Counseling Coordinator​
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Roxanna has worked for the Brooklyn Small Business Development Center since 1997 growing, learning, and acquiring a vast amount of knowledge on the small business and startup industry. Roxanna’s role grew over the years from administrative support to office manager. Roxanna works directly with the center director in assisting and managing accounts, payments, receivables, and travel reimbursements as well as assisting the director with program planning, creating and distributing marketing materials, handling the center’s social media platforms, and executing events such as educational workshops and networking sessions.
Pedro Soto
Business Advisor
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Pedro Soto has been an advisor for the NYSBDC network for three years and is now serving the Pace Small Business Development Center as a certified business advisor. He holds an associate degree in mathematics and a bachelor’s degree in business and economic development, specializing in corporate finance. Pedro holds certifications in SEO, website development, Crowdfund Better, Project Management, Cyber Security, and is an expert in digital marketing, branding, financial projections, and government contracting.
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During the pandemic’s peak, Pedro assisted over 860 small businesses, generating $10.3 million in economic impact. His efforts led the Brooklyn Small Business Development Center to win the 2023 SBA Small Business Development Center for Excellence and Innovation Award. Additionally, he serves as the President and chair of Ole, a committee focused on providing resources and opportunities to the Latino community. Pedro has been featured on “Kitchen Nightmares” with celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay and has collaborated with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to create advertisements for Mayor Adams’ office.
Pedro is committed to lifelong learning and continues to develop in other areas, such as franchise, as the FranNet ambassador for Brooklyn. He collaborates with other organizations and creates partnerships to improve the services provided by the SBDC. Pedro’s dedication to excellence and community improvement makes him an invaluable asset to the Pace Small Business Development Center.
Nishtha Sood
Intern
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Nishtha Sood is a student intern at the Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). She is currently a graduate student at the Lubin School of Business pursuing a MBA in Marketing Analytics.
Nishtha has had the opportunity to work cross-functionally with teams to research and partner with businesses, as well as manage social media content on Facebook, Instagram, and more. In these roles, she has enjoyed working with and analyzing data to create consumer insights and solutions.
Nishtha's technical skills include programming languages like R, and Tableau, as well as social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Originally from India, Nishtha moved to NYC in 2024 to attend Pace University. She is excited to contribute her analytical skills and experience to the SBDC team.
Caroline Gomes
Intern
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Caroline Gomes is a student intern at the Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Marketing Analytics at the Lubin School of Business.
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Originally from Brazil, Caroline moved to the U.S. in 2019 on a volleyball scholarship to Colorado and later completed her BA in Business Management in Hawai’i. As a first-generation college student, she has gained hands-on experience managing projects, developing marketing strategies, and conducting market research to support small businesses.
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​Her 12 years as an athlete have instilled invaluable leadership and teamwork skills. Combined with her technical expertise in Web Development, Editorial Design, Excel, and social media platforms, these skills now drive her data-driven approach to marketing.
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Now based in NYC, she is excited to apply her analytical mindset and diverse experiences to make a meaningful impact at the SBDC.
