Meet Marcos Cruz
A Letter from the Founder
Marcos Cruz
Founder & Lead Mentor
Fairfield College Prep '27
Ariel Urvina
Vice President · Son of Ecuadorian immigrants · San Fernando
Justin Jimenez
Vice President · Son of Mexican immigrants · Puebla
Student. Mentor. Community Builder.
My journey began as a Spanish tutor at an underprivileged school in Bridgeport, where I would sit with immigrant students after class and translate their homework, often the only bridge between the lesson and their families at home. Seeing those same families struggle with banking, credit, and basic financial decisions, I realized the need went far deeper than language. Rooted in Jesuit service and Ignatian principles, the call to be "people for others" and to act with discernment, compassion, and justice, I founded Bridges 2 Business alongside two close friends who share the same lived experience: Ariel Urvina, the son of Ecuadorian immigrants from the small town of San Fernando who himself temporarily lived in Ecuador, and Justin Jimenez, whose parents immigrated from the small town of Puebla, Mexico. All three of us grew up watching our families navigate a financial system that wasn't built for them, and that firsthand experience is what drives everything we build.
Curriculum Designer
Built all 25 financial literacy lessons from scratch
Community Mentor
Personally coaches families across Fairfield County
Bilingual Educator
Teaches and mentors in both English and Spanish
Connecticut-Based
Focused on CT immigrant communities statewide
As Your Mentor
I personally review every question submitted through this platform and respond to each one. My goal is simple: make sure no immigrant family feels lost when it comes to banking, credit, taxes, housing, or building a business in the United States.
Vision for Expansion
What started as a grant-funded project at Fairfield Prep is now growing into something bigger. My goal is to partner with Connecticut state agencies to make Bridges 2 Business an official statewide financial literacy program, reaching every immigrant family across all 169 Connecticut towns, with free workshops, certified mentors, and bilingual resources.
Financial literacy is not a luxury. It is the foundation every immigrant family deserves.
Our Journey
Marcos Cruz starts teaching bilingual financial literacy classes in Bridgeport schools.
Bridges 2 Business receives a competitive grant from Fairfield Prep's grant program.
Full curriculum of 25 financial literacy lessons designed from scratch and launched.
Students at Fairfield Prep join the initiative as volunteers and co-educators.
Over 100 students and families educated across 5 Connecticut cities.
Working toward official Connecticut government designation across all 169 towns.
Our Mission
To dismantle the language and knowledge barriers that prevent immigrant communities from building generational wealth in the United States.
Our Values
Community First
Every program is designed with and for the immigrant families we serve.
Education as Equity
Financial knowledge is a right, not a privilege. We teach in both languages.
Generational Impact
We're not just teaching budgets — we're building pathways to generational wealth.
Get in Touch
Have questions, want to partner, or bring a workshop to your community? Reach out directly.
p27mcruz@fairfieldprep.org