When you meet Mark L. Madrid, you are immediately struck by the energy he radiates. From the humble fields of the Texas Panhandle — where cattle outnumber people — to the boardrooms of America and the halls of Washington, D.C., his journey is a masterclass in grit, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership. A former Wall Street professional and now CEO and Founder of Breakthrough Mavens, Mark brings fractional c-suite services powered by AI and human connection to help small business owners dream bigger and achieve more.
Mark’s path to success is anything but conventional. He recalls a pivotal summer after his freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin when he sold books door-to-door in Olathe, Kansas. “I had to pay my way through school,” he shared. “I drove my Nissan Sentra to Nashville for sales training, picked my territory out of a hat, and went all-in.” The experience was grueling — door after door slammed in his face, calls to the police, and the sting of rejection. Yet, he persevered, finishing the program and earning the “Tough-Minded Business Award.” That early lesson in tenacity became the foundation for his leadership philosophy: energy, discipline, and grit—or as he calls it, ‘ganas.’
Mark’s journey would take him from selling books to conquering Wall Street, to leading organizations that drive real impact. He served as the President and CEO of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, CEO of the Latino Business Action Network and Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, and ultimately as a Presidential Appointee and head official at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), supporting millions of small businesses during the most turbulent economic period in recent history.
Reflecting on that time, Mark shared how personal loss shaped his leadership. “I lost my dad to COVID in 2020, while my mom was on the COVID floor. At the same time, I was leading a program at Stanford,” he said. “Then the call came to join the SBA transition team. I approached every decision with one question: How are the small business owners doing? I always fought a ground war, not an air war. I needed to understand their realities, their pain, their hopes.”
That empathy-driven approach powered his tenure at the SBA, where he traveled to 37 states in 40 months, meeting everyone from advanced manufacturers to local farmers to silk-tie makers. “Serving small businesses, our nation’s backbone, employing nearly half of the American workforce, was the greatest honor of my life,” he said.
Mark is absolutely correct. In the U.S. alone, small businesses represent a significant portion of the American economy – with over 33 million small businesses accounting for 99.9 percent of all U.S. firms. These businesses employ nearly half – or 46 percent – of the private sector workforce.
Mark’s leadership is deeply rooted in mantras that keep him focused and resilient. He begins each day at 4:45 a.m. with a cold shower and recites the Serenity Prayer. He also carries the memory of his late brother, Leroy, in his name as a daily reminder of life’s fragility and the importance of living fully. “I don’t see the glass as half-full — I see it as full,” he said. “Adversity has a way of shaping you if you let it.”
As a lifelong champion of small businesses, Mark is also candid about the traps entrepreneurs face. “If someone tells you to ‘get certified and you’ll be fine’ or ‘just write a business plan,’ that’s a red flag,” he cautions. “Generic advice isn’t enough. Small business owners deserve specific, actionable guidance that meets them where they are.”
Today, Mark’s mission is clearer than ever: to provide small businesses with modern, human-centered solutions that keep them competitive and resilient. Through Breakthrough Mavens, he combines AI-driven insights with empathetic, hands-on leadership to help entrepreneurs tackle challenges like access to capital, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and workforce retention. He also hosts “Small Business, Big Business with Mark L. Madrid” powered by C-Suite Media, bringing these conversations and solutions directly into the living rooms of business leaders everywhere.
What excites him most today? “Clarity,” he said. “Momentum doesn’t wait for permission. I’m inspired by leaders who are rising up, uniting, and reestablishing hope. Once you have hope, you are limitless.”
Mark L. Madrid’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, service, and staying mission-driven in the face of adversity. His career is a blueprint for leaders who want to make an impact: stay grounded, lead with empathy, and never lose sight of the people you serve.
