El Centro Chicano y Latino, one of Stanford’s eight community centers for students, is receiving a generous gift from Stanford trustee José E. Feliciano, MBA ’99, and his partner, Kwanza Jones. Their investment strengthens a range of initiatives designed to enrich student life, promote community and well-being, and foster connection across the university.
Part of their gift endows the directorship of El Centro, a position held by Elvira Prieto. Prieto is now the inaugural Nélida y Luis E. Feliciano Director of El Centro – a name that honors Feliciano’s parents.
El Centro is the fifth of Stanford’s community centers to receive a lasting source of funding through an endowed directorship – joining the Asian American Activities Center, the Black Community Services Center, Queer Student Resources, and the First-Generation and/or Low-Income Student Success Center.
“A great deal of Stanford education comes from the people students meet here and what they learn from one another,” said President Jonathan Levin. “El Centro contributes to that education by bringing students together around Chicano and Latino cultures and welcoming students from every background. We are grateful to José and Kwanza for ensuring lasting support for its leadership and for their investment in student opportunities across the university. Their gift will help students discover new interests through the arts, get to know people whose experiences differ from their own, and make the most of their time at Stanford.”
A lasting foundation for community centers
Founded in 1978, El Centro Chicano y Latino has been a vital part of the Stanford student experience for nearly five decades. As one of the university’s Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership, it is open to all students and provides mentoring, cultural programming, academic support, and opportunities for leadership development. About 85 percent of undergraduates report engaging with at least one community center during their time at Stanford, and the centers play a key role in student recruitment and retention.
“This gift strengthens not only El Centro but also programs across the university that nurture student leadership, creativity, and resilience,” said Stanford Provost Jenny Martinez. “We are so grateful for José and Kwanza’s generosity, which will ensure that Stanford students will continue to have transformative opportunities for years to come.”
The endowed directorship provides permanent support for staffing and programming at El Centro, ensuring that the center can continue to evolve with the needs of students. The funding it provides strengthens the center’s ability to provide robust academic mentorship, support mental health and well-being, and foster cultural expression and dialogue.
“Attending Stanford changed my life, and working at El Centro, in addition to previously serving as a Resident Fellow at Casa Naranja, Casa Zapata, and most recently Adams House, has allowed me to pay it forward,” said Prieto, who is also an associate dean in student affairs. “Permanent support for the directorship will give us the stability to meet student needs while ensuring the center remains a welcoming home for all.”
Honoring family, creating pathways
Feliciano was raised in Puerto Rico in a family that emphasized education as a path to opportunity. He followed a classmate’s encouragement to apply to Princeton, where he earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering and met his partner in business and life, Kwanza. Feliciano later completed his MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Feliciano is co-founder and managing partner of Clearlake Capital Group, a leading global investment firm. Additionally, he and Jones are the principal owners of Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres. Feliciano credits his parents’ sacrifices – and the lessons he learned at Stanford – with shaping both his career trajectory and his commitment to giving back.
Jones is an attorney, recording artist, and philanthropist who founded SUPERCHARGED, a media company that specializes in self-development and hosts a community-driven platform that builds knowledge and networks. Through the Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative, they invest in projects focused on education, entrepreneurship, equity, and empowerment.
“Education has made an enormous difference in both of our lives, thanks in large part to our parents’ sacrifices,” said Feliciano and Jones in a statement. “Naming this directorship for José’s parents, Nélida and Luis, is a meaningful way to honor them and carry their belief in education forward. Through our initiative, we are investing in people and helping them turn opportunity into something lasting. With this gift, we want students at El Centro and across Stanford to feel they belong, take pride in where they come from, and have the support to pursue their ambitions. We also hope to give students more opportunities to experience the arts, learn across cultures, and discover how those experiences can enrich their education and what they contribute to the world.”
Strengthening a culture of belonging
In addition to the endowed directorship, the couple’s gift will sustain Nuestra Graduación, the annual celebration of graduates hosted by El Centro; provide scholarships with preference for residents of Casa Zapata, a long-standing residential community that fosters cross-cultural learning and connection; and establish student leadership awards for undergraduates and graduate students who exemplify the couple’s philanthropic pillars of education, entrepreneurship, equity, and empowerment. The gift also strengthens the BOLD Fellows Fund at the Graduate School of Business and launches a pilot Stanford Arts Collective, designed to bring together students, faculty, and alumni through curated performances and exhibitions that broaden access to the arts on campus.
El Centro has long been a cornerstone of student life at Stanford, shaping how students, faculty, and staff connect with one another. It is a place where academic and cultural support overlap with friendship and mentorship, helping generations of students feel at home at Stanford.
“El Centro became a vital part of my campus life from the very beginning of my doctoral program,” said Ed’d Luna Bhagwandeen, PhD ’28, who has served as a scholar in residence at El Centro. “I knew it was legit when professional staff started moving boxes so my classmates and I could have space to work through p-sets together even before the academic year started. The work that the community and staff at Centro put into making sure everyone finds a place at Stanford continues to inspire in me a sense of strength, resilience, and enduring purpose.”
“This gift strengthens the spaces and programs where students build community at Stanford,” said Michele Rasmussen, vice provost for student affairs. “By investing in connection, well-being, and opportunity, José and Kwanza are helping ensure that every student can find a true sense of belonging here.”
