Outstanding Business Leader Alessandra Lezama

Each year, CLIMB selects one business leader who exemplifies the philosophy of the Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building and is an exemplar of economic innovation, community involvement, philanthropic contributions, as well as business success! This year the leader selected is an exemplary role model driven by a deep rooted social purpose who is sure to inspire the next generation of business leaders...our students.

Alessandra Lezama is the CEO and founder of TOOTRiS, the first ever on-demand child care platform that connects parents, employers, childcare providers, and family support and subsidy services.  Passionate about technology, Lezama has has an impressive career of taking underperforming tech companies and turning them into scalable, high-performance powerhouses. Prior to founding TOOTRiS, she was the CEO for multiple technology companies, including AbacusNext, a San Diego-based company she stepped into with 29 employees and, in less than four years, transformed into a disruptive global technology organization with more than 500 employees across San Diego, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Lezama was named “Businesswomen of the Year” by the San Diego Business Journal, and won the “Connect Women of Influence Emerging Woman-Owned Business Award” in 2020 for her work with TOOTRiS.  She currently serves on the Board and Management Council of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the California Preschool Business Council and the San Diego County Child Care and Development Planning Council, where alongside other Child Care stakeholders she passionately advocates for quality early childhood education. Lezama is also an angel investor, and an advocate for women pursuing careers in tech and other STEM fields.