Against the striking backdrop of Acrisure Arena, California Bank & Trust (CB&T) hosted its third annual Coachella Valley Trailblazers event – a celebration of grit, leadership, and the power of staying rooted while reaching higher.
With nearly 200 attendees, including business leaders, nonprofit changemakers, and entrepreneurship students from CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, the event delivered more than inspiration. It offered a playbook. Three featured speakers – Dr. Victor Cisneros (pictured above, second from right), Vee Sotelo (second from left), and Joel Diaz (center) – shared raw insights from their personal and professional journeys, with candid stories of setbacks, identity, and why they choose to give back.
A Stage Set for Substance
Kicking off the October 9th morning event, CB&T Vice President Andrew McDuffie set the tone of the event: “This is about real people, from this valley, sharing real lessons – and building real connections.”
McDuffie, joined by Monica Vasquez, Director of Community Giving at Eisenhower Health, moderated the hour-long conversation. Together, they framed the session around five themes: leadership, risk, identity, giving, and legacy.
An eager audience enjoyed the CV Trailblazers’ insights.
From the Fields to the Ring: Joel Diaz
Long before he became the Coachella Valley’s most respected boxing coach and nationally known for his craft, Joel Diaz was a farmworker kid. He worked alongside his parents in the fields – something few knew about the now-renowned trainer. Diaz later built the Diaz Brothers Boxing Foundation, coaching and mentoring youth and professional fighters.
Asked about leadership, Diaz kept it simple: “Be a teacher. Be present. Help people reach their goals.” His most pivotal moment? Opening a gym in a gutted building during the COVID-19 shutdowns. “No income, no job, but I saw kids who needed something. People thought I was crazy,” he said. “Now, we have a place where they learn discipline and leave with a smile.”
A Legacy of Law and Humanity: Vee Sotelo, Esq.
Vee Sotelo, a partner and chair of the Labor & Employment Law Department at SBEMP Attorneys, commands respect in courtrooms, but she’s just as committed to connecting across social divides. Her family fled Vietnam during the fall of Saigon. That journey shapes her worldview.
When asked about what she would like her legacy to be, she said, “I hope people remember me as someone who built bridges. There’s no difference between a billionaire and the woman waiting on your table. Everyone is working hard to take care of their family and put food on the table. We sometimes forget that.”
Sotelo champions collaborative leadership and says she intentionally avoids pedestal status. “I’d rather people work with me than follow behind me.”
Her biggest risk? “Having kids. Nothing terrified me more, but it’s my proudest decision.”
A Doctor With an Equation: Victor Cisneros, MD, MPH
Dr. Victor Cisneros, Eisenhower Health’s Director of Community Medicine, brought math to medicine – literally. An engineer before becoming a physician, he shared his personal formula for leadership: (Authenticity + Responsibility + Commitment + Humility) ÷ Self-Interest.
“You raise your leadership coefficient by lowering your self-interest,” he explained.
Cisneros also knows hardship. He was once homeless, doing homework in the back seat of his parents’ car. “I applied to med school twice. The first time, I had to start over after my school lost accreditation,” he said. “Failure can be your best teacher.”
Today, he wants to create debt-free medical pathways for students from the Coachella Valley and train a generation of physicians who reflect the patients they serve. “I want to break down silos in healthcare. That’s the legacy I’m chasing.”
The Power of Place
Each panelist described the Coachella Valley as more than a backdrop; it’s a driving force. Diaz praised the community’s unwavering support. Sotelo recalled moving from Hawaii and being surprised by how quickly this desert became “home.” Cisneros, an Orange County transplant after attending medical school at UC Irvine, said the valley mirrored his own upbringing and gave him a purpose.
“I see patients who look like me, who speak the same language, who come from similar stories,” he said. “It’s not just where I work. It’s where I serve.”
On Giving Back: More Than a Check
When the conversation turned to philanthropy, the panelists emphasized hands-on service. For Diaz, it’s about mentoring. “Every kid who walks into my gym is family,” he said.
Sotelo said she often waives legal fees for struggling small businesses. “We’ll figure it out. What matters is helping them survive.”
Cisneros said giving means mentorship and scholarships, especially for first-generation students: “Invest in people, not just programs.”
California Bank & Trust: A Community-First Strategy
In a post-panel interview, Andrew McDuffie made clear that Trailblazers is more than a brand initiative. It reflects CB&T’s commitment to relationship-first banking.
“CB&T’s been in the valley for over 30 years,” McDuffie said. “But with the acquisition of First Bank and our new partnership with Acrisure Arena, we’re going even deeper. Our emphasis is to truly know and interact with our clients, support our communities, and provide real advice, not just transactions.”
Speaking of relationships, McDuffie emphasizes CB&T’s venerable community banking approach. “For us, we have always believed in having business clients that actually know their banker, know who to call to be a resource. Someone who is more than just a banker, but an advisor,” he said. “That’s always been our strategy. I think with the expansion of the CB&T footprint, we’re able to lean into that even more. We brought the entire staff over to ensure nobody lost their job during the transition. So, we’ve all continued forward, and we’re just looking to keep doing the same mission we’ve always done, which is supporting the community, putting the customers first, and helping them make common-sense decisions and help support them as needed.”
Trailblazers, he added, will return for a fourth year in 2026. CB&T also sponsors and produces Coachella Valley Giving Day, which stimulates donations and heightens awareness for local nonprofits during a 24-hour online giving challenge. The fourth annual Coachella Valley Giving Day, in partnership with Desert Community Foundation, is slated for March 3, 2026. The first three events helped generate more than two million dollars for local organizations.
“We’re here to stay,” McDuffie said. “And we’re here to serve.”
