Luis Cruz grew up in Chicago's Little Village community, where he was shaped by a culture of resilience, hard work, and strong community ties. Those early experiences continue to influence his commitment to expanding access and opportunity for the next generation.
With more than two decades of experience across engineering, enterprise software, and operational leadership, Luis has built a career focused on creating structure, scalability, and performance within complex organizations. He began his career at Motorola, contributing to the development of the EMX-2500 switch before taking on a leadership role in software integration for the launch of the Motorola RAZR, one of the most successful mobile devices of its time.
He later joined On Point Technology, where he rose to Director of Operations, overseeing Customer Success, Software Implementations, and the Project Management Office. In this role, he led large-scale enterprise software deployments across multiple state agencies, including a $35 million implementation for the State of Iowa. He also played a key role in building the operational frameworks, delivery systems, and team structures that supported the company's transition from legacy systems to a modern SaaS platform.
Today, Luis is the founder of Upgrade Technology Group, where he helps organizations modernize through automation, artificial intelligence, and scalable operational systems designed to improve efficiency and long-term performance.
Luis has been actively involved in leadership and community-building throughout his career. He was a founding member and former National President of Omega Delta National Fraternity and a founding member and former Co-Chair of the University of Illinois Latino Alumni Association, helping expand both organizations' reach and community impact. Luis also founded ChicagoToyDrive.org, which, for over a decade, delivered thousands of toys annually to families in underserved communities during the holiday season. He has also served on nonprofit boards including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, ALPFA Chicago, and the St. Jude Hispanic Advisory Board.
Luis founded Ctrl Shift Project to address a gap he understands firsthand. He believes that many young people in communities like Little Village are not lacking ability, but access. Through Ctrl Shift, he is committed to providing early exposure to technology, digital literacy, and emerging tools like artificial intelligence, helping students expand their perspective and accelerate their growth.