Stephanie Buentello is a transformational leader, speaker, trainer, author, and community advocate whose journey is defined by resilience, purpose, and a commitment to creating opportunities—not only for herself, but also for those coming behind her.
With more than 20 years of leadership experience at Wells Fargo, Stephanie built an accomplished career spanning sales, operations, analytics, fraud prevention, risk management, talent development and organizational leadership across Texas and Arizona. Throughout her career, one principle has remained constant: People are at the heart of great leadership.
Stephanie has dedicated much of her professional and community work to developing people, mentoring emerging leaders, championing mental health and well-being, and helping create workplaces where individuals feel seen, valued, and empowered to succeed.
Her leadership experience includes serving as Regional Director for Central South for an employee resource group, overseeing three Texas markets. She also served as Co-President of the San Antonio Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America, an organization committed to developing and empowering Latino leaders.
In 2026, Stephanie transformed a season of transition into one of expansion. On August 1, she launched The Stephanie Standard, a speaking and training business built around a simple but powerful belief: Organizations perform better when they put people at the center.
As a certified Jon Gordon Trainer and Speaker, Stephanie works with leaders, businesses, students, educators, and administrators to develop people-centered cultures grounded in trust, clarity, connection, accountability, and performance. Her work encourages leaders to understand that strong results begin with how they support, develop, and value people.
On September 2, 2026, Stephanie added an international bestselling co-author to her story with the release of Mujeres Rising. Her chapter, “A Roadmap Made, Not Given,” reflects a life marked by courageous firsts, navigating spaces without an established roadmap and learning that sometimes the path we are searching for is the one we are called to create ourselves.
Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi and a master’s degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.
She was recognized as one of ALPFA’s Latinas to Watch for 2024 and is a proud graduate of the UCLA Latino Leaders Program. Her leadership, professional performance, and dedication to her community have earned her numerous awards and recognitions throughout her career.
Today, Stephanie is intentionally writing the next chapter of her life and career. After more than two decades of professional achievement, she is embracing reinvention—not as starting over, but as building forward with every lesson, accomplishment, challenge, and experience she has earned along the way.
Whether she is speaking to a room, mentoring an emerging leader, facilitating a training, advocating for mental health, building community, or sharing her own story, Stephanie’s mission is to remind people of what becomes possible when they lead with courage, authenticity, and purpose.
Her standard is simple: Lead people well, create the road when one does not exist and leave every space better than you found it.
Outside of her professional and community work, Stephanie treasures time with family and friends. She loves traveling, attending concerts and spending time with her beloved fur baby, Benny.
Through every chapter, Stephanie Buentello continues to demonstrate what it means to lead with purpose while creating a path for others to follow.
