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Find the perfect holiday gift at the Latinas Are Back In Business silent auction!

December 7, 2021/0 Comments/in Featured, Lifestyle /by Victoria Arena

The holiday season is upon us and everyone is looking for the perfect holiday gift for loved ones. Our annual fundraiser and silent auction this year centers around the joy of giving and receiving. Thanks to our wonderful donors, we have a variety of amazing prizes available from businesses within our Latinas in Business community.

Join us in celebrating and amplifying the voices of minority owned small businesses and entrepreneurs this holiday season!

The free virtual event will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, December 8 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm EST –Zoom and Live streamed on Latinas in Business Facebook page, featuring special guests, celebrities and female founders.

You won’t want to miss it! Register now!

Bid on amazing holiday gifts and support minority owned businesses

We shared some of the prizes available last week, and now thanks to our donors we have even more prizes to share! Find the perfect holiday gifts for your loved ones and help support minority owned businesses this holiday season.

A Visit to Oaxaca’s Mexico Culture and Pride – Spend one week in Oaxaca as Adriana Pavon’s guest to share her mission at Mexico Culture and Pride.

Adriana is the creator of Mexico Culture & Pride (Mexico Cultura y Orgullo), an initiative inspired by traditional Mexican textiles and fashion accessories designs who employs artisans and crafters from indigenous cultures around the country.

The trip includes: Hotel, Food, local transportation, guided visits, and unique experiences for 7 nights. Air transportation is not included.

1-night with New York View from Edgewater Hotel! – 1-night stay certificate that includes a breakfast buffet for 2 people.

Courtyard Edgewater NYC Area is ideally situated in New Jersey along the shore of the Hudson River, just steps away from sweeping views of the iconic New York City skyline. The waterfront hotel boasting stylish decor is just a one-mile scenic ferry ride away from popular landmarks in Midtown, Time Square, and the Garment District. Stylish rooms with contemporary decor are well-equipped with plush bedding, efficient ergonomic workspaces, mini-refrigerators, and a 39-inch LED flat-screen TV.

Stay connected throughout your journey with our complimentary Wi-Fi, premium movie channels, and a modern business center. Before ending your night, stop by The Bistro for delicious casual dining and enjoy a cocktail.

FAB Cenia NY Stretch Crepe Forest Green Dress – Look Fab in this Dress by Latina designer Cenia NY for the Holidays!

Cenia New York is a revolutionary, tasteful, and sexy clothing line for women who celebrate their femininity and want to look radiant no matter what size or body type.

Designer Dress by Yas Gonzalez – Genesis, a dress part of the collection “Letters to Jesus” by Yas Gonzalez.

Yas González is a fashion designer, journalist, and businesswoman of Cuban origin based in the United States.

Her company “House of Yas” has produced pieces for artists such as Alejandro Sanz, La India, Diana Fuentes or the duo Gente de Zona. She has also been in charge of making costumes for music videos for Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Pitbull. She is recognized as the first Cuban to have presented her work at Paris Fashion Week.

Simplify your wash day with our 3-Step System! – Plus a one-hour hair consult with Scarlett Rocourt, the founder of Wonder Curl & Healthy Hair Summit.

This bundle includes: 8oz Detoxifying Clay Cleanser, 8oz Moisturizing Hair Pudding, 8oz Get Set Hair Jelly

Scarlett has been a hair enthusiast ever since she was a small child, styling everyone’s hair in her family as well as becoming the resident “hairstylist” in her college dorms. Her love of hair became a business when she founded Wonder Curl. She wanted to create hair products that worked on all textures of curly hair that simplified the styling process down to just 2-3 products. With over 11 years in the natural hair industry, having done hundreds of hair demonstrations as well as researched curly hair, she has become an expert in caring for our hair.

Get Sweet Love for your Holiday Gifts! – A beautiful basket full of delicious and amazing holiday gifts for you or someone you love!

Basket includes:

*Swarovski Earrings

*Foot lotion

*Cozy socks

*Caramel Popcorn

*Coffee mug

*Chocolates

*Mini agenda

*A coupon for 50% off for SweetLove products

Lourdes “Lulu” Carey is the owner of SweetLove gifts, an online gift shop that personalizes anything you can think of, from wine bottles to balloons and surprise boxes. Her growing business is still new, but Lulu is proud of what she has accomplished so far and the support she has received from her community. Joe. A full-time mom and Local Consultant for Cultural Care Au Pair, Lulu decided to start her small business, SweetLove, after discovering her creative side this past year.

A Lemonade Day “Little Lemmy Curriculum” Package – The Lemonade Day “Little Lemmy Curriculum” package is ideally suited for a church youth group, a classroom, a homeschool teacher, or a library.

Limited to no more than 50 youth participants. Includes basic program training provided by the National office.

Lemonade Day is a fun, experiential program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their very own business – a lemonade stand. Each year, in participating cities, youth have the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship by setting up their business during their city’s community-wide Lemonade Day.

Ace your Next Job Interview with Gabby Rincon! – Learn how to Connect, Communicate and Finally Ace your next Job Interview in English.

ONE-HOUR PRE-INTERVIEW WITH GABBY RINCON PLUS HER RESULTS-DRIVEN COURSE.

“I’ve packaged up for you my own simple and strategic interview preparation program to guide you every step of the way.

This is not a traditional course full of “tricks” or lists of common job interview questions. It is a transformational self-study program designed to give you the support, practice, and feedback you need.”

You will also learn from exclusive hiring managers the exact steps you need to follow on how you can stand out from the competition, but more importantly, you’ll have a step-by-step plan that leaves nothing out and takes nothing for granted as you implement it.

The end result: You will have the strategies and tools to answer any question. You will also feel comfortable, prepared, and confident expressing yourself for your next interview in English. And your chances of getting hired will increase dramatically.

Digital Protocol and Etiquette Workshop – for 20 people – Led by Felipe Forero-Hauzeur (en español).

This 2-hour workshop is designed for teams. Felipe goes through the key concepts explained in his book “Manual de Protocolo y Etiqueta Digital. Productividad en la Nueva Realidad Digital”.

The book can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CDG74J6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

This workshop has been implemented with teams in companies like Ogilvy, Anglo Gold Ashanti, Unimetro, Chambers of Commerce, and the Brooklyn2Bogota Digital Transformation Community incubation program, impacting more than 500 people on their work and productivity.

Workplace Productivity and Time Management – Problems with remote work and productivity? Your group to the next level!

Led by Rosario B Casas and Felipe Forero-Hauzeur (English or Spanish), this virtual workshop is for a group of up to 40 people in your workplace.

– Optimizing time management and being more productive has become a priority and a necessity; through simple methodologies and digital tools, we find help to build routines, create good habits, focus, be more productive, and thus improve your performance and at the same time, your quality of life, achieving the right balance, physical and mental health.

This workshop is a 4 hours workshop designed for teams and business leaders in every role. It results from the best practices and real experience Rosario and Felipe have. If you see what they accomplish daily and their success, you can see they work through excellence while having time for themselves. As for the last few years people used to ask them, “how you can do it without being overwhelmed” they decided to design the workshop.

A thousand entrepreneurs and business leaders benefited from the workshop and improved their use of time, productivity without the overwhelming sensation, and being happier.

Register Now on Eventbrite and visit our auction page to participate!

Register now for our Silent Auction for a chance to win big prizes from our donors!

December 1, 2021/0 Comments/in Conferences and events, Entrepreneurship, Featured /by Victoria Arena

This year’s Annual Fundraiser and Silent Auction is all about giving and receiving. For over a year, small businesses and entrepreneurs have struggled through hardships due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As an organization, Latinas in Business has been committed to amplifying the voices of minority small business owners and female founders through these turbulent times.

Our fundraiser this year, titled Latinas Are Back in Business, aims to bring together our vibrant community of business owners and entrepreneurs to celebrate their success and share their stories and experiences throughout the pandemic.

The Annual Fundraiser and Silent Auction will take place on December 8 from 4pm to 7pm, featuring special guests, celebrities and female founders.

“We are extremely excited and grateful that many sponsors and members are joining us to amplify the voice of Latinas suffering during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many female founders have suffered losses not only in their businesses but also in their families and friends. We want to bring a little joy and hope to many female founders and tell them we will continue to support them,” Susana G Baumann. President and CEO, said.

Join us for this free virtual event on Wednesday, December 8 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm EST –Zoom and Live streamed on Latinas in Business Facebook page.

You won’t want to miss this event! Register Now!

Register and make a bid for a chance to win big prizes!

The silent auction portion of the event will feature big prizes from our donors and fellow minority business owners, female founders, and entrepreneurs. Register for the event and make a bid for a chance to win one of these prizes. Below is a list of our confirmed donors so far, with more to come! View the full auction page here.

Crate & Twine Gift Box donated by co-founder Tania Molina. Crate & Twine combines the efforts of two strong, independent small business women from two distinct fields of industry. Tania, creator and owner of Villakuyaya Organic Dark Chocolates, and Suany Baca, creator and owner of Sweets by Suany, came together with a vision of uniquely curated gift boxes centered around Tania’s chocolates and Suany’s cookies and sweets, and filled in with heart and soul items that give the receiver of the gift box a feeling of love and pride from receiving.

Win one of these beautiful gift boxes to share with a loved one this holiday season. The gift box includes: Villakuyaya Chocolate Bars (3), Villakuyaya Hot Chocolate Jar, Villakuyaya Truffles (4), Sweet by Suany Alfajores Marplatences (2), Sweet by Suany Design Christmas Cookies (2), Sweet by Suany Choco Bomb by Villakuyaya Chocolate, Christmas Rompope, Palo Santo by South Rhoades Apothecary, Crocheted Mini Christmas Gnome by Lnkreactions, Fancy Matches by Candlefolk, and a Custom Candle.

Create your Business or Career Vision for 2022! donated by Dr. Ginny A. Baro. Connect with Dr. Ginny for a private 1-hr. VIP strategy & business acceleration session AND a copy of Dr. Ginny’s latest best-seller “Healing Leadership” book.

During that one hour, Dr. Ginny Baro will cover the top 3 challenges and create a 12-month practical action plan based on what’s most important and meaningful to you!

Dr. Ginny A. Baro is an award-winning international motivational speaker, certified leadership coach, career strategist, and #1 bestselling author of Fearless Women at Work. Named one of the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders, she delivers coaching programs, trainings, and keynotes to global audiences to develop individual women and leaders and helps Fortune 500 companies build inclusive leadership dream teams.

Group Session for 6 donated by Erica Sandoval. Erica is a passionate licensed clinical therapist who is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is also committed to amplifying the voices and businesses of Latinx social work leaders.

This prize includes an inspiring group session for 6 people on “How to Set Boundaries & Cultivate Joy with Latino Families this Holiday Season” Or “Navigating Difficult Conversations.”

Additionally, winner will receive a copy of Erica’s book, Latinx In Social Work, #1 Best Seller New Release on Amazon.

3-month Business Coach and Advisor to Grow! donated by Jennifer Garcia. Jennifer Garcia is a multi-faceted business professional and leadership coach with a passion for empowering people and transforming businesses.

Jennifer is also the founder of Fluential Leadership, a business and leadership consulting firm focused on elevating small-to-medium-sized business performance through developing and executing growth strategies, recruitment, and retaining talent.

Let Jennifer guide you and help you grow your business with this 3-month coaching package!

Improve your Life with YOGA virtual classes! donated by Norma Colón. Win 2 Sessions of 5 classes each that will teach you simple techniques!

Norma Colón, a proud Latina, born and raised in The South Bronx, brings her passion for Iyengar Yoga to every class and private lesson.

A Certified Iyengar Yoga instructor since 1999, (with other prior certifications) Norma has been practicing and teaching Yoga for more than 40 years, in the tradition of Yoga Master B.K.S. Iyengar since 1987. Norma has studied with many of the world’s top Iyengar Yoga teachers as well as with her Guru, B.K.S. Iyengar and his daughter, Gita Iyengar. She continues her studies with Abhijata Iyengar, even on Zoom.

Private YOGA classes to jumpstart your wellness! donated by Norma Colón. Place a bid on this prize for a chance to win 3 private yoga classes with Norma, an experienced certified yoga instructor with over 40 years teaching and specializing in Iyengar Yoga.

Reconnect to the Power Within with RENOVAD donated by Renovad Experiential Retreats. Renovad hosts world-class renovation experiences around the globe in destinations that evoke relaxation, inspiration and adventure, providing women of consequence a unique opportunity to reinvigorate mind, body, and soul.

Bid for a chance to win a $500 GIFT CERTIFICATE towards one Renovad 2022 Experiential Retreat.*

Choose from the following upcoming Retreats:

MOROCCO: Zagora Desert, Marrakech & Atlas Mountains, May 27 – June 4, 2022, OR GREECE: Athens, Paros & Santorini, Sept 3-10, 2022.

*Valid with the purchase of a complete CORE RETREAT PROGRAM. Please find additional information about these trips: https://www.renovad.co/retreats

4 VIP Tickets to Disney on Ice at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ donated by Investors Bank.

Thanks to Investors Bank, one of our amazing sponsors for this event, you will have a chance to make memories with your entire family at Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate! at Prudential Center in Newark NJ.

See your favorite Disney characters like never before! VIP tickets for the best location

We will also be giving away a number of Latina Inner Circle Memberships during the silent auction to all who participate on December 8 from 4 pm to 7 pm on our Facebook LIVE Streaming event.

To view the full list of prizes and donors, visit the silent auction page here. For more information and to register for the event visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/208728290937.

“Latinas are Back in Business” Annual Fundraiser and Silent Auction to continue advocating for female founders

November 19, 2021/0 Comments/in Conferences and events, Entrepreneurship, Featured /by Victoria Arena

Celebrities and small business owners will come together on December 8 from 4pm to 7pm in a virtual LIVE Streaming session to tell stories about the struggle of female founders during the pandemic, and how not only they survived but also thrived!

Latinas in Business Inc. is asking for the general public support for their Annual Fundraiser and Silent Auction to take place virtually on December 8 from 4pm to 7pm. The event will feature special guests, celebrities and female founders who will be interviewed to tell stories of resilience and success over the adversity of the Covid19 pandemic.

The free virtual event takes place on Wednesday, December 8 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm EST –Zoom and Live streamed on Latinas in Business Facebook page. For free registration to this event visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/208728290937. The event is open to the general public regardless of gender, race or ethnicity.

You might be interested: How women-led companies can raise more money through crowdfunding

Latinas are back in business! Join us for our annual fundraiser and silent auction to continue supporting female founders and entrepreneurs.

The Silent Auction page includes donations from major sponsors and also, high-end female brands including Renovad Experiential Retreats, Fashion Designers of Latin America, Stuyvesant Champagne, Villakuyaya Gourmet Chocolates, and many more. The lowest bid starts at $15 but viewing of the Silent Auction Page is free to all who register.

“We are very grateful to one of our main sponsors and supporters, Investors Bank, for donating one of the most valuable prices, 4 VIP tickets to the Disney on Ice, Let’s Celebrate show at Prudential Center in Newark NJ, for a value of $1000. And to the Investors Foundation, for providing a grant to support the event for another $1000,” Baumann added.

For registration to this free event, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/208728290937.

Rosario B. Casas shares how the pandemic has accelerated technology and tech trends to keep an eye on

May 4, 2021/0 Comments/in Accelerators, Entrepreneurship, Featured, Small business, Tech talk /by Victoria Arena

Since the pandemic, businesses have been forced to adapt to the “new normal,” causing a huge rise in tech advancement, tech trends, and reliance on digital tools to thrive.

Women-in-tech leader Rosario B. Casas is building a community for the digital transformation and business growth of Hispanic entrepreneurs. (Photo courtesy Rosario B. Casas)

During Latina in Business’ March virtual panel, “Latina Small Business Post-Covid: Recovery Resources and Trends,” panelists discussed how the pandemic has shifted our relationship with technology. Now more than ever, businesses are relying on digital tools to connect with customers, grow, and thrive.

Rosario B. Casas, award-winning women-in-tech advocate and co-founder of Business Creative Partners, BCPartnersTech, shared some insights on recent tech trends that have emerged since the pandemic.

The pandemic fueled huge leaps in tech advancement

Speaking with panel moderator, Pilar Avila, Latinas in Business executive board member and founder of Renovad Experiential Retreats, Rosario shared some insights into the world of tech. In our increasingly fast paced world, tech is always changing and growing. However the pandemic caused an even greater push to the pace of change.

Rosario B Casas, Colombian born serial entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Business Creative Partners (BCPartnersTech), and award-winning women-in-tech advocate.

Rosario B. Casas 12:30

Since the pandemic has started, we finally realized that the world is not going back to where we were before. It means that the pace of change will be increasing, like double every year. I mean, many technologies, and in the use of technology, the world advanced like 10 years, during the pandemic. It means companies finally understood that they can’t fuel their companies or can’t plan their companies without the use of technology to be more efficient. But with all this, and in every industry, if you see, we realize that sustainable energy is important. Finally, we get that point. And of course, many industries will need to update their sensors, their installations, everything. And with that, what comes is basically that training and education and learning is not anymore, an alternative, it’s a must. It is not possible to think that I will keep being myself with what I know today for the next years to come.

Rosario emphasizes that going forward, as tech advancement continues, adaptation and lifelong learning will be a must, not just for individuals, but companies and organizations as well. For businesses to thrive, post-pandemic, and keep up with evolving tech trends they will need to start adapting and learning side-by-side with the changing technologies.

Rosario B. Casas 14:30

It means acquiring new skills every day to be updated….And also upscaling, it means if I already know how to do this, how I’m jumping into the next level of training. And with that, I am sure that events like this are not only becoming part of that lifelong learning educational system in formal educational system, but of course, that people with kids and people with adults at their homes will fill that gap that they need to bridge with training and education in new ways that we were not imagining before.

Pilar Avila 15:19

Amazing. So the growth trend, and the possibilities that technology and digital applications bring is not only about one sector of the economy or one function, it really goes across every function of business. But this topic of training and lifelong learning, has been absolutely transformed during the pandemic, thanks to the accessibility of technology.

You might be interested: Innovative attitude: the 7 keys to becoming an innovative entrepreneur

Technology photo created by creativeart – www.freepik.com

Three key tech trends business owners and entrepreneurs should tap into

Pilar Avila 24:20

I want to hear a little bit more about how you know on the ground, you’re helping companies really coming to the digital age, and what are the trends, maybe certain applications beyond the workforce engagement that you might be observing that we need to be aware of and tapping?

Rosario B. Casas 24:40

Well, yes, sure. Thank you. When the pandemic started, and we started with my husband, seeing small businesses closing, we decided to create a program, a 10 weeks program for small business owners in order to help them acquire not only digital skills but also a digital mindset. And well Susana [Baumann] is one of our coaches, and we have 65 phenomenal mentors. But the idea is to create a community of Hispanic business owners both in the US and Latin America because also if small businesses are closing any of both geographies we are having huge issues….We need these businesses to keep thriving, growing. And of course, their leadership is growing in the new digital era.

Where I see the three key [tech] trends: Ecommerce, for sure and E-services is a must. The second is, all the touchless economy, how we can grow the services and the systems without or avoiding the risk of touching and cleaning and acquiring or assuming all that cost that it implies. And Google has amazing tools for where technology companies can build things there. And the last thing that I think is Productivity and Personal Life, for sure, is a trend. We need business owners to learn how to be productive, how to use technology to make their life easier, how to automate processes, right. And basically, these three trends are where we are trying and helping business owners to acquire skills.

Through the 10-week incubator program, Brookly2Bogota, which is currently running in both New York and Colombia, business owners and entrepreneurs gain access to tools, mentors, networking, and training to accelerate the growth of their company in the new digital world post-COVID and carry out the digital transformation they require while acquiring knowledge and skills related to design thinking and agile methodologies.

The program is currently on its second cohort. For more information visit: brooklyn2bogota.mn.co/

How this Latina owned makeup brand is inspiring self-confidence and empowerment

July 31, 2020/2 Comments/in Featured, Lifestyle, Our LIBizus /by Victoria Arena

Melissa Polanco is the co-founder of Ella’s Eve Cosmetics —a Latina owned makeup brand that promotes confidence and celebrates inner beauty. Co-founded with her sister, Lissa, the two are working to build a community centered around self-confidence, authenticity, and empowerment.

Ella’s Eve Cosmetics Co-founder, Melissa Polanco (Photo courtesy Melissa Polanco)

Representing Latinas in the makeup industry

Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Melissa and Lissa, moved to the U.S. to pursue their college education. Neither had plans on launching a beauty brand, with Melissa’s background being in higher education and Lissa’s in event planning. However, both found a love for makeup that grew from a hobby to a passion and would eventually become their brand, Ella’s Eve.

It was two years ago that the sisters got to talking about starting their own makeup brand and becoming entrepreneurs. Neither one had any formal background in cosmetology, but over the years they had found a love for makeup while watching YouTube tutorials and following their favorite influencers on social media.

“We have passion for it, so we learned by researching shades, products, manufacturers, etc,” says Melissa.

While doing their research they noticed that there were not that many Latina owned makeup brands.This further motivated them to pursue their dreams and make their brand successful.

“We wanted to join the world of entrepreneurship and show women like us that you can do it too as long as you put in the work and have the passion for it,” says Melissa.

In 2018, the sister-duo finally launched Ella’s Eve, offering 5 shades of liquid lipstick. Later they would expand their collection to add a variety of products including lip lacquers and an eye shadow palette.

Ella’s Eve Cosmetics “Velvet Posh Liquid Lips” (Photo courtesy Melissa Polanco)

Being Real

As a Latina owned makeup brand, Melissa and Lissa wanted to make sure they were authentically representing their brand and their roots. From the start they knew that self-confidence and authenticity would be at the heart of their branding. We see too much with makeup that it is considered “fake” or inauthentic. Many see makeup as a mask, but Melissa and Lissa wanted to redefine people’s relationship to makeup. Their mission was to create a brand that would provide quality, cruelty-free products with honesty and help people highlight their natural beauty and boost their confidence.

Confidence comes from being real, the makeup only enhances the beauty that was already there. This authenticity can be seen in every aspect of Ella’s Eve Cosmetics. It’s in their founders, in their products, and in their branding.

Sister-duo, Lissa and Melissa, Co-founders of Ella’s Eve Cosmetics showing off their liquid lipsticks (Photo courtesy Melissa Polanco)

“Because we are a small business, we have very limited resources. We literally wear many hats while operating Ella’s Eve,” says Melissa. “We are the marketers, the faces of the brand, the customer service, the photographer, etc.”

This can be overwhelming at times, but Melissa loves that she gets to be so involved in every aspect of the brand. This gives them the ability to reach their customers on another level. By being so involved, they are easily approachable.

“One of our main focuses is to be reachable and relatable in a way where our customers feel free to reach out to us and feel like they are reaching out to a friend,” she says. “It can be just reaching out to ask a question about our products or even sending us a DM to share the love for our brand or products. We are building a community around love and acceptance and I believe our customers see that.”

In one of their recent promotion videos, their authentic selves shined through unexpectedly, and it was a success among their followers.

What was supposed to be a serious “ad” turned carefree and fun. The “this is me” outtakes that Melissa filmed of her sister wearing one of their lip shades ended up being what they posted to their social media.

A new addition to Ella’s Eve, the “Make It Your Eve” eyeshadow Palette (Photo courtesy Melissa Polanco)

“Our followers loved it and even commented how real and refreshing it looked because it was different. That is what we want,” says Melissa. “We want to promote the real us, which reflects our brand and remind everyone that what is important is to be you and love who you are.”

Inspiring confidence in your dreams

Loving who you are is the first step to taking over the world and achieving your dreams. Melissa and Lissa want to not only inspire people to feel confident in their appearances but also in achieving their dreams.

When they began Ella’s Eve Cosmetics, they were inspired by the lack of Latina owned makeup brands in the industry. They wanted to make a change and show others that they too can achieve their goals.

“We now get approached by fellow Latina women who share their support and how proud they are that two Latina sisters are going for their goals. They love how relatable we are and this is one of the things that I love the most because it makes me feel proud that I am representing us in this industry,” says Melissa.

That representation matters. It shows Latinas all over the country that they too can make their dreams come true. It gives them confidence.

You might be interested: Success for 21st Century women entrepreneurs

“Never put yourself down,” Melissa says to other minority women looking to start their own business. “Put yourself out there and go for it. There might be instances where some doors are shut or things don’t go as planned, but always look forward and never give up.”

Just be authentic. Love yourself and be proud of who you are, inside and out. With confidence, anything is possible.

2019 Pitch Competition winner at the Latina SmallBiz Expo takes $2000 Cash

November 12, 2019/1 Comment/in Entrepreneurship, Featured, Our LIBizus, Small business /by Susana G Baumann

The 2019 Pitch Competition winner is Mariangelic Martinez, founder and owner of Martinez Martial Arts and Family Fitness Center. Located in Bloomfield NJ, the center primarily serves as a martial arts school offering classes to families and people of all ages, though it also provides a variety of other programs such as summer camps, day camps, and fitness programs for adults.

(L to R) Joseph Camberato, National Business Capital & Services, Mariangelic Martinez, Winner 2019 Pitch Competition; Susana G Baumann, Latinas in Business Inc.

“Our 2019 Pitch Competition focus was on three Tracks: Wellness, Lifestyle and Technology. From the original list of 18 registered participants, 12 were selected but only 9 showed up to participate,” said Susana G Baumann, President and CEO, Latinas in Business Inc. “Participants were mainly Wellness and Lifestyle businesses with only one Well-Tech participant. That shows us that there is still a lot of work to do to attract Latinas into Technology and encourage them to participate in our Pitch Competition,” Baumann added.

The 2019 Pitch Competition winner has a passion born out of necessity

As the owner and founder of a martial arts studio, it is no surprise that Marieangelic loves karate, in fact it has been a life-long passion, starting at the age of three.

Born and raised in Newark, NJ, to Puerto Rican parents, Marieangelic’s journey into the world of martial arts began with a diagnosis: epilepsy. Her pediatrician suggested she be put in a sport. Unfortunately, there were not many options at the time for young girls. Searching for something, her mother looked to karate, where Marieangelic’s brother was already enrolled in a martial arts program. After speaking to the instructor, who would go on to become a great mentor to Marieangelic, she soon was enrolled in classes.

From then on karate became her life. She joined competitions, competing locally, regionally, and internationally earning nicknames such as “la salsera” and “yakuza.”

Read more about Mariangelic Martinez here: Martial Arts Sensen Marieangelic Martinez defeats industry stigma and work-life balance

About the 2019 Pitch Competition participants

In second and third places were finalists Tenille Ortiz, founder and owner, The Cupcake Carriage and Brenda Green, founder and owner, Fit4aBetterMe.

Three finalists at the 2019 Pitch Competition in Jersey City (L to R) Joseph Camberato, Mariangelic Martinez, Susana G Baumann, Tenille Ortiz and Brenda Green.

Tenille Ortiz is the owner and designer at The Ellinnet Cake Collection. “I just launched a new service called The Cupcake Carriage, which is a mobile bakery designed for cupcake decorating birthday parties, corporate events and much more. The business launched in June and since then we have taken off. We are currently designing cakes for many celebrities and The Cupcake Carriage has been scheduled every weekend since our launch date in June,” Tenille explained.

Brenda Green, owner and founder of a Fit4aBetterMe, LLC is the creator of Virtually Better Fitness. “We help women who understand the impact of exercising on their overall health, but struggle to find the time, need motivational support or are frustrated with programs that only yield short term results,” Brenda explained.

Virtually Better Fitness is a live-streaming fitness class that provides instruction from a certified trainer through a strength-based workout from the comfort and convenience of your home. The virtual group sessions leverage video and audio technology to create a community environment that builds confidence and extends motivation. Classes are three times a week for 30 mins, with no commute, minimal equipment, and access to nutritional coaching.

“We believe this is the formula that will support continued growth in your fitness and health for the rest of your life!” Brenda shared during the Pitch Competition.

Other participants to the Pitch were Maria Santiago-Valentin, Calm & Mindful LLC; Lisa Arias, Body Vanity; Laura Diaz Alberto, La-Di by Laura Diaz Alberto; Judy Justin, Judy Justin Photography, Stephanie Flor, Around the World Beauty, and Dailisha Rodriguez, Hey There Beautiful!

The 2019 Pitch Competition Prize Package and Jurors

This year, the $12,000 Package Prize included $2000 in Cash, sponsored by National Business Capital & Services (National), and a $10,000 package in business services that included:

1^st Place:

An opportunity to participate in the Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative (EPI) Training Program, Rutgers School of Business –Newark (Value $6000) – Qualifications apply for the EPI program (Scholarship for Registration $500)
Complimentary 1-on-1 business coaching session with National’s President & Co-Founder, Joseph Camberato
Complimentary cost savings audit on business services by National’s team of business growth advisors
30 days of complimentary credit consulting and credit building
Promotional video, full feature article, social media campaign and professional photos with LatinasinBusiness.us
A free ticket (Value of $139) to attend the Red Shoe Movement Signature event on November12, 2019 at MetLife (New York)

2^nd and 3^rd Places:

Promotional video, full feature article, social media campaign and professional photos with LatinasinBusiness.us
A free ticket (Value of $139) to attend the Red Shoe Movement Signature event on November 12, 2019 at MetLife (New York)

Package for all finalists of Pitch Competition

Promotional video, full feature article, social media campaign and professional photos with LatinasinBusiness.us

Jurors (L to R) Manny Fernandez, Fatima Pearn, Joseph Camberato, Any Oliva and Jasmine Cordero-West.

Jasmine Cordero-West, M.H.R.M, Associate Director at Rutgers Entrepreneurship, Rutgers Business School Newark & New Brunswick, and one of the Judges of the 2019 Pitch Competition said, “I enjoyed the pitch competition. There was a good group of finalists and I decided to give the $550 scholarship for participation in the Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative (EPI) program to all 3 winners. I think they could benefit from our program.”

Other judges to the competition were Angel Investor and Crowdfunding Manager Manny Fernandez; Joseph Camberato, CEO National Business Capital & Services; Fatima Pearn, VP Business Development Officer at Valley Bank; and Any Oliva, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Negocios Hispanos USA.

“I invite our community to continue to support these Latinas in business that year after year come back because they see the value of our mission,” Baumann said. “Every year, we see more solid and focused Latina entrepreneurs taking advantage of this opportunity to promote their products and services. We wanted to thank our sponsors, supporters and the fantastic media and sponsors Jurors who judged the competition,” said Baumann concluded.

Latinas in Business receives NJ and NY decision-makers at the 2019 EEL in Jersey City

June 19, 2019/1 Comment/in Branding, Conferences and events, Entrepreneurship, Featured /by Susana G Baumann

Latinas in Business, an organization that was born only 4 years ago, is launching its second annual event, the 2019 Entrepreneur Empowerment Lunch.