2003 Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund Awards

October 2 in Phoenix, Arizona, marked the second annual Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund Awards. Established in partnership with the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and funded by Wells Fargo, the awards honor the late Anna Maria Arias, founder, editor and publisher of LATINA Style Magazine. 

The awards recognize the efforts of ten Latina entrepreneurs who have demonstrated uncommon resilience and perseverance in the pursuit of their entrepreneurial dreams. 

The awards were presented by Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann, executive vice president and small business segment manager for Wells Fargo, and Robert E. Bard, publisher and CEO of LATINA Style, during the Anna Maria Arias Businesswomen’s Luncheon at the USHCC Annual National Convention.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Latinas own more than half a million small businesses nationwide, employing over 600,000 people and generating annual sales in excess of $67 billion. “Latina-owned businesses are a major force fueling the growth of the U.S. economy,” says Macieira-Kaufmann. “This year’s award winners illustrate why Latina-owned businesses are thriving, and are a testament to the strength and unlimited potential of this dynamic group of business owners.” 

The first two awards were given to Latina leaders in the field of technology. Lourdes Aponte-Rosario of San Juan, P.R., started The Hispanic Business Women’s Alliance (HBWA), an international on-line community whose members can log in to conduct business, exchange ideas and information, and collaborate with other Latinas.

Nina Vaca, from Dallas, Texas, is founder of Pinnacle Technical Resources, which boasts an employee team of 75 and average annual sales of over $3 million.

The next two awards went to women in media-related businesses. Gladys Gonzalez of Sandy, Utah, is the publisher and editor of Mundo Hispano Newspaper, Utah’s first bilingual newspaper.

Angelica Balderas and Amparo Perez-Cook, from Sacramento, Calif., formed their media-related business in 1999. Aztec Media Inc. has evolved over the past few years into Sacramento’s premier Spanish language radio station. They plan to use the money from their AMAMBF award to create five scholarships for young Latinas.

Lupita Ybarra received the next award. Ybarra, of Superior, Ariz., started Eleanna’s Flowers and Gifts with an investment of her family’s $3,000 life savings. Eleanna’s specialty gift shop features gifts representative of the cultures of Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Annette M. Solis, who owns Nettie’s Gift Baskets & The Balloon Man in Tucson, Ariz., designs, assembles and ships elaborate, unique gift baskets and balloon bouquets. Solis started young on the path to gift sales, making gift baskets for family and friends at age nine.

The next award recipient was Elizabeth Gonzalez-Gann, also of Tucson. She started a full-service janitorial company, Jan-Co Janitorial, in 1987. She still finds time to give back to the community, encouraging and supporting future Latina entrepreneurs with her $1,000 “Promising Young Latina” awards.

The eighth honoree, Dianne Segura of Los Angeles, Calif., is founder of Segue Enterprises, a consulting group that specializes in creating innovative marketing plans and business strategies for clients.

Armandina Flores from Austin, Texas, received the next award. Escuelita del Alma, the bilingual daycare and educational center that Flores founded in 2000, has grown in just three years to employ a staff of 15 employees.

The tenth and final award was presented to Yolanda Collazos Kizer of Phoenix, Ariz.. Kizer’s CASA Fenix Merchandising, Inc., located at the Phoenix Sky Airport, specializes in retail concessions. Her company now has a staff of 13 and averages more than $1 million in annual sales.

“Latina entrepreneurs continue to excel across all industries,” says Bard. “The vitality and importance of this segment of our community has finally begun to be acknowledged by companies looking for suppliers in the Hispanic community.”

The application forms for the 2004 awards will be available on line shortly at www.latinastyle.com, www.ushcc.com and www.wellsfargo.com.

[This article has been edited for www.latinastyle.com. For the full version, check out the March/April issue of LATINA Style.]