LSBS San Antonio 2005

The Latina Entrepreneur Panel: Patricia Pleigo Stout, Earline Lagueruela, Teresa Vasquez Romero & Omega Arteaga-Gamboa Teresa Alvillar-Speake, U.S. Department of Energy Dr. Carmen Tafolla delights the audience with her unique insight on Latina culture

The LATINA Style Business Series in San Antonio was a special treat. The event cooperated with MANA: A National Latina Organization’s Annual Educational and Training Conference, and attendees were able to attend various information sessions, panels, and featured speakers from both events. LATINA Style’s sessions, of course, focused on business, while MANA’s addressed various issues, such as Social Security and financial literacy, education, and health.

Since early morning Latinas eager for information gathered around the exhibit showroom, showcasing sponsor booths for both the Business Series and MANA’s conference. MANA President and CEO Alma Morales Riojas delivered opening remarks, followed by a MANA general assembly that featured Theresa Alvillar-Speake, director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy; and Ana Compain-Romero of State Farm Insurance.

LATINA Style Business Series first session, “Small Business Administration Matchmaking,” featured remarks by Debra Dimando, business opportunity specialist with the SBA. Dolores G. Gonzalez, AVP business relationship manager with Wells Fargo, addressed the audience next regarding access to capital, and Alvillar-Speake spoke about procurement and small-business opportunities with the Department of Energy. In the next session, sponsored by Wal-Mart, Simon El Hage, director of strategic marketing at Lopez Negrete, spoke about brand marketing strategies. Michael Verrill, training manager for New Horizons, closed out the LATINA Style morning sessions with a technology-tips seminar focused on Microsoft Office.

Gloria Rios and Juan Rios, American Airlines Jose Estrada, Wal-Mart, and Alma Morales Riojas U.S. Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral

Attendees also had the choice of attending MANA’s morning concurrent sessions. The first pair included a session on Social Security and retirement, featuring the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement’s Cindy Hounsell and AARP’s Ismael Ortiz; the “Excellence in Hispanic Education,” session featured Denise Rodriguez-Lopez with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans and Lt. Mark Venzor with the U.S. Naval Academy. A financial-literacy session featured Judy Chapa, senior advisor for the Money Smart program at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Dr. Glendelia M. Zavala, board president of MANA of Hidalgo County; and Christina Diaz-Malone, director of national initiatives, industry relations, and housing outreach for Freddie Mac. A session on Latina health and benefits featured Mary Ann Gomez of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

After a full morning schedule, attendees broke for lunch. The luncheon featured U.S. Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral, who delivered the keynote address, and Wal-Mart’s Ron Acosta, as well as a reading by Dr. Carmen Tafolla. Patricia Pliego Stout, president of the Alamo Group, received LATINA Style’s Latina Entrepreneur Award, awarded to a different entrepreneur at each Business Series.

MANA continued its day with a repeat of its first two sessions—on Social Security and retirement and on education—for those who might have missed them in the morning. LATINA Style held its Latina Entrepreneur Panel: Experience & Success Stories, moderated by Pleigo Stout and featuring Omega Arteaga-Gamboa, president of Omega Health Group; Earline Lagueruela, president of S&C Advertising & Public Relations; and Teresa Vasquez Romero, owner of El Sol Bakery.

Simon El Hage, Lopez Negrete Advertising Esther Aguilera, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Ron Acosta, Wal-Mart Fierce interaction during the pannel presentations

LATINA Style wound down with a raffle that included such prizes as an American Airlines ticket, a year’s membership to Sam’s Club, and an office-supply gift bag. At its end-of-event dessert and networking reception, attendees once again got the chance to visit the sponsor booths in the exhibit area and to network with sponsors, speakers, and each other.

MANA closed out the day with its MANA Chapter Awards, featuring speaker Esther Aguilera, president and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, as well as a poetry reading by Frances Marie Trevino.

Sponsors of the LATINA Style Business Series included New York Life, Wal-Mart, American Airlines, Wells Fargo, Pacificare, Office Depot, Sodexho, and State Farm Insurance. Product sponsors included Colgate-Palmolive and Mary Kay. Supporting Government agencies included the U.S. Department of Energy and Small Business Administration. Partner Organizations included the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, MANA: A National Latina Organization, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hispa, and ihispano.com