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Taking Your Business to
the Next Level!
Over 55 years ago an
immigrant man from
Michoacán, Mexico
settled in a poor
farming community in the
Central Valley of
California. His name is
Rojelio Arauza, my
father. With only a
second grade education,
my father left his
native country and his
family to try and start
a new life. His goal was
to find work and soon
settle his family in
this new country. I was
my father’s first US
born child. For over 30
years I too worked hard,
went to school and got a
formal education. I made
a good salary and had
good health benefits, I
was married and I had
just started my family.
It seemed everything was
in place, but I always
had an urge to get out
and do more.
The idea to start my own
business had been
looming in my head for
about two years, but it
wasn’t until I was put
on bed rest with the
pregnancy of my twin
sons that I actually
started to give it more
serious consideration.
For four months, I did
research, developed a
business plan and looked
at contract
opportunities while
waiting for the twins to
get ready to visit me on
the outside.
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I started Imagen, LLC
because I saw a need and
an opportunity to help
my community. After my
maternity leave, I rode
in the elevator at City
Hall where I worked
full-time as a public
information officer, I
saw an advertisement for
a city sponsored event
that had been translated
into Spanish. I was
astounded to see how
poorly translated the
poster had been created
and more importantly I
saw how the Spanish
speaking community had
been devalued in this
process. It was no
wonder that so many
Latinos did not get
involved in city
sponsored programs.
As a first generation
Latina and a regular
translator for my
Spanish speaking parents,
I knew that perhaps I
could be a part of the
solution for helping
companies and agencies
overcome their
shortfalls in reaching
the monolingual Spanish
speaking population. I
also saw
entrepreneurship as a
way to get involved in
public policy and
advocacy. I had vowed to
myself that one day I
would run for public
office, either for the
local school board or
the local city council.
In 2005, I was appointed
to the Riverbank City
Council and became the
first Latina to serve in
this capacity. Here was
my opportunity to not
only serve agencies and
companies to better
reach the Latino
community, but now I
would also serve as a
voice and advocate for
my community as well.
I was thrilled to have
received the Anna Maria
Arias Memorial Business
Fund Award. Although I
did not have the
privilege to meet Anna
Maria, I have read and
witnessed much of her
work and life
accomplishments. To
receive this award in
her name is humbling for
me. Anna Maria truly
embraced all that I
would hope to accomplish
some day. She was a
tireless advocate and
champion for Latinas
across the country. I
will use my LATINA Style
scholarship at the Tuck
School of Business to
help me take my business
to the next level and to
provide career
opportunities for more
Latinas who choose the
field of public
relations and marketing.
I mentioned my father at
the beginning, because I
believe that many of us
forget the sacrifices
that our fathers,
mothers, tio’s, tia’s,
grandparents etc, have
made to come to this
country to make a better
place for us. I believe
it is now my time to try
to make this a better
place for my parents, my
children and rest of my
community.
Virginia Madueno is
the president of Imagen,
LLC and a 2008 Anna
Maria Arias Memorial
Business Fund recipient.
By Virginia Madueno |
