The windy city may have lived up to its name this past June 13, but there was no bluster at all at the Marriott Downtown Hotel. There, over a hundred and fifty Latina professionals and entrepreneurs gathered for an informative day of expert-led presentations, exhibits, and networking for small-business owners. Vilma Colom, Committeeman of the city’s 35th Ward, welcomed guests to the event. The first portion of the conference consisted of workshops regarding financial concerns. Judith Roussel, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, summarized the programs available to small businesses such as capital access, entrepreneurial development and procurement assistance. These programs are delivered through the SBA offices in Chicago and Springfield as well as resource partners, including the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and IDCCA Small Business Development Centers (SBDC). 

Citibank’s Velma Sanchez spoke about financial options for small-business owners, stressing that “Planning for the long haul is the goal, but not at the expense of enjoying today.” She also noted the undeniable economic importance of Latina businesswomen, sharing the statistic that as of 2002, there are 470 million Latina-owned businesses nationwide that employ 198 million people and generate $29.4 billion in sales. Then, State Farm Insurance Agent Angelica Beauchamp-Ringeisen shared tips on the best and most necessary types of insurance for the small-business owner. She reminded the audience members, “You’ve worked really hard to build your business; you need to work equally hard to protect it!” 

Next on the agenda was information regarding government procurement. One of the highest-ranking Latinas in the Bush administration, Theresa Alvillar-Speake, director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) discussed small-business opportunities with DOE and the federal government. 

Specifically, their office manages the Department's minority banking program, which provides a source of capital for minority-owned financial institutions.

The audience then learned about telecommunication needs from Nora Barnicle, Sales Manager at AT&T. Then Eileen Zepeda of the U.S. Postal Service di scussed the initiatives of USPS aimed at small-business owners, particularly NetPost Services, which allows users to send out mass mailings inexpensively and easily via the Internet. 

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich provided a welcoming letter that was read at the Office Depot-sponsored luncheon. During the luncheon, Mistress of Ceremony Natalie Martinez, NBC co-anchor of Channel 5 (WMAQ) introduced keynote speaker Virginia Ojeda. A franchise owner of two McDonald’s restaurants on Chicago’s North Side, Ojeda discussed her experience as a Latina business owner with an empathetic audience. 

LATINA Style is grateful to our corporate sponsors: AT&T, ATA, Citibank, Galderma, The Principal Financial Group, State Farm Insurance, the U.S. Department of Energy, the United States Postal Service, and Marriott, as well as luncheon sponsor Office Depot and product sponsor Para Me Cosmetics. We would also like to recognize our partner organizations and the media who serve as a valuable resource to Latinas in the Chicago area: the 47th Street Chamber of Commerce, Acción Chicago, LULAC, Metra, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, NAWBO, the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, and the Women’s Business Development Center, AmericaEnEspanol.com, BilingualNewsletter.com, iHispanos, La Raza Newspaper, and Urban Latino Television.