Latinas flooded the halls of the Hyatt Regency of Chicago for the June 17 LATINA Style Business Series. The Windy City greeted the many visitors from across the country with picture-perfect sunny weather.

The morning began with a networking breakfast in the exhibit hall, where representatives from groups like the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) sponsored informational booths and fielded questions.

Leticia Peralta Davis, the first Latina CEO of Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, a governor-appointed position, spoke on behalf of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich about the various resources that the city of Chicago has to offer. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley acknowledged the great efforts that Latinos have made for the city.

Next, Judith Roussel, district director of the SBA, provided insight on the growth of minority businesses and the resources available to them.
 

In the “Access to Capital” panel, the role of money in business was discussed by moderator Alice D. Perez, vice president of U.S. Bank, and panelists Christine Herrera Cantlin, finance center manager for Citibank; Carole Harris of the SBA; Priscilla Cordero, a loan officer with ACCION Chicago; and Marlene Y. Vick, director of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce SBDC. The discussion addressed topics ranging from how to apply to get a loan to how to improve your credit score.

A guru in the communications industry, George L. San Jose, president and COO of the San Jose Group, followed the panel. “Choose a business that you’re passionate about and the money will come in automatically,” said San Jose.

Next spoke Sjonia Harper, a partner technology specialist with Microsoft. She demonstrated the variety of tools that you can find in your computer, including the Windows Small Business Server 2003.

At the midday luncheon, Arabel Alva Rosales, president of A. Alva & Associates, received the Latina Award. Mistress of Ceremony Zoraida Sambolin, an anchor with NBC, introduced keynote speaker Maria Marín, author of the popular audio book Secrets of the Confident Woman and an expert on negotiation skills. “Everything is life is negotiable,” said Marín.

After a delicious lunch, attendees headed back to the conference room. The last panel of the day, the Latina Entrepreneur Panel, included four women: Latina Award recipient Rosales; Aurora Venegas, president of Azteca Supply; Caroline Sanchez Crozier, president and founder of CS&C Julex Learning; and Leticia Herrera, president and founder of ECI Inc.

Latina Entrepreneur panel: Arabel Alva Rosales, A. Alva & Associates; Aurora Venegas, Azteca Supply; Leticia Herrera, ECI Inc.; Caroline Sanchez Crozier, CS&C Julex Learning

The woman agreed that defining and valuing oneself is vital to owning a small business. Said Venegas, “I don’t want to be known for [being] a hot Latina. I want to be known for [being] an intelligent woman.”

The conference concluded with a drawing of great prizes, including an American Airlines round-trip ticket, a Coach bag, and software from Microsoft.

Sponsors: New York Life, Wal-Mart, American Airlines, U.S. Bank, Office Depot, Citibank.

Product Sponsor: Colgate-Palmolive

Supporting Government Agencies: U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Small Business Administration

Partner Organizations: U.S. HIspanic Chamber of Commerce, David Gomez & Associates Inc., LULAC, Women’s Business Development Center, PRCCI, National Association of Hispanic Publications, Acción Chicago, WEDO, Athena, North Shore Professional Women’s Association

Media Partners: El Imparcial, KISS 103.5, Reflejos, WGCI 107.5 FM