Founded organization in May of 2003 with about 15 women. I was part of another women's organization but saw the need to have an organization that catered to the business woman and offered programs of substance to guide the business woman and professional woman. I also saw the need to establish this type or organization across the country and international someday. Furthermore, I have had many emails from Latinas across the country asking for a chapter in their area and telling me they do not have anything like NLBWA in their county.
We established the "Emerging Latina Program" which is a 6-8 week boot camp for women offering education and information in marketing, law, business plan, accounting, etc. Each chapter designs their 2 hour sessions depending on the needs of that chapter and interest of the Board of Directors. We also decided to partner up with a financial corporation to provide a "Latina Financial Program" geared to both the personal and business side of dealing with finances. There are monthly breakfasts, luncheons or dinners depending on the chapter needs with a guest speaker on a certain topic. But most importantly we decided that there would be a need to highlight Latina's once a year with a Gala, dinner or an award's night and these have been extremely successful with all the chapters.
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The first chapter was Los Angeles with over 120 members within 4 short months. As the founder I served on the LA chapter Board of Directors for about a year and a half as we formed the criteria for programs and for the organization as well.
Then the Sacramento chapter was formed in August of 2004 and the Orange County chapter in July of 2004. San Diego was launched in December of 2004.
We will be launching the Inland Empire by year's end. We also will launch a chapter in Atlanta, Georgia and Wichita, Kansas next year to officially make us a national organization.
I am extremely excited that we have come so far in three short years!
- THERESA YNZUNZA
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 Established in July of 2003, National Latina Business Women Association, Los Angeles Chapter (NLBWA-LA) was created to meet the needs of the growing ranks of Latina entrepreneurs, executives and professionals. We began as a small group of women who came together with a mission to help Latinas reach the next level in their professional goals.
Los Angeles is proud to be the inaugural chapter of this national organization. The programs we envisioned with NLBWA-LA are now the template for new Chapters. Our past president, Zenaida Mendoza created the logo, and much of branding in place for all chapters. Our chapter was also the the first chapter to offer the Emerging Latinas Program.
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We are continually looking into the membership benefits we offer as well as our programs to stay in-tune with the membership of LA. Our current president, Vickie Intriago, is looking into beneficial events and networking opportunities. We aim to help our membership grow in numbers and in their successes. To find our more, visit our website at www.nlbwa-la.org
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The Orange County chapter of the National Latina Business Women Association Orange County was formed in July 2004. The organization is dedicated to encouraging Latinas to develop business and professional goals through education, business referrals and networking. Our vision is to meet the needs of the growing ranks of Latina entrepreneurs, executives and professionals by creating more representation, visibility and business opportunities in the business world.
NLBWA-OC has grown from 100 founding members in 2004 to nearly 300 members at the start of 2006. With a strong membership base, our organization continues to flourish. Through the support of our members, sponsors, dedicated board of directors, strategic partners and the business community, NLBWA-OC has become one of the leading business organizations in Orange County in less than two years since our formation!
Our corporate members who believe in the work we're doing by investing in Latinas include: The Gas Company, Citibank, Staples, Nordstrom, Cox Communications, AT&T, Health Net of California, Disneyland Resort, Premier Automotive Group and Pechanga Casino &Resort.
NLBWA-OC is proud to be a program-driven organization. Last October we launched our inaugural program "Latina Financial Group" with great success. Through this financial literacy program, Latina financial guru Julie Stav, shared her financial expertise with over 40 of our members.
With popular business topics and terrific expert panels, our monthly breakfast program in partnership with the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce continues to be one of the most useful resources for our members. Recent topics have included "The Power of Networking", "Media &PR: Beyond the Press Release" and "Hi-Tech Tools for Business". In addition, we also hold business mixers in the spring and fall each year. On April 27, we'll be hosting our first ever "Business Expo", where our members will have the opportunity to showcase their businesses and network with each other.
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On March 23rd, we reached another milestone in the history of our young organization, as we celebrated the grand opening of our "NLBWA-OC Latina Center" sponsored by Staples! The event which included a ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by many community leaders, business owners, professionals and elected officials, was immediately followed by an informal reception. In less than two years, NLBWA-OC was able to hire its first employee and secured permanent office space.
Now, we're getting ready to launch our "Emerging Latinas" program... a 6-week series of workshops designed to teach the basic tools needed to start a business the right way. A key component of the program will include five $1000 business grants to be awarded to selected participants. This program, sponsored by Citibank and in collaboration with the Orange County SBDC and Cal State Fullerton, is scheduled to begin in June. The Emerging Latinas program will be unveiled at our monthly breakfast meeting on April 18th, as a way to kick-off our marketing efforts to promote the organization's signature entrepreneurial program.
On May 20, we will celebrate our second annual "Honoring Latinas in Business Awards", where five members of the Latino business community will be honored. This year's honorees include: Martha Montoya of Los Kitos as Latina Entrepreneur of the Year; Pamela Pimentel of MOMS as Latina Executive of the Year; Addy Perez-Mau of Heaven Sent Jewelry as Emerging Latina of the Year; and Francisca Gonzalez-Baxa of the Law Offices of Francisca Gonzalez-Baxa and Johnny Vallejo of Vallejo Financial as Members of the Year. The 2006 honorees represent the vision and mission of NLBWA-OC: to encourage Latinas to develop their business and professional goals through education, business referrals, and networking.
NLBWA-OC remains committed to bringing additional business resources, valuable programs and networking opportunities to our members. We're starting to see our members are doing business with one another and will continue to encourage business growth through mutual support of our members. We are proud of our accomplishments and the impact we have made in the community in the two years since we launched the organization! We're excited about the future and the tremendous potential of NLBWA-OC!
Please visit our website at www.nlbwa-oc.com/
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Formed in July 2004 with a small group of business women from the Sacramento region, NLBWA-Sacramento has established a solid track record of excellent programming to support the mission of NLBWA. In the past year, we focused on infrastructure and program development. This has brought to our members a vital and active website which now serves as the primary means of communication with members. As our organization begins its fourth year, our board and our members are focused on growth as we fine tune our focus to membership, develop opportunities and empower the Latina community.
We offer monthly membership meetings to educate members on topics of interest to the Latina business community. Meetings cover a wide range of topics from motivational speakers, leadership lessons, financial how-to workshops, to networking mixes and even a hands-on golf clinic. Our meetings are selected and designed involve, educate and entertain our members while promoting their businesses and offering networking opportunities.
Last year's highlight was our 3rd Annual Business Symposium. Titled "Igniting the Entrepreneurial Spirit", the Symposium was an overwhelming success in terms of both content and attendance. The event featured nationally recognized keynote speaker, Mercedes Ramirez Johnson, and a host of experts who spoke on topics including health care, business development, project management, and wine knowledge.
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In addition, Sylvia, and NLBWA-Sac, has been recognized by the Governor's office for our role in increasing awareness of a community severely impacted by health care issues.
Our success has been built on the foundation of our various community partnerships. Wells Fargo, our Equity Partner which has supported us since inception, has been the true cornerstone to our development. With their support, we have attracted members and held three annual business symposiums to educate and inspire the community. We have also partnered with UC Davis, A.G.Edwards & Sons, Inc, Southwest Airlines & New York Life to provide additional events and programs.
Through our various partnerships and programs, we will continue to:
- Inspire, motivate & encourage Latinas and Latina youth
- Provide leadership development
- Networking directory/business directory-resources
- Improve Latina self-esteem
- Enhance community empowerment
- Encourage political recognition of Latina businesswomen
- Provide role models & success stories
This truly is an exciting time to be part of NLBWA - Sacramento. We are positioned for historic success during this upcoming year. We challenge you to join our organization in its mission as a member and a sponsor. We look forward to including you and your business in our success.
For more information, please visit our website at www.nlbwa-sac.com/
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