Hispanic Heritage at the President’s Table 

Every morning all across New Jersey, small business owners walk up to the doors of their businesses, put the key in the lock and open the door to get ready for the day.

Maybe it’s a store front, perhaps a restaurant or even a construction site.  In this post-COVID era, maybe they are just going down to the basement where they have their office. They start the coffee pot and begin to think about their day.   

As opening time gets closer, the pressure begins to build.  What will happen today? How many customers will visit, and what will they buy?  Will they leave me a good review or comment favorably on my Instagram post?  

Regardless of their answers, though, when the bell rings, they have to be ready to open for business. 

I've thought about these mornings for a long time.  I had glimpses of it back in my childhood, when my father, an immigrant from Spain, started his own business, a newsletter on the Hispanic market, and I saw a family friend struggle to open and profitably operate a health and wellness store.   

Now, as President and CEO of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of NJ, I'm focused on making these stories a reality and success for entrepreneurs and small businesses across NJ, helping them access capital, networks and new markets to grow their businesses.  

The work we do adds to New Jersey’s $127 billion Latino GDP and sets the stage for a thriving NJ economy. 

A microcosm of these stories was on display at the Chamber’s recent Hispanic Business Expo or Feria de Negocios.  Held in Edison, this event brought almost 1,500 people together to network, talk shop, and make sales.   

As I walked the floor of exhibitors, I stopped to chat with companies and business owners.  I sampled the food, and truth be told, I even tried a couple of the mezcals.  I spoke with lawyers, cleaning companies, and candle makers. I spoke with banks, government agencies, and other service providers.   

What struck me about everyone I met was their energy, their enthusiasm to connect, and their focus on making business happen.   

Each business owner I spoke with had a story – what led them to start their business, the conversations they’d had that day, and the sales that they’d made.  As the event drew to a close, they began to pack up and get ready for the next day, wondering what it would bring and how they would continue to grow their businesses. 

With the excitement and energy of Feria beginning to be redirected to the Chamber ‘s Fall events and programs, my team and I are looking forward to delivering a full slate of classes and other activities to help businesses grow and prosper.   

For the first time, I’ll be participating in our classes, hoping to pick up a few tips and tricks, and looking to learn firsthand about the impact we’re having. I also expect to hear about what else we could be doing and what we could be doing even better. Feedback, they say, is a gift, and I’m open to as many gifts as I can get, even if it’s the ugly sweater no one else wanted.  

We couldn’t do any of our work, of course, without the generous help of our sponsors and advocates, and I have to thank them for their ongoing support of the Chamber and its members.  They collaborate with us as part of a “family” with shared values and a commitment to our members’ development; as we say at the Chamber, juntos somos familia -- “together we are family.”   

We take this commitment seriously; we look out for each other, for our members, and for the greater good of our community -- statewide.  We are here to extend a hand and help our members when they need it.   

We are fortunate to see graduates of our classes go on to grow their businesses and contribute to the NJ economy, and we have multiple Chamber Board members who graduated from our programs and now give back to the next cohort.  That’s what family is, and that’s what our family does.   

As I look back and think about my own family and what my dad faced when he started his newsletter, I think he would proud of the work the Chamber does and the role I’ve taken.  He would be thrilled at the classes we offer, the opportunities we create, and the commitment to our community. He’d also like the networking events and the opportunities to socialize.   

And, though he had a preference for sangria, I’m sure he’d try a mezcal.