Entrepreneurial Latinas Unidas en Denver, Colorado
Daniela Ibarra-Hernandez shares her experience attending the LATINA Style Business Series event at the Jake Jabs Event Center in August.
By Daniela Ibarra-Hernandez, student marketing assistant at the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship
On Friday, August 28th, I had the incredible opportunity to attend this year’s LATINA Style Business Series (LSBS) event in downtown Denver. By 8 a.m., the lobby of the CU Denver Business School starting to fill with what would eventually be more than 150 eager attendees from across the state and beyond. As the room echoed with greetings and hearty laughter, I felt represented and seen as a young first-generation Latina and business student.
The program had a flexible structure in which we could converse with Latina entrepreneurs, tabling sponsors, and partners out in the lobby, or listen to guest speakers and panelists inside the Jake Jabs Event Center.
The event kicked off with welcoming remarks from Robert Bard, the president and CEO of LATINA Style, Inc. After thanking us for attending and giving an overview of his company’s journey, he spoke to us about the benefits of attending and utilizing educational resources like the CU Denver Business School. “Business schools prepare you for the challenges of today,” he said. “When we began these events, we were teaching you all how to use the web. This is not the case anymore.” He then emphasized the importance of embracing change, particularly the growing influence of AI, and encouraged us to continue learning and adapting.
After hearing from Bard, we were introduced to Major General Linda Urrutia-Varhall, the first and only Latina two-star general in the U.S. Air Force. Urrutia-Varhall’s message centered on family and the importance of communicating and “hashing it out” with those around you. She spoke about her experience in the Air Force and how she’s learned that not everything is permanent. Urrutia-Varhall talked about the importance of standing up for yourself and knowing that you belong in every room you walk into.
Rocío Pérez, Chief Leadership Officer at Veertuous, then led the room through her grounding wellness exercise titled, “Contribute. Connect. Be Present.” Perez instructed us to focus our breathing and relax our eyes.
“As you win, we win,” she said. “What will you contribute? What would you get out of it?”
The following moments of silence not only made the room feel lighter but also allowed me to take a moment from my hectic morning and make it mine. The exercise allowed me to reflect on my personal goals and the next steps I needed to take in my entrepreneurial journey.
Later that afternoon, the audience was introduced to Linda Alvarado, founder, president, and CEO of Alvarado Construction. She’s also a co-owner of the Colorado Rockies, making her the first Hispanic co-owner of a major league baseball team. During her speech, Alvarado stressed the importance of one’s mentality and recognition. She called out the fear and hesitation we feel not only from being a woman in business but a Latina woman at that. Alvarado urged us not to let fear hold us back.
“We stereotype ourselves,” she said. “But women are game changers. We are smarter than we think. Some only hope and dream, but we must act.”
Alvarado’s words — her call for “inspiration, preparation, aspiration, hydration, and elevation” — resonated deeply with me, affirming that we are achievers who are capable of far more than we often believe.
Next, we were presented with a panel consisting of five more Latina professionals:
- Vanessa Huerta, gBETA Vice President at gener8tor
- Maria Gonzales, founder and CEO at Adelante Community Development
- Victoria Garcia, founder and CEO at the Latina Owned Collective
- Neki Cox, Stakeholder Liaison at the IRS
- Tish Maes, founder and President of PradoMaes
The theme of the panel was “Startup Stories and Journeys,” and so the panelists shared moments of success, their hardest challenges, and what they learned from them.
“At times, I was the only Latina at the table,” said Garcia. “It only encouraged me to strive harder to grow my business.”
The conversation demonstrated how a lack of representation for women and Latinas within the business world can be nerve-wracking but that it’s possible to turn that negative absence into a purpose for yourself and your business. Panelists also discussed family, the patterns we see as first-generation Latinas, and the importance of breaking some of those patterns.
As the event came to a close, I reflected on the connections I made, the wisdom I gained, and the stories I heard all in one day. I left with a renewed hunger to make my mark, contribute to my community, and be part of the growing wave of Latina professionals who are finding success in business.
Thank you to the LATINA Style Business Series for organizing such an impactful event. It is experiences like this that remind me of the power of unity, representation, and the drive to succeed.