Mi historia

My family is from the State of Durango, MX, known for wild west filming, a variety of 🦂, and Puente Baluarte – the highest bridge in North America. I spent several summers there as a child. Learning to cook & pray with my abuelita Ema and running errands with my abuelo Marcos, who taught me to walk fast & be vigilant. These times with them, along with the hours spent in the neighborhood and the plaza provided me my best childhood memories. In my late 20’s I visited other parts of 🇲🇽 and took sola trips. I 💚 musica MX, especially early rancheras & mariachi by women. But also norteñas, banda, cumbia, musica cubana & jazz.

Curiosity helped me build a multi-industry background that led me to consulting. When something interests me, I learn as much about it, without seeking a major return, besides the thrill of understanding a new subject, growing discussion opportunities, and potentially using it to solve something. Some of my fave and most rewarding forms of learning are podcasts, fellowships, documentaries, casual talks, board service, 📚, articles, google searches, etc. These sources combined with creativity have opened many opportunities.

Early in my career I gained an appreciation for personal finance and business. At 24, I bought a home at the Dallas Tax Foreclosure Auction, at 25, I launched a Small Business firm, and at 28, I enrolled in an Executive Doctorate in Business Administration. All while in debt and not being an expert. I want our communities to understand that debt and circumstances do not define us, and cannot stop us from investing in what matters to us. Many of us are able to manage getting a degree (& student loan debt), a job, or start a business, yet we have trouble managing our finances, career, or truly pursuing what we want. I’ve wondered how the generation before us did it, without a ‘formal education’, no free online resources, and no ‘business’ network? They just went for it, we can do the same. Vamos was founded from the respect and admiration I’ve had for the work ethic and contributions of my Mexican culture. I wanted to serve small businesses and cultivate spaces for us, by us, which I’ve done by learning what we are not taught in school or licensing programs. Such as starting or operating a business, personal finance, capital access, performing due diligence, getting across complex systems, building relationships, and project management.

I’d like to continue learning about and develop research on the correlation between migration, skilled labor, and entrepreneurship. While also address disparities in financial resources that affect our economic advancement.

2018: Respect and admiration for the lives and accomplishments of the immigrant community led me to become a sought-after resource for family and peers seeking help with admin or general errands. I recognized the need for bilingual resources in the Hispanic business community and learned to practice due diligence, identify zoning and use, building standards, utility infrastructure, financial resources and more. This in turn led me to build a small business consulting firm, while also being a Commercial Real Estate Associate. I was able to help clients locate commercial space for their business, obtain permits, translate in city meetings, support business development strategies, and conceptualize space build-out.

2019 – 2020: Aspects of property development became interesting after seeing vacant plots of land in my neighborhood transformed to buildings that provided more space for new businesses and services in the area.  This led me to work with a national retail developer, where I gained valuable insights in Construction Project Management. This work resurfaced the gap in technical resources for Hispanic contractors. It struck me as a valuable endeavor to delve into the study of Hispanic-construction-service-providers and their impact on neighborhood development. I enrolled in an Executive Doctorate of Business Admin, looking forward to class discussions and building a global network with seasoned executives. However, after completing the 1st semester, I had to decide between my firms growing commitments or the program. The absence of an immediate return on this investment and lack of enjoyment, coupled with the thought of accruing substantial student loan debt led me to decided it was not the right time to pursue this. I withdrew from the program and placed this pursuit on hold. 

2022 – 2023: Inspired by friends who have lived & worked across states and countries, I was encouraged to leave the traffic and busy lifestyle in Dallas behind. I joined the Tulsa Remote program as a self-employed member outside OK. I balanced commitments in Dallas, while volunteering with local organizations & amazing people in Tulsa. Being location-independent and working remotely for the past few years has allowed me to move around and lead initiatives and projects that spur opportunity for minority business owners, fostering knowledge exchange across cultures and geographies.

Combined with my travel experiences, this has fueled my interest in responsible-travel, cultural immersions, and international development. In 2023 I joined the Fulbright Specialist Roster in the discipline of Business Administration. This program, established by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, allows professionals to complete short term project-based exchanges abroad, helping to build capacity that benefits both the host organization, their community, and the specialist’s field or community.