Hispanic Heritage Trailblazer

S E P T

LETTER FROMTHE EDITOR

I’mexcitedtowelcomeyoutotheHispanic HeritageEditionpleasecheckoutthe

"WherethePuckisGoing"section.Wehave capturedclipsfromMs.IsabellaCasillas GuzmantheAdministratoroftheU.S.Small BusinessAdministration(SBA)fromher keynotespeechatthe2022NationalHUBZone Conference.

IhaveincludedtwoofmyfavoritequotesfromSoniaMariaSotomayorwhoserves asanassociatejusticeoftheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStates.

TwofabulousPuertoRicantrailblazershavebeenfeaturedasouranchorarticle. ThesechangemakersareMr.JezreelBerdecia(Jez),CEO,WhitewoodTechnology LLCandMs.SylviaB.Saldaña-Villafañe,Esq.(Trish).Thishusband-and-wifeteam hasbeenblazingtrailsallovertheisland.Theyaresopassionateaboutthe HUBZoneprogramtheyinterviewedwithusjustdaysafterhurricaneFionahitthe island.

Eachofushastheopportunitytouseourtalentstomakethisnationevenbetter,to includeothersonourjourney.Ihavetheopportunityandprivilegetotakeyouwith measyoureadthesepages.Myquestiontoyouasyoureadis,willyouaddyour talents,creatingyourownstory?IhopeyouranswerisYES!

HUBZoneTrailblazersareanintegralcomponentofourcountry’sstory.Wewilltell theirstory,howtheircommitmentislevelingtheplayingfieldintheirrespective communities.Ifeelblessedtohavebeengiventheopportunitytoshineamajorlight ontheheroesthatareinthetrenches,someflying,somerunning,butallcommitted torevitalizingHUBZoneCommunities.

Wewanteveryonetogetinvolvedwithfuture editions.Nextmonth’stopicisNative. Ifyou haveastorytotellorjustwanttobea sponsor,wewanttohearfromyou.

LilyMilliner ViceChair,HUBZoneCouncil,Inc.

Table of Contents

CONTRACTING

08| JennaMykalDavis

SubcontractManager, SandiaNationalLaboratories

Ms.DavisisaTrailblazer,whetheratSandia orinchallengingpoliciesattheAlbuquerque BoardofEducation.Sheistrulyaforcetobe reckonedwith.Ms.Daviswillquicklytellyou thatherindependentspiritanddiplomacy werearesultofherparents’happymarriage andinstruction.

LEADERSHIP

20| RickRuiz

President,PositivePsycheBizCorp

Bynature,theTrailblazerisathomewherever theyarelocated.Thisattributeperfectly exemplifiesthismonth’sfeaturedHUBZone SmallBusinessPresident,RickRuizofPositive Psyche.

CAPACITY BUILDING

06| LourdesMartin-Rosa

CEO,GovernmentBusinessSolutions

ThisTrailblazer’sfamilywereCubanrefugees whoarrivedinthiscountrywithjustthe clothesontheirbacks.Herparentshadfaith thatwithhardworkandagoodeducation, theywouldgofar.Nomatterhowlittlethey had,theyalwaystookthetimetohelpothers.

HEALTH

17| VenusGinés

President,Díadela MujerLatina®Inc

ThisLatinaTrailblazerisabreastcancer survivorwhohasspentthelast30-years workingnationallytoeliminatehealth disparitieswithintheLatinocommunity.In theSpringof2022,shehostedtheU.S. SurgeonGeneralViceAdmiralVivekH. Murthy,MD,forafiresidechatrelatedto ExpandingtheRoleofPromotores/ CommunityHealthWorkers:Preparingfor COVIDAftershocks

NATIONAL LABORATORIES

23| LeonardoValencia

SupplierDiversityAdvocate, SandiaNationalLaboratories

Thissmallbusinessadvocatemightconsider himselfaquasi-immigrant.Borninthe UnitedStateswithearlytiestoMexico,heis keenlyawareofthechallengesindividuals facewhenEnglishistheirsecondlanguage.

TECHNOLOGY

26| HelleniMoon

CEO,EIDOSTechnologies

Ms.Moon’strailbeganinanorphanageinEl Salvadorandmovedquicklytoalovinghome intheUnitedStates.Shewasadoptedbyan activistfamily–twoWashington,DC attorneyswhowerelobbyistsontheHill.

YOUNG DISRUPTOR

28| SantiagoSalas-Oliva

AssociateManagerofGovernment AndInternationalAffairs, UnitedStatesHispanicChamber ofCommerce(USHCC)

ThisTrailblazerbelievesoneofhismost sacreddutiestotheChamberistodothe rigorousresearchneededtoadvancethe HispanicBusinessCommunity,nowandin thefuture.

CAPACITYBUILDING

LourdesMartin-Rosa, CEO,Government BusinessSolutions(GBS)

ThisTrailblazer’sfamilywereCuban refugeeswhoarrivedinthiscountrywith justtheclothesontheirbacks.Her parentshadfaiththatwithhardworkand agoodeducation,theywouldgofar.No matterhowlittletheyhad,theyalways tookthetimetohelpothers.Theywould say,“dogoodandgoodwillcomeunto you.”ThatphilosophyhasbeenMrs. Martin-Rosa’sdrivingforceasshehas assistedsmallbusinessesacrossthe nation.Whethertheirbalancesheetsare intheredorblack,sheisthereto empowerandgiveacaringhandtothese entrepreneurs.

FamilyofAdvocates

Growingup,herfamilylivedinwhat wouldhavebeenlabeledaHUBZone today.Itwasoneofthepoorestsections ofMiami.Mrs.Martin-Rosawilltellyou thatherfamilyquicklybecameexpertsin takinglemonsandmakinglemonade. Fromeducationtoemploymentdisparity, theypushedon.Shesaid,“Iwasblessed thatIhadverygoodteachersand guidancefrommyparents.Mymother workedfortheAmericanRedCross duringtheVietnameraandmyfather workedinashoefactory.Heledthepush tounionizetheworkers.Theywereboth advocates.Ithinkthat'swhereIgetmy advocacysidefrom.”

OneofMrs.Martin-Rosa’sbiggest advocateshasbeenherfirefighterhusband.For morethan30years,hehasbeenheranchor. Whenshetookabusinessriskanditlooked

bleak,hewouldsay“isitafire?Issomeone abouttodrown?Issomeoneabouttodie?” Her responsewouldalwaysbe“NO.”Atthat moment,fearwouldbereplacedwithpeaceand thisTrailblazerwouldcontinueon.Her daughtershavefollowedinherfootsteps, workingfirstatGBSandlaterbecoming FederalGovernmentadvocates.

Problem-Solving

Problem-solvingisMrs.Martin-Rosa’s secretpower.Fromhelpingsmallbusinesses maximizetheiradvertisingdollarsattheMiami Heraldordesigningwomen-ownedsmall businesseventsforAmericanExpress,sheis alwayssolvingproblems.Mrs.Martin-Rosa workswithherclientsbyhelpingthemto definetheobstacle,thenevaluateandselect alternativesolutions.

Inthelate1990s,shehelpedasmalldisadvantagedminoritytravelbusinessenter thefederalsector.Atthetime,workingwiththe FederalGovernmentwasverynewtoMrs. Martin-Rosa.Sheapproachedthischallenge likealltheothersshehadfaced:withresearch andrelationship-building.Hercompany startedmeetingwiththeSBAofficesinMiami tohelpthetravelagencywinbusiness.By1995, theyhadgonefrom$0to$6Minfederaltravel revenue.

In2009,forAmericanExpress,Mrs. Martin-Rosacreatedaprograminwhichthe companypartneredwiththeUSSmallBusiness Administrationtoexposeentrepreneurstothe $100B+annualfederalbusinessopportunities. ThisallbeganwithameetinginNewYorkwith theirdirectors. Theywantedto knowwhythe government wassetting aside23%to small businesses.She said, “Iwas basically educatingthem onthe importanceof small

businessestothenationaleconomy.The impactonforeignmarkets,andofcourse,the government'sresponsibilitytoatleast minimizethehit.How23%offederal contractingdollarswerebeingmandatedby Congress.Ieducatedthem.Theyaskedmeto championwhatwaslatercalledtheVictoryIn Procurement(VIP)Program.Itwasbasically AmericanExpresslaunchingeventsfocusedon allbusinesses(notjusttheircardholders)to educatethemontheimportanceofgrowing theirbusinesswiththeFederalGovernment.”

PoliticalAction

SherecallstheinfluencethatPatriciaStout, theownerofAlamoTravelinSanAntonio,TX, hadonheradvocacy.Ms.Stoutwasanamazing Mexican-Americanentrepreneurwithaheavy Spanishaccentwhomadesurehervoicewas heard.ShehelpedMrs.Martin-Rosafindher voice.Ms.Stoutwouldsay, “Getinthere,talk tothem.They'reyourcongressional representatives.” Sheshowedherthatspeaking toyourcongressionalrepresentativescanmake adifference.Thatthey'rethereforus,toserve! Mrs.Martin-Rosawouldalwaysseeherin Washington,DC,fightingforwomen’srightsin equalityforpayandthewomen’sprocurement program.

Mrs.Martin-Rosahasbeenonthefrontline advocatingforwomen-ownedbusiness legislationinboththeHouseandtheSenate. ShetestifiedbeforeCongresswithMargot Dorfman,U.S.Women'sChamberof Commerce,andTraceyPinson,Directorofthe OfficeofSmallBusinessPrograms,United StatesArmy,topromotetheestablishmentofa procurementprogramforwomenbusiness owners.Theynavigatedthroughtheseaof stereotypicalquestionstofightforequalityfor womeningovernmentcontracting.

DuringtheObamaAdministration,this Trailblazer,Mrs.Martin-Rosa,wasaskedto helpformtheObamaSmallBusinessTask Force.Shewaspartofthegroupthateducated theminthedifferentSBAprograms.Thiseffort resultedinoneofhermosttreasuredawards presentedbyPresidentObama’scabinet. (ValerieJarrett,MichelleLee,andBibi Hidalgo).

MentorHallofFame

Mrs.Martin-Rosaissogratefulforallthe mentorswhohavetakenthetimetosharetheir goldennuggetswithher;CarlsonWagonlit Traveltaughtherhowtobeagood

subcontractorwhilecomplyingwiththevarious FederalGovernmentreportingrequirements.

Somehavepassedaway,likeKevinBoshears (DHS)andTraceyPinson(Army),butthey haveleftalegacy.Thentherearetheoneswho continuetopourintoher,likePatriciaStout (AlamoTravel&HUBZoneCouncilMember), AntonioDoss(SBA),DonnaPebbles(SBA), RobertBoone(TSA),Melissa“Lisa”Jenkins (Treasury),PamelaWilson(Treasury),Shirley Bailey(HUBZoneCouncil),MichelleBurnett (HUBZoneCouncil),AnnSullivan(Madison ServicesGroup),andElizabethSullivan (MadisonServicesGroup).

Debriefing

ThisTrailblazerhaslearnedthatwhatyou don’tknowcanandwillhurtyourbottomline. SherecallshavingsubmittedaproposaltoDHS thinkingitwasgood,onlytofindoutinthe debriefingitwas“theworstproposalever.” ThosewereMrs.Martin-Rosa’swords,not DHS’s.TheyrecommendedthatGBSpersonnel takesomeclasseswiththeirlocalSmall BusinessDevelopmentCenters(SBDC)office. TheSBDCclassestaughtGBShowtowrite winningproposalsfortheFederalGovernment. Mrs.Martin-Rosapersonallytooknightcourses inproposalwriting,finance,andbusiness development.Adebriefingcanbeyourgolden tickettofuturesuccess,especiallyifyouarean 8(a)companythathasonlyreceivedsolesourcecontracts.GBShassincewrittenmore than100proposals.Theyhavewonover25% andcontinuetoincreasetheirwinrateby applyinglessonslearnedfromeachdebriefing.

CONTRACTING

Ms.DavisisaTrailblazer,whetherat Sandiaorinchallengingpoliciesatthe AlbuquerqueBoardofEducation.Sheis trulyaforcetobereckonedwith.Ms. Daviswillquicklytellyouthather independentspiritanddiplomacywerea resultofherparents’happymarriage andinstruction.Formorethanthree decades,theyandotherfamilymembers havebeenthebestexamplesofwhatit meanstobesupportive,courageous, caring,andindependentpeople.Her grandmotherwouldsay, “takecareof yourselffirst.Youcannotgivetoother peopleuntilyouarefullywhole.Your cuphastobefull.Whenyourcupis overflowing,thenyoucangooutand givetoothers.”Thosewordscontinueto energizeMs.DavistosupportHUBZone Businesses.

ThisTrailblazermentionedinthe interviewhowtheseskillsweretested whenshewasvisitingafriendinDubai andaconflictarose.Shefoundherself strandedinthisforeigncountryduring Ramadan.ThefirstthingthisTrailblazer didwasassessherresourcesandexecute aplantocontinueher10-daytrip.No, shedidn’tcallhomeforalifeline. Instead,sheproceededtofindahotel thatcouldaccommodateherwhileshe dideverythingshehadplannedtodoas asingle,non-Muslimwoman,while respectingtheRamadanobservances. Herabilitytoremainresilientand flexiblewhilenavigatingthemost difficultsituationscontinuestomakeher

apowerhouseinthesmallbusiness community.

CollaborativePartners

InFY22,almost80%ofSandia’scontracts wenttosmallbusinesses.Asacontracting officer,thisTrailblazerbelievesincreating collaborativepartnershipsbypromoting competition.Shehastheresponsibilityof executingcontractsthatensurethatSandia staffreceivethebestproductsandservices whilepracticingmeaningfulcorporatesocial responsibility.

Withover50%ofNewMexico’s communitiesbeingdesignatedasHUBZone, Ms.Davistakeseveryopportunitytoeducate Sandia’sengineersontheimpactHUBZone contractshaveontheircommunities.Sheis committedtohelpingthelaboratoryexceed their3%goalbyeducatingandhelpingher internalstakeholdersunderstandtheexpertise HUBZonecompaniescanofferSandia.Ms. Davismakessurethatherengineersrealize thatHUBZonecontractsimpactimpoverished communities.Theybringmeaningful employment,increasepropertyvalue,and attractotherbusinesses.

SandiaisOpenforBusiness

Ifyou’rea

HUBZonecompany thatoffersproducts orservicesthatthe Laboratorybuys,Ms. Daviswantsyouto knowthatSandiaisopenforbusiness. HUBZonecontractsarethenumber-one priorityatSandia.Theyworkdiligentlytomeet the3%goalbyaggressivelyusingthe10% HUBZonePricePreferenceAdjustmenton everyaward.Sandia’sHUBZonebuyershavea streamlinedprocessthatdecreasespaperwork whentheappropriateparametersaremet.

Thereareplentyofopportunities,and despitewhatpeoplemaysay,Sandiaputs requirementsonthestreetforcompetitionall thetime.Ms.DaviswantsHUBZonebusinesses toknow,ifyou’restrugglingtogettheattention ofthebigboysatDoD,considergoingaftera contractwithSandia.AnexcellentCPARfrom Sandiagoesalongwaytoopeningdoorsinthe DoDarena.Furthermore,ifyoudon’twin,Ms. Davisisalwaysdelightedtogiveyousome informaltipsonhowtomakeyoursubmission

JennaMykalDavis

betterthenexttime.Shebelievesthatfailureis justanotheropportunitytoreceivefeedbackfor afuturewin.

InTheirFootsteps

Ms.Davishasalotofheroes,mostofthem women.Itstartedclosetohomewithher grandmother,whoearlyon,instilledpositive valuessimilartothoseofnationalinfluencers likeCongresswomanAlexandriaOcasio-Cortez (AOC),apoliticaldisruptorforyoungpeople, women,andherparty.Ms.Davissaid, “I admireanywomanouttherewho's independent.Whousestheirvoiceandpower forgood.Theonesthataren'tafraidtospeak theirminds.Theonesthathaveopinions,I admirethem.”

Ms.Davissharedastoryaboutafascinating womanshemetatabarbecuewhosestoryhas influencedhertothisday.

“Imetthisreallywonderful80-something year-oldItalianwoman.Shehadgotten marriedat18yearsoldtoaverytraditional Italianman.Hemadeitclearthatherrolein themarriagewastobeamothertohis childrenandtokeephouse.Shewasnot allowedtogetaneducationorajob.Thatwas somethingthatalwaysreallybotheredher. Shedecidedtostarttakingnightclasses withouthispermissionandwouldsneakout everynighttotakeherclasses.Shedidher homeworkwhilehewasatwork.Ittookhera longtimebuteventuallyshereceivedherPh.D. Thencametherecessionandherhusbandlost hisjobandcouldn’tfindanother.Thisiswhen shewenttoworkasaPh.D.scientistatLos AlamosLaboratories.Shetoldmehow preparingwhenthedoorsareclosedtakes unwaveringfaithintomorrow.”

Herstoryremindsusthatanythingis possibleifwestartandstayoncourse.

ThePowerofTwo

Whenasked,whoisyourhero,Ms.Davis responded,hertwinsister,Elena.Elena’s presenceshowsupinalltheworkthis Trailblazerhasaccomplished.Ms.Davishas alwaysbeenclosetohersister.Bythetimethey were6yearsold,itwasclearthatMs.Davishad assumedtheroleofprotector,ashersisterwas bornwithDown’sSyndrome.Herparentsmade thedecisiontoputtheminseparateschools becausetheycouldseethatMs.Daviswasn't

livingherownlife.Whentheseparationfirst occurred,Ms.Daviswouldhavestomachaches atschoolbecauseshewassoworriedabout whatwashappeningwithhersister.She wantedtobetheretogivehertheextrahelp sheneeded.

Hersisterhastaughtherhowtobean advocateforothers,whichsparkedherpassion inservingsmallbusinessesfromunderserved communities.

OvercomingtheStereotype

Ms.Davis’srootsareamixofSpanish, Mexican,Anglo,andNativeAmerican.When askedwherethelastnameDaviscamefrom, shewilltellyouaboutthechildhood discriminationherUS-bornparentsfacedin theircommunities.Howtheymadethehard decisiontogivetheirdaughterstheAnglo grandfather’sname,alongwithfirstnamesthat wouldbehardtostereotype,toescapethe hardshipstheyexperienced.

Ms.Davismakesituncomfortablefor prejudgingtotakeplaceinhercommunity. WhetheritistakingontheAlbuquerqueSchool Districtsonsegregatedyearbooksorcontract disparity,sheisleadingthecharge.Sheis makingsurehergenerationwillhavethe freedomtochooseanamewithoutjudgment.

HUBZoneBusinessesLook OutfortheEntire Community

Ms.Davisisanextraordinaryadvocatefor theHUBZoneprogram.Sheencouragesher colleaguestotalktothebusinessownersto learnabouttheimpacttheyarehavingontheir community.Sheremindshowawarding contractstoHUBZonebusinessesisreducing unemploymentratesandincreasingcapital investmentswithinoureconomicallydistressed communities.

We

Don’tNeedto CreateAnother TaskforceinPuertoRico

AsEditor-in-Chief,Ihadthe opportunitytochatwithtwo changemakerswhohavebeen marriedforthelast4years.I couldn’timaginehowsuchbigpersonalities couldworktogetherinsuchamazing harmony.Theconversationstartedwiththem makingsureIreferredtothemasJezand Trish.Thereisnothingformalaboutthis husband-and-wifeteam.Itwasclearthatin truePuertoRicanfashion,everyoneisfamily. ThroughouttheconversationIheardaboutso manyamazingindividualsthathave influencedeachoftheirlivesandtheir community.Thereisoneindividualthatstood abovethemallandthatisTrish’smom,Sylvia Villafañe.

Imustadmitthatbeforestartingthis interview,Idoubtedwhetherthesepeople wererightforthismonth’sfeaturearticle.I hadnevermetorworkedwitheitherofthem. However,theHUBZoneCouncil’sExecutive Directorhadpersonallynominatedand endorsedthisdynamicduoandafter spending2hourswiththemIbecameafan too!ThesetrailblazerslovePuertoRicoand arepassionateaboutbuildingan infrastructurethatkeepsyoungtalentonthis island.Whereothersseeaproblem,theysee asolutionthatjusthasn’tyetmaterialized. Theirmantrais, “Whatcanwedoto acceleratethetrajectorywithintheisland?”

BridgingtheGap

Asaseasonedentrepreneur,Jezhas connectedPuertoRicanstakeholdersto revenuesourcesintheFederalGovernment, localmunicipalities,andtheprivatesector.He hasbeenabletobridgethegapthatPuerto Ricansencounterbetweencultureand languagewhenpursuingfederalopportunities. WhetheritisnavigatingtheHUBZone program(whichcurrentlyincludesmorethan 85%oftheisland)orunderstandingthe FederalAcquisitionRegulation(FAR)clauses, heistheretolendahelpinghand.Jezisa trustedcommunityadvisorwhohascultivated relationshipswiththeDepartmentof EconomicDevelopment(DDEC)Federal ContractingCenterandtheSBA.

TheGovernmentContractLanguage barrierscanbeachallengewhendealingwith subjectslikehowtoprepare,qualify,and comply,oncecertified.Jezsaid, “Ihelp organizationstapintothesefederalresources

thatwouldbenaturalforanother demographic.ButwhenitcomestoPuerto Rico,youhavetoaddthelanguageand culturalbarriers.Wehaveasteeperclimb.It justmakessomethingthatwaschallenging evenharder,especiallywhenitcomesto understandingtherequirementsandbeing ableto translate therequirementsboth linguisticallyandculturallytothe organizationsthatneedthem.”

TheHUBZoneCouncilExecutiveDirector, MichelleBurnettconsidersherHUBZone membersanextensionofherfamily.So,when shetraveledtoPuertoRicoinAprilof2019for afamilytripitwasnosurprisethatshereached outtooneofthemembers,Mr.Berdecia.Ms. Burnettsaid, “Iwantedtocheckintoseeif therewasanythingIcouldhelpwith.Jez proceededtotellmeaboutsomeofthe concernshewashavingwithcontracting officersincludingrestrictivelanguagewithin RFI’sthatwasexcludingqualifiedPuerto Ricanbusinessesfromcompetingfor opportunitiesontheisland.Heasked,ifI wouldn’tmindjusttalkingtoafewpeople whileIwasintown.”

Shesaid,yes!Ms.BurnetthadonlymetJez onceinpersonandonlyspokentoTrishonthe phonebutfollowingtheaftermathofMaria thesetwotrailblazershadbecomean invaluableresourcetotheCouncilactingasour bootsonthegroundinPuertoRico.

Ms.Burnettsaid

“TwodaysaftertouchinggroundinPuerto Rico,JezandTrishpickedmeup.Ithoughtwe wouldbejustgoingtotheirofficetochatsince

Ihadonlytoldthemofmyarrivaltwodays earlier,butboywasIwrong.AsIclimbedinto thecar,Iwashandedabinderwhichincluded adetailedagenda,fullbio,andhistoryoneach oftheindividualswewouldbemeeting.AsI flippedthroughthebinder,Iwasinshockwhen IsawthatwehadmeetingswiththeSBA RegionalDirector,representativesfromthe HouseofDelegates,aleadingcontract attorney,ChiefsofStaffandeventheResident CommissionerJennifferGonzalez-Colon.AsI lookedthroughthelistofnames,Icouldn’t believeit.Iaskedhowyoudidthis?Jez responded,bypointingtohiswife.AsIsatin thecar,Iquicklyreadandpreparedforeach meeting.Icouldn’thelpbutthinkthereisno waywecandoallofthisinaday,butwedid.It willbeamomentinmycareerthatIwillnever forget.AswemadeourwayacrossSanJuan,I begantofullyunderstandthebarriersthatJez spokeabout.Thatday,heandTrishmademea believerandsincethenIhavebeenhonoredto workalongsidethemintryingtobridgethis gap”

LevelingthePlayingField

Jez’scompany,WhitewoodTechnology,isjust oneoftheamazingsoftwaredevelopment companiesinPuertoRico.ThisTrailblazer believesinhavingsynergisticrelationshipswith companiesinhislineofbusiness.Heisvery awarethatifthereisonlyonefishinthelake,no onewillgofishingthere.Jezactivelypromotes thatpublic,privateandnon-for-profitentitiesin PuertoRicotobecomeawareofgrant opportunities,RFIsandRFPs.Hewantsfederal contractingofficerstoknowthatPuertoRicois openforbusinessandthatitboastsarich industrialbase,offeringeverythingfrom informationtechnologytopharmaceutical companies.

InPuertoRico,thenumberoffederal contractsisincreasingyearly,butthetotal revenueofallthesecontractsisdecreasing.This isanotherreasonwhyJezissopassionateabout PuertoRicanentrepreneursbeingeducatedin thefederalspace.Theyarelosingworktooffislandbusinesses.Hehasseenlessskilled companieswincontracts;then,thesecontract awardeessubcontracttheworktoPuertoRican businesses.Jezadvocatesformorestrategic alliances,jointventures,andmorePuertoRican primecontractors.

Resilience

WithallofPuertoRico’ssplendor,weshould neverforgetthatitisanisland.When hurricanesandearthquakeshittheisland, emergencyresourcesarealltransportation dependent.Often,thesecriticalresourcescan takedaystogettotherightpeople.Whenthe COVID-19pandemichit,PuertoRicans struggledtoobtainPCRtests,medicalsupplies, ventilators,andevenfood.

“WeDon’tNeedtoCreateAnotherTaskforceinPuertoRico

Itistimeforthefederalandlocalgovernmentstoexecuteonallthedatatheyalready have.TheHUBZoneProgramneedstobepromotedandutilizedtobuildindustriesallover theisland.Weneedtogetthisinformationtothecompaniesbothinthemainlandandhere inPuertoRico,ofhowasuchrelationshipcanbefruitfulandbeneficialforeveryonewho takesthesteps.

PhotoSource:TrishandJez

Nomatterwhattheobstacles–PuertoRico makesthingswork.Trishsaid, “Icanassureyou thatwheneveryoumeetaPuertoRican,they're goingtobecreative,fromthebasicsto survivingtheaftermathofalltheearthquakes, hurricanes,includingthismonth’sFiona,tothe lackofresourcesduringthepandemic.We specializeinwhatsomemaycallpure insanity.”

PuertoRicoGoesDark

HurricaneMariawasacatastropheforPuerto Rico.ItwasthefirsttimeinUnitedStates’ historythatawholejurisdictionwaswithout powerandunabletocommunicate.Trish rememberssittinginherWashington,DCoffice morethan1,500milesaway,unabletogetback toherfamilyinPuertoRico.Itwasacrazy situation.Youcouldn'tgetintouchwithanyone; evensatellitephoneswerenotworking.

Trishstillremembersherlastconversation withJezbeforeeverythingwentdark. Shesaid, “weendedwith‘Iloveyou.I'llseeyouonthe otherside.’Wehungup,andthenIcouldn’ttalk tohimbecauseallcommunicationwentdown ontheentireisland.Iwentcrazy.Oh,myGod! So,didhemeanafterlifeorafterthestorm?I couldn’tthink.”

WiththecelltowersdowninPuertoRicocalls foldedintoPuertoRicoFederalAffairs Administration(PRFAA)inWashington,DC, whereTrishwastheChiefofStaff.Emergency callsfloodedthephonelineswithpeopletrying toreachthePuertoRico911linetocheckon lovedonesontheisland.Understandingthefear thatherfellowPuertoRicanswereexperiencing Trishandherteamworkedaroundtheclockto dowhatevertheycouldtoassistonthe mainland.

HUBZoneProgramis

Unbelievable

TheseTrailblazersarespreadingtheword abouttheHUBZoneProgramwherevertheygo. Whetherthecompanymakescabinetsor developssoftware,thefirstquestiontheyaskis, “HaveyouheardoftheHUBZoneProgram?” 95%ofthecompaniessayno.TrishandJez continuetoexplainallthebenefitsofbecoming HUBZone-certifiedandexplainhowtheFederal Governmentdevelopedthisprogramfor communitiesliketheirs.Thenbeginsthe skepticism-isthissometypeofscam?Itsounds sogoodthatsometimesPuertoRicansget scared.TrishandJezexplainthatthereisno 'catch’andpointthemtotheSBAandDECCfor furtherinformation.

Whileneitherofthesehumbleadvocates wouldevertakecredit,Ms.Burnettsharedafew statswithmethatIbelieveareworth mentioning.InMayof2019,therewereonly61 PuertoRicanBusinessesparticipatinginthe HUBZoneProgramwhichiscrazygiventhat nearly85%oftheislandisaqualifiedHUBZone. TodaythedynamicSmallBusinessSearch showsthatthereare256businessescertified whichisovera400%increaseinonly4-years whichisextraordinary.Now,Iunderstandthat therearenumberofresourcesthatplayeda handinmakingthishappen,butthese trailblazerscertainlydeservearoundof applausefortheirrole.

TheMatriarch

Thematriarchofallthisadvocacyand trailblazingisSylviaVillafañe,Trish’smother. DivorcedandneedingtosupportTrish,she launchedPetrusGallery.Shedetectedanichein PuertoRico’scontemporaryartmarketthatshe believedshecouldfilldespitewhatthe naysayershadindicated.TheGalleryhasbeen aninternationalsuccessthatpromotescultural affairstoimproveandstrengthentheeconomy ofthelocalartmarket.Whilecreatingahubfor theentirecommunitytoenjoy,Ms.Villafañehas alsobeenabletoprovideyoungentrepreneurs withaspacetosharetheirtalentswiththe world.

PhotoSource: SylviaVillafañe

IrecallMs. Burnett tellingme howthey invitedher andher familytojoin themata GalleryOpen Housewhile visitingPuertoRico.Ms.Burnettsaid, “Upon arrivingIsawcarsparkedaroundtheblock. AsIsteppedoutofmyvehicle,Icouldn’thelp butthinkImustbeatthewrongplace.I rememberJezwalkingouttogreetme.Ilooked athimsayingwhatkindofgalleryviewingis this.Itlookedliketheentirecommunitywas there.Theyhadaliveband,freefood,and drinks.Peopleweredancingandhonestly,I wasjustinshock.IrememberthefirsttimeI visitedPetrusIwasscaredtoevengointhe buildingbecauseIdidn’twanttobreakany expensiveartwork.AtthattimeJezsharedwith meabitabouthismother-in-law.Howthe gallerywasnotonlyaboutsellingartworkbut aboutprovidingaplaceforthecommunityto cometogetherandtoappreciatethebeautyof theartwork.AsIlookedaroundtheroom,I couldfeelthelove.IfoundmyselfstuckInfront ofapiececompletelyenamoredwithitsbeauty. Assomeonethatfrequentsmuseums,Ithought Iunderstoodtheexistentialismofart,butIwas wrongbecauseitwasn’tuntilthatdaythatI wasabletowitnessfirsthandhowartisableto breakthroughthebarriersandbringpeople together.”

problem.Leveragingherconnectionswithinthe artsceneMs.Villafañewasabletoconvinceone ofthetoppublicityagenciesontheIslandto donatetheirtimetodevelopacampaignthat wouldhelp toconnect these amazing children with potential adopters.

TakingAction

PriortothebirthoftheirfirstchildTrishhad dedicatedherselftoalifeofservicesupporting positionssuchastheChiefofStaffforthe PuertoRico’sFederalAffairsAdministration, DepartmentofPublicSafetyandDepartmentof State.Trishunderstoodthatforchangetotake placetheirmustbeadvocacy.Duringthe interviewTrishstated,

“Somethingthatfrustratedmealotwas attendingtaskforceaftertaskforcetoresolve theissuesinPuertoRicoinsteadofacting. Thereisenoughdatainthesereportstosolve manyoftheproblemsfacingtheisland.We don'tneedanymorethousand-page documents.Weneedmorebootsonthe ground."

Trishisproudoftheimpactshehadinher formerroles,butsheknewfollowingthebirthof herdaughtershecouldnotbethereforthe peopleofPuertoRicointhesameway.She madethedifficultdecisiontoleavethe government.Trishhasstillfoundwaystomake animpactonhercommunity,asanewly certifiedlawyersheintendstouseherlaw degreetoinfluencepositivechangeforthe peopleofPuertoRico.

Inadditiontohereffortsinsupportingtheart community,Ms.Villafañehasbeenasteadfast advocateforthechildrenofPuertoRico.For years,Ms.Villafañedonatedgenerouslyto supportfostercareandadoptionprogramsin PuertoRico.Whenshenoticedthatthe adoptionrateontheislandforchildrenover6 yearsofagekeptdeclining,Ms.Villafañestarted anon-profitorganizationtoresolvethe

VenusGinés, M.A.P/CHWI, President, DíadelaMujerLatina®Inc(DMV)

This

LatinaTrailblazerisabreastcancer survivorwhohasspentthelast30-years workingnationallytoeliminatehealth disparitieswithintheLatino community.IntheSpringof2022,she hostedtheU.S.SurgeonGeneralViceAdmiral VivekH.Murthy,MD,forafiresidechatrelated toExpandingtheRoleofPromotores/ CommunityHealthWorkers:Preparingfor COVIDAftershocks(KeynoteSpeakerU.S. SurgeonGeneralViceAdmiralVivekH. Murthy,MD,MBA-YouTube).Ms.Ginés’s discussionfocusedonaccessibility, affordability,andmostimportantly, accountability.

SheindicatedthattheHispaniccommunity needstomakeourleadersaccountable.DML planstofollowupwiththeSurgeonGeneral andotherleadersbi-annuallytoensurethatthe eliminationofhealthdisparitiesintheHispanic communityremainsapriority.WhenIasked howshehasbeenabletoaccomplishallofthis ontopofmanagingherLupus,shetoldme abouthersecretweapon.Ms.Ginéssaid,

“Irelyon thefour‘Fs:’ FaithFamilyFriendsFatherGod.”

TheFallThatSavedHerLife

In1992,Ms.Ginéshadafallthatsentherto theemergencyroom.Thedoctortreatingher askedifshehadhadamammogram.Although college-educated,shewasnotsurewhathe meant,soMs.Ginésaskedhimaboutthe purposeofthatexam.Heexplainedthat mammogramsarevitalforearlydetectionof breastcancer.ThisTrailblazerimmediately

responded, “I’m Latina,we Latinasget cervicalcancer. Breastcancer isawhite women’s disease.” The doctorofferedtodoaclinicalbreastexam.To hershock,hefoundalump.Atthatpoint,he advisedherthatsinceshewas41,abaselineis recommendedbecausebreastcancerdoesnot discriminate.BecauseMs.Ginés’smotherhad beenoneofthevictimsofthesterilization abuseofPuertoRicanwomen,shehad reservationsaboutthisconversation. Eventually,Ms.Ginéswentforamammogram, asubsequentultrasound,abiopsy,andthenthe badnewscamefromthenursewhenshesaid, “Venus,IwishIcouldsayitwasbenign.”

Numbfromthecancerdiagnosis,Ms.Ginés showedupthenextdayfororientationatthe UniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHillLaw School.Shesatthere,almostcatatonic,asthe staffwentthroughtheorientationprocess.At thebreak,Ms.GinéswentovertotheAssociate Deanandsaid“I'mgoingtodie.I'masingle momandIwaswonderingifthere'sanyway youcanhelpmemakeawill.”Thewoman lookedatherintentlyandaskedherwhatwas goingon.AfterMs.Ginésexplainedher situation,theAssociateDeansaid, “doyou wantustoholdyourapplicationuntilyouget better?” Ms.Ginésresponded, “Ohnowedon't getbetter,wedie.” Thisiswhenthelackof culturallyproficienthealtheducationwas evident.InMs.Ginés’experience,cancerwasa deathsentence.Inthecommunityshewas from(uninsured,poor,andimmigrants), cancerdetectionalwaysoccurredtoolateto help.

I’llGiveYouAllMyToys: FighttheCancer

WhenMs.Ginésfinallymusteredthe couragetotellthenewstoher10-year-oldson, Richie,hedidsomethingthatchangedherlife. Shesaid, “ItoldhimthatMamawasgoingto takecareofhimfromHeaven.Atthispoint,he said,Mamalet’spray,thenIwatchedasmy sonstartedpullingallhistoystogether.I watchedashebegantopray.Hesaid,‘dear God,I'llgiveyouallofmytoysifyouletme keepmymommyhere.’Atthatmoment,I decidedtofightthecancer.Iwasgivingup becauseofwhatIhadseeninmycommunity. Myson’sprayerchangedeverything-Iwas goingtofightthecancerFORHIM.”

Ms.Ginésgotthehelpsheneededtothrive. Shedecidedtofocushergraduateresearchon cancerinLatinas.Shediscoveredbotha paucityofstatisticaldata,whetherforWhite, BlackorOther,aswellaslimitedcancerhealth educationmaterialinSpanish.In1994,Venus developedaculturallyspecificvideo/picture bookonbreastcancer(UnaNueva Esperanza/ANewHope)andlater,Hombre SinLimite(ManwithoutLimits),onprostate cancerfortheAmericanCancerSociety.A healthfiestawastheonlywaytodetermineif thepicturebooksadequatelyaddressedsome ofthemistrustandbarriersofthisvulnerable population.Hereffortshavebeensupportedby renownedLatinaslikeDoloresClara FernandezHuerta,co-founderoftheNational FarmworkersAssociation,andDr.SusanM. Love,Americansurgeon,aprominentadvocate ofpreventivebreastcancerresearchandan author.

LaunchingtheFirstHealth Fiesta

Atlanta,GAwastheperfectplaceforDML tolaunchitsfirstLatinAmericanHealth Fiesta,asitisthehomeoftheCentersfor DiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC).The Fiestawouldbeafuneventthatincludedfood, music,dancing,manicures,andhealth screenings.Theypromotedthiseventasa specialdayforLatinas,attractingthousandsof peoplefrommanyoftheunderserved neighborhoodsaroundAtlanta.Theyhadthe supportofDr.KenDominguezofCDC,Grady MemorialHospital,andMercyHospitalto followupontheresultsofthescreeningtest.

ResultsThatShookthe

HealthCommunity

Duringthat1-dayFiesta,202papsmears weretaken,witharesulting84HPV-positive results.TheHPVtestisascreeningtestfor cervicalcancer,butthetestdoesn'ttellyou whetheryouhavecancer.Instead,thetest detectsthepresenceofHPV,thevirusthat causescervicalcancer,inyoursystem.These resultswerealarming.CDChadn’tseendata likethisbefore.Ms.Ginésandherteam workedwiththewomentoobtainmedicaland counselingsupport.

Whywasthisnumbersolarge?Oneofthe doctorswhowasworkingwithDMLdeveloped asurveytodiscoverthecause.Thedoctor’s researchuncoveredahotspotanareathathad ahigherconcentrationofthepositiveresults. Thesurveysrevealedthatwomenwhowere marriedtotheMexicanconstructionworkers whosupportedtheOlympicGamesinAtlanta weremorelikelytohaveapositiveresult. Furtherinvestigationshowedthatduethe

PhotoSource:DíadelaMujerLatina®Inc(DMV)Instagram

housingsituation,therewereoftenas manyas10menperhousingunit.They wereabletoidentifythecorridorwhere thewomencarryingHPVwould frequentforcommerce.Thesefindings ledtoDMLdesigningand implementinganeducationalprogram aimedathealthscreeningformales alongwithmarriagecounseling.

BuildingHealth Capacity–the Challengeof Sustainability

ThisTrailblazerisonamissionto increasethegeneralmedicalcareinthe HUBZoneandbilingualcommunities.Doctors areretiringatanalarmingrate,andthenew bilingualgraduatesarebeingrecruitedtoareas outsideoftheseunderservedcommunities.Ms. Ginésbelievesthatstatesandterritorieslike PuertoRiconeedtofullyembracetheservices ofnursepractitionersandphysician’s

assistants.Theyaremorethancapableof providingthescreeningneededtobegin chippingawayatthehealthdisparitiesour nationisfacing,becausebreastcancerisnota Whitewoman’sdisease.

PhotoSource:

LEADERSHIP

RickRuiz, President,PositivePsycheBizCorp

Bynature,theTrailblazerisathome wherevertheyarelocated.Thisattribute perfectlyexemplifiesthismonth’s featuredHUBZoneSmallBusiness President,RickRuizofPositivePsyche. WhetheritisMexicoCity,Ottawa, London,orBaltimore,Mr.Ruizhasbeen aroundtheblockintermsofrunning operations.Expandingonthisaspectof hislongandesteemedcareer,Rick stated, “Ihavethreedecadesofrunning operationsforlargecompanies,mostof theminfederalprograms.Myfatheris Hispanic,borninVeracruz,Mexico.I'm fluentinSpanishwithnoEnglishaccent, whileI’malsofluentinEnglishwithno Spanishaccent;thisallowsmetobuild alliancesinbothSouthandNorthAmerica.“

Servingbothpublicandprivateentities, PositivePsychespecializesinfourmainareas ofoperations:ITSupport,Records Management,CallCenterOperations,andStaff Augmentation.Initiallyuninterestedinthe HUBZoneprogram,Mr.Ruizconducted researchthatrevealedthatthe Service ContractAct, whichregulatedmanyofhis contracts,resultedinlowerlaborcostsinareas outsideofBaltimoreCityandeffectively eliminatedPositivePsyche’sprice competitiveness.In2021,Mr.Ruiz’shopesfor makingadifferenceinhiscommunitycameto fruitionwiththesigningofExecutiveOrder (EO)14026“

IncreasingtheMinimumWage forFederalContractors” byPresidentBiden. ThisEO,whichincreasedtheminimumwage forfederalcontractorsto$15anhour nationwide,wasneededtoleveltheplaying fieldforcitieslikeBaltimore.Mr.Ruizis excitedabouttheimpactPositivePsyche can nowmakelocally.

Wisher,Washer,WishyWashy

Mr.Ruizhasspentmorethanadecade sharinghisleadershipexperienceinaseriesof booksbasedonhis“Wisher,Washer,WishyWashy”theory[Amazon.com:EnriqueERuiz: Books,Biography,Blog,Audiobooks,Kindle]. Usingthefollowingthree-charactertypes,the booktellsthestoryofthefailuresandultimate successofoneyoungman:

•Wishers havebigdreams,butliveon hope,takingnopersistentactiontoachieve whattheyreallywant.

•Wishy-Washy's flip-flop,knowingwhat theywantonemomentandchangingtheir mindthenext.

•Washers aredoers.Theyseeriskas opportunity,changeaspositive,and uncertaintyasachancetokeepmoving forward.

HUBZone Trailblazersare clearlyWashers. Theyarethe disruptorswhoare abletocreatenew paths,whoare willingto wash awaytheobstacles inlife.Mr.Ruiz wrote Wisher, Washer,WishyWashy toinspire younginventors, entrepreneurs,and changemakers.He feltthatreading materialsinhighschoolscoveredliteraturelike Emerson,Hemingway,Shakespeare,and others,butoverlookedthestoriesofthefailures andsuccessesofpeoplelikeThomasEdison and SoniaSotomayor, trueWashers.

ChangingtheParadigm

ThisTrailblazerbelievesitistimeforhis colleaguestoapproachfailuredifferently.Mr. Ruizsaid,“IfIhadtakentheadviceofpeopleI grewupwith,Iwouldn'tbedoinganything. Therealityismaybeit'sagoodidea,maybe it'sabadidea,butthebottomlineis,thisismy dream.Thisismygoal.Iputonefootforward andkeepmovingahead.”Thatstatement remindsusthattheTrailblazerHallofFameis filledwithpeoplewhoexperiencedthousands offailuresandrejectionsbeforethewins.It tookmorethan10,000failurestoproducethe lightbulb;morethan1,000fortheDyson vacuumcleaner;andthenthereisColonel Sanders,whowasrejected1,009timesbefore hischickenrecipewasaccepted.

Therearemanysuccessfulpeople,butwe oftendisregardthenumberoffailuresand setbacksthosepeoplehavegonethroughto achievetheirsuccess.Mr.Ruizstrongly believesthatentrepreneursshouldn’tbe embarrassedaboutfailures.Infact,hebelieves theyhavebeencourageous,andciteshisown experienceandfailuresasanexample.This Trailblazerisalivingexample oftakingrisks andfailing.Overtheyears,Mr.Ruizhas:

•Launchedafaxbusinessbeforeitstime –itfailed.

•Cultivatedaworm-farmingbusiness specializedintrash-eatingworms.Thefarm wascontaminated–itfailed.

•Writtenacutting-edgebookonlasers whentheywerejusthittingthemarket. Lackingresourcestoadvertiseit–itfailed.

OurTrailblazerstronglybelievesthatthose failuresledtothesuccessthatPositivePsycheis nowexperiencing.

“Ifyouwanttoincreaseyoursuccessrate, doubleyourfailurerate.”

–ThomasJ.Watson,thefounderofIBM

TrailtoEmpathy

WhenMr.Ruiz’s18-year-olddaughterwas killedinacaraccident,hisworldstopped.He said,“Icantellyouwhenoneofyourchildren isgoneitshattersyou.IreallyfeltlikeIjust

wantedtocrawlunderarock.Ineverwanted tocomeout.” Priortothisloss,Mr.Ruizhad beentomanyfuneralsforhisemployees.He said,“IreallythoughtthatIunderstoodthe painthatthesepeopleweregoingthrough,but whenmydaughterpassedaway,Ilearned howignorantI’dbeentothepain,sorrow,and emotionsthosefamilymemberswere experiencing.Sincethelossofmydaughter,I amfarmoreempatheticnowtowardsmy employeesandhumankindandIhaveused thisasasourceofinspirationtoassistothers whohavesufferedsimilartragedies.”

BeingaServantLeader

ThesecrettoMr.Ruiz’ssuccessisthathe trulycaresforhisstaff.Whilerecallingastory aboutadatacenterhewasoperatingfortheUS Censusin2000,herememberedtheexact numberofemployees(2,014)becauseeachone ofthemmatteredtohim.“Theywerethemost efficientofallthesiteswiththeleast resources,” statedMr.Ruiz. Somuchsothat thecustomerkeptvisitingMr.Ruiz’scenter, tryingtofindthesilverbullet.Whatwashe doingdifferentlyatthissitetobesoefficient withlessequipment,andout-producetheother centers?Eachtime,thecustomerwouldspend acoupleofweeksinterviewingpeople,looking forsomesecretormethodtothesuccess,which theyneverfound.Intheend,thecustomer finallyunderstoodthatitwasMr.Ruiz’s servantleadershipskillsthatearnedhimthe loyaltyofhisteam,andthatledtogreater efficiency.Mr.Ruizlistenedtothemandthen madesuretheyhadthetoolsneededto succeed.ThisTrailblazerhasnevermisseda

-HarryS.Truman

PhotoSource:RickRuiz

NATIONALLABORATORIES

ThisHUBZoneadvocateconsiders

himselfaquasi-immigrant.Borninthe UnitedStateswithearlytiestoMexico,he iskeenlyawareofthechallenges individualsfacewhenEnglishistheir secondlanguage.ThisTrailblazerwas takentoMexicoasatoddlerduringhis formativeyears.Theexposure dramaticallyaffectedtheinitiallanguage hebecamefluentin.Expertstellusthat thefirstthreeyearsoflifearethemost intensiveperiodofspeechandlanguage developmentforanindividual.During thistime,Mr.Valencia’sexposuretothe Englishlanguageandspeechwaslimited, butwhathewasexposedto,heexcelledin -Spanish.Whenitwastimeforhimto startschool,thefamilyreturnedtotheUS. Hestartedkindergartenunabletospeak anyEnglish.Herecallsaconversationhis teacherhadwithhisparentsindicating thatheshouldbeheldbackbecauseofhis communicationskills.

ThedecisionsMr.Valenciamakesare guidedbyhisparent’sexamples:theytook riskstoadvancethefamilyandgivehim andhissiblingsabetterfuture.His parentscametotheUSwhentheywerein theirearly20s.Theylefttheirfamilies despitethelanguagebarriersandracism theyknewtheywouldface.Inspiteofthe hardships,heexperiencedinelementary school,Mr.Valenciaisgratefultohis parentsforstayingconnectedtoboth countries.Hestillhasthefondest memoriesofChristmasandsummer vacationsinMexico.Hisparentsexposed himtobothlifestyles,whichhelpedhimto

successfullynavigateandunderstandthe culture,economics,andrichhistoryofboth MexicoandtheUS.Theseskillshaveallowed himtobeanexceptionaladvocateforSandia.

WhoisSandiaLaboratories

Sandiaisthefourth-largestemployerin NewMexicowithsomeofthesmartestpeople intheworld.WhenMr.Valenciapromotes HUBZonebusiness,hegiveshisengineers, scientists,andmathematiciansthefactsthat nearly50%ofNewMexicoisaHUBZoneand thosebusinessesareparticipatinginthe programarehiringatleast35%oftheir workforcefromeconomicallydistressed communities.

Mr.Valenciahelpshiscolleagues understandhowlargeofafootprintSandiacan haveonlocalcommunities.Hisofficeisalways beingasked,

“WhatisSandiadoingforoursmall businesses?WhatisSandiadoingforthe community?”

Hebelieveshisofficehasdoneagreatjob ofgoingoutintothecommunityandraising awareness.Vendoroutreacheventsthat educateandmatchsupplierswithrequirements havehelpedbuildSandia’ssmallbusiness industrialbase.

ThePowerofInternships

Mr.Valenciawasrecruitedfromthe UniversityofNewMexicoforaninternship position.Hewasinthebusinessprogramwhen hisresumecaughttheirattention.Three interviewslater,hewashired.Whatattracted themmostwashiseclecticskills,which includedcourseshehadtakenwhenhewas interestedinengineering.WhenMr.Valencia finishedhisBachelor’sinAccounting,the employeraskedhimifhewouldliketopursue graduateschool.Theyexplainedthatthey wouldbewillingtocontinuetheinternshipand

LeonardoValencia, SupplierDiversityAdvocate, SandiaNationalLaboratories

upongraduation,hewouldbeabletoapplyfor afull-timeposition.Thisledtohimreceivinga Master’sdegreeinAccountingwitha concentrationinInformationAssurance.He becameknownasthedataguy,crunching numbersinspreadsheetsalldaylong.

Hiseffortswerenoticedbythesmall businessprogram,whichwasdowntoa handfulofemployees.Thehighstaffturnover hadresultedinabacklogofcontractdata.They assignedhimtounravelthesubcontracting planprogramdata.Mr.Valenciahadtotake theshelvesfullofbindersandautomatefor analysis.Herememberssayingtohimself, “howamIgoingtodothis?I'manintern.I juststartedworkingwiththisteam.Idon’t knowwhatasubcontractis.Ihadnoidea whatevensmallbusinessis.Iremember cominginandthinkingIhavetotellmy managerthatIcan'tdothis.Ihadnoidea whatIwasdoing,buteventually,onceIgot involved,Istartedlearning.”

Withthehelpofhismentor,Mr.Valencia’s teamofinternsorganizedtheentire subcontractorplanstructure,catchingupwith the2-yearbacklogofannualreporting.They wereabletoscanandanalyzeallthe documents.Oneoftheinternstoldherbrother, “I'mtheinternofanintern.”Theseinterns weresosuccessfulthatuponcompletion,they wereabletopassboththeDOE’sOSDBUand theSBAsubcontractingauditsandreviews.The DOE’sOSDBUofficetoldthemthatSandia’s subcontractingprogramwasbestinclass.

Mr.Valenciawasabletounravelthe mysteryjustaboutthetimehewasreadyto graduate.Readytomoveon,hewaslookingat financingandaccountingpositionsatSandia. Hisinternshipmanageraskedhimtostayand offeredhimthepositionofSmallBusiness Advocate.Themanagerconvincedthis trailblazerthathehadthefoundation,the metrics,andthepersonalitytobecomean advocate.Some6yearslater,Mr.Valenciastill overseesthereviewofthesubcontractingplans tolargebusinesses.Hereportstothe DepartmentofEnergyonhowSandiaisdoing withtheirlower-tierplans.Thisactionabledata hasimprovedhowSandiareportsonitsawards andeffortstowardssmallbusinesscontractors.

TheEffectofData:A MessagetoOtherFederal Entities

Mr.Valenciahasbeenabletousehisloveof datatodriveHUBZoneawards.Hemakessure thatthesmallbusinessindustryunderstands whatSandiapurchasesandtheirprocurement process.Procurementcyclesmaybeasmany as3yearsoutforaparticularopportunity.In 2017.Sandiahad$25MinHUBZonespending, butin2022,just5yearslater,Sandiaincreased theirspendingto$85M.Mr.Valencia’steam usedthedatatofocustheirmarketingresearch onwhereitmattersmost,educatingstaffon theprioritiesandtheimpacteachawardmade.

Hewasabletoshowthedirectcorrelation betweenwhatSandiaawardedandtheimpact theyhadonthebusinessesandcommunities, likecontractsthathelpedhistorically disadvantagedareasimprove.Hesaid,

“

Thefactthatwecandirectlyseeaneffect fromourmoneytothosebusinesses,Ithink, bringstangiblebenefitstotheSandia communities.IbelievejusttheHUBZone missionitself,thepurposeoftheprogramisso pureanddirect.WearehelpingNative AmericanIndianReservations,alongwith underdevelopedbusinesszones,andrural NewMexicotowns,byinvestingmillionsof dollarsinthatspace.”

TheImpactofMentorship

Mr.Valenciacreditsalotofhissuccessto hismentors.Mr.JamesKloeppelwasoneofhis earliestmentors.TheymetwhenMr.Valencia hadjuststartedinterningatSandia.Atthat time,Mr.KloeppelwasaSupplierDiversity AdvocateatLosAlamosNationalLabsand theirmentorconnectionwasinstant.Hetook Mr.Valenciaunderhiswing,providing expertise,support,andevenhumoralongthe journey.

WhenMr.KloeppeldecidedtojoinSandia asaPolicyProfessional,thisyoungTrailblazer wasecstatic.Henowhadtheopportunityto rubshoulderswithoneofhisheroes,aman whodidn’tletthechildhoodlossofhisparents affecthiscaringandnurturingspirit.

Mr.Valenciahasmadesuretoacceptthe batonfromhismentors.Hehasbeen mentoringyoungpeopleforyears.Allowing

peopletoleanonhimjustlikehecontinuesto leanonmentorslikeMr.Kloeppel.Mr. Valenciasaid,

“Workingwithatotalprofessional, bouncingideas,andhavingachampionat workcanmakesuchadifferenceintherole modelyoubecomeatworkandathome.I don’thavealltheanswers,butI’malways willingtosharemystory.

Whetherheisavolunteerforthe Big BrothersBigSistersprograminAlbuquerque oransweringquestionsfromhiscousins,Mr. Valenciaisbestknownforlevelingitup!

SandiaNational LaboratoriesEconomic ImpactAnnualBrochure

Mr.Valenciahasledthecreationofthe AnnualBrochurefortheSandiaNational LaboratoriesEconomicImpactforseveral years.Thishasbecomeoneofhismost

meaningfulandchallengingprojects.This yearlypublicationstartsinAugustandgoesto printaroundFebruary.

Heconsidersitmeaningfulbecausehis teamgathersdatatoillustrateSandia’simpact onNewMexico,USHouseandSenateleaders, alongwithstateandlocalrepresentatives.They interview,brief,andmeetwithhundredsof internalandexternalstakeholderstoproducea stellarbrochure.Mr.Valenciaconsidersit challengingbecauseasanumberspersonat heart,heleanstowardsperfection.Eventhe tiniestflawwillhaunthimandhisstaffifthey letit.Hetoldus,likemanyofthe entrepreneursheworkswithdaily,

“

hefocusesontheprogress,notthe perfection.

ToMr.Valencia’scredit,SandiaEconomic Impactbrochuregetsbettereachyear.

EconomicImpact–WorkingwithSandia

TECHNOLOGY

HelleniMoon, CEO,EIDOSTechnologies

Ms.Moon’strailbeganinan orphanageinElSalvadorandmoved quicklytoalovinghomeintheUnited States.Shewasadoptedbyanactivist family–twoWashington,DCattorneys whowerelobbyistsontheHill.Ms. Moon’sadoptedmotherwasalsoa trailblazer:shewasfluentinfive languages,andshetoohadbeenadopted fromaforeigncountry,Greece.Her familyencouragedacademicexcellence whichledtothistrailblazeroftenbeing theonlyLatinaSeniorITSubjectMatter Expertinintheroom.InJuneof2015, Ms.Moontooktheplungeinforming EIDOSTechnologies.Overthe company’sexistence,EIDOS TechnologieshasprovidedDatabaseand CyberSecuritysupportservicesfor variousfederalagenciessuchastheIRS, DepartmentofNavy,HUD,andthe Armytonameafew.

PacingYourself

OneofthemostvaluablelessonsMs.Moon haslearnedinbuildingherDatabase Managementbusinessistopaceherself. Gettingthe8(a)certificationissomethingthat alotofsmallbusinessespushtodo.The9years inthelifeofan8(a)seemslikealotoftime,but itcangoveryquickly.Sheurgescompaniesto spendthetimebeforebecomingcertifiedto targetspecificcustomers.Itiscriticaltobuild therightfederalclientbase.Thiswillrequire youtodoextensiveresearchtounderstand yourtarget’sentireecosystem–from stakeholderstoacquisitionplanningand budgets,andeverythingelseinbetween.

ChallengesofAssimilation

Ms.Moon’smotherandfathernavigatedas besttheycouldinacommunitythatwasnot particularlyknownforbeinginclusive.Ms.

Moon’sparentshadseenhowminoritieswere treatedintheirneighborhoodandvowedtonot lettheirdaughterexperiencethattrauma.They bothdideverythingtheycouldtoraiseastrong andpowerfuldaughter.Earlyon,Ms.Moon’s parentsenrolledherinrigorousEnglish classes.Theyweredeterminedtoeliminateany Spanishinfluenceinherspeechthatwould hinderherfromthrivinginhernew community.Ms.Moon’sparentssoughtto protecthertheonlywaytheyknewhow,which wastoallowtheworldtoassumeshewas Greek.

AsaLatinaTrailblazerraisedbyAnglo parents,Ms.Moon’sstoryisfulloflove, markedwiththechallengesthatyouencounter whenyouleaveyourheritagebehind.Asa child,shehadafront-rowseattowhatsome callassimilation,beginningwithhermother discouragingherfromspeakinginhernative tongue(Spanish).Asafair-skinnedHispanic herneighborsassumedheradoptiveparents wereherbiologicalones.However,otherEl Salvadoriansrecognizedherheritageand wouldimmediatelystartspeakingwithherin Spanish.

Shelearned,asachild,thatbeingbilingual carriedacertainstigma.Whenshecameto America,herparentshiredthebestEnglish tutors.Within6monthsofherarrival,shewas fluentinEnglishandhadlostmostofher Spanishaccent.Throughoutherchildhood,her motherwouldalwayscorrecther pronunciationsofwords,herparentswouldsay “Don'tyouknow;don'tsaythat;dressthis wayorthatcoloristoomuch.”Tothisday,Ms. Moonstruggleswithtryingtogetbacktoher rootsandlearnSpanish.Sheunderstandsher parents’choices:itwasadifferenttimeinour nation,andshehopesthosetimeshave changed.Shehopesthattoday,ournationis oneofinclusionratherthanassimilation.

Herfamilyprovidedsomevaluablelessons regardingdiversity,equity,andinclusion.Ms. Moonhasfacedthetruththatyoucanhavea lovingfamilythatstruggleswithinclusion.In herparents’case,theychosetoadvocate conformityandassimilationratherthan

individualauthenticityanddiversityasit relatedtoherElSalvadorianancestry.Thatall changedwhenMs.Moonwasinhorrificcar accidentinhighschool,whichledtoalossof herleftleg.

“Asateenager, Ithoughtmylifewas completelyoveraftertheaccident.I overheardmydadcryinginthenextroom.He said,noboysaregoingtowanttomarryher, atthatmoment,Iwasnotgoingtoletthis defineme.Iwasgoingtobecourageous.”

Whenthedoctorssuggestedtraditional prosthetics,whichwereclunkyandunwieldy, Ms.Moonsparentssparednoexpensescouring thenationtofindaprostheticlimbthatwould betheperfectfitfortheirdaughter.Without fail,herparentswereabletolocateastate-ofthe-artprostheticlegandwithintwomonthsof heraccidentMs.Moonwastryingoutforthe tennisteam.Thesedays,Ms.Moondoesn't carewhoseesherlegs.Justtheotherday,she wasatanUrgentCareclinic,wearingacute pairofshortsandshowedoffherbionicleg. Despitetheirstrugglestoembracecertain aspectsofMs.Moonslifeherparents,inthe endherparentsbecameherbiggestadvocate.

WhatCanYouDo

Ms.Moonthinkspeoplesometimesgetso consumedineverydaylifethattheydon'treally understandthattherearealotofpeopleout therewhoarestruggling.Nomatterwhich stationyouareatinlife,thereisalways somethingyoucandotoimproveyour situationorsomeoneelse’s.Herjourneyhas includedracial,gender,physical,andmental healthchallengesalongtheway.Whenshefirst startedintheITindustry,therewereveryfew women,shehadtogetcomfortablewithbeing theonlyoneintheroomandmakingsureher voicewasheard.

Hermentorshipapproachreflectsthose experiencesofbeingsimultaneouslyvulnerable andcourageous.Itincludesboththe mountainsandthevalleys,andthenegative weightsshehasleftalongtheway.Howshe wasabletoturnnegativesintopositives.She toldme,

“Ihateitwhenpeoplearesonegative. Whentheysay,‘Ican'tdothis.’Myresponse is,“sowhatcanyoudo?”Thatisthemoment theystartthinkingdifferently.Thatthe

momenttheyrealizehowpowerfultheycan be.Theycandoit;theyjustneedtobegin.”

ItisOkaytoAskforHelp

ThisTrailblazerhasmadeahabitof connectingwithpeopleandprogramsthatwill supportherpersonalandprofessionalgrowth. OnesuchprogramwasScaling4Growth, providedbytheVirginiaDepartmentofSmall BusinessandSupplierDiversity.Ms.Moon wasabletoforgelastingrelationshipswith individualswhohavesincebecomehertrusted advisorsandadvocates.Theydiscuss strategies,services,products,andoften,the highsandlowsofbeinganentrepreneur.

Ms.Moonsharedoneofthoselow momentsintheScaling4Growthprogram:it waswhenoneoftheparticipantscommitted suicide.Thesuicideofacolleaguespurredher tostop,think,andrealizehowcriticalitisfor ustotakecareofourmentalhealth.Thisis whenshemadethedecisiontoreengageher mentalhealthteam.Shesaid, “Ireachedoutto mydoctor,andIgotonmymeds.NowIknow I'mthebestIcanbe.Youcan'ttakeeverything on,asIhavegottenolderandwiser,Irealize it'sokaytoaskforhelp.”

FinalWords

ThisTrailblazerwilltellanybodywhowill listenthatshehasbeenveryfortunate.Shewas adoptedintoagoodfamily.Hermothersaid earlyonthatitwasokaytobestrong,believein yourself,andmarketyourselfwithphraseslike, “youcandowhateveryouwant.Itmaybe hard,butyouknownothingcomeseasyinlife. Aslongasyoubelieveinyourselfyoucando greatthings.”

AfterdecadesoflivingwithMultiple Sclerosis(MS),Ms.Moon’smotherpassed away.ThatwasbeforeMs.Moonhadlaunched EIDOS.Ms.Moon’smother’sstrugglehasled hertobelievethatpeoplearealotstronger thantheythink.Theyarealotmorecapable thantheygivethemselvescredit.Thentheycan evenimagine!HermotherneverletMSstop herfrombeingherbestandleftagreatlegacy forherfamily,andmostofall,EIDOS Technologies.

YOUNGDISRUPTOR

SantiagoSalas-Olvia, AssociateManagerof Government&InternationalAffairs,United StatesHispanicChamberofCommerce (USHCC)

ThisTrailblazerbelievesoneofhis mostsacreddutiestotheChamberisto dotherigorousresearchneededto advancetheHispanicBusiness Community,nowandinthefuture.This hasoftenrequiredMr.Salas-Olivatobe thedissentingopiniononaseemingly popularissue.Heoftenweighsproposed policiesandregulationsagainstthe eventualimpacttheywillormayhaveon themorethanfivegenerationsof Hispanicentrepreneurs.Mr.Salas-Oliva takesthisresponsibilityseriouslyandhas oftengainedthesupportofhismultigenerationalcolleaguesinsomeofthe mostcriticalbusinessinitiatives.Asa trustedadvisor,hesupportstheHispanic andHUBZoneBusinesscommunitywith zeal.

Mr.Salas-Oliva’shyphenatedlast nameishiswayofhonoringhismother, whosefamilynameis “Oliva.”Asa businesswoman,owning twobusinesses,onein marketingandtheother sellingpredictive analysistocorporations inMexico,shehasfaced manyobstacles.He creditshisabilityto workthelonggameto thelessonslearnedfrom hismother.

SupplierReadiness Bootcamps

TheChamberhasdeterminedthatLatinos startbusinessesatthreetimesthenational rate,andLatinasstartbusinessesatsixtimes thenationalrate,yetthey'reoftennotmetwith thesameopportunitiesastheirAnglo counterpartsforcapitalization.WithHispanic businessesgrowingsofast,Mr.Salas-Oliva believesthatcapitalinvestmentsandsupplier readinessbootcampsarecriticaltothe economicfutureoftheUnitedStates.He expressedagrowingconcernthatthisdisparity intheHispanicbusinesscommunitymightlead totherelocationofvariouscompaniestoother countries.

Therefore,heworkswiththegovernment andcorporatepartnerstoidentifyanybusiness obstacleswithintheircommunity.USHCChas designedprogramstoincreasecapacityand sustainabilityforHispanicbusinesses.For example,theUSHCCholdssupplierreadiness bootcampstoteachbusinesseshowtoget readytoworkwithbigcorporationsbygetting intotheirsupplychains.Oftentheseattendees haveneverscaleduptheircompany,soldto federalclients;obtainedfreetraining resources,orestablishedpartnerships.

TheUSHCCworkstointegrateminorityownedbusinessesintotheindustrialbaseas primecontractorsandsubcontractorsforthe

FederalGovernmentandprivatesector.When thesesuppliersarenotreadytotakeonthese efforts,theChamber’sbootcampsprovidethe technicaltrainingneededinareaslikefinancial literacy,operationalplans,business development,andevenhowtoprepare customizedcapabilitiesstatements.The USHCC’shands-onsupportincludes matchmakingsessions,wheretheirstaffsit downwithmembersandcorporationsto personallydeterminehowtoplugbusinesses intotheappropriatesupplychains.

NotaZero-Sum Approach

Hisdadalwayswantedhimtobealawyer; hefeltthathissonwasagreatnegotiator.The problemwasthattheyoungSalas-Olivadidn’t likethefactthatsomeonealwayshadtolose. Mr.Salas-Olivasaid, “Iwantedmyworktonot beazero-sum.IwantedwhatIaccomplished tobenefitentirecommunities,notjustmy clientoroneparty.”Mr.Salas-Olivadoesn’t believethatforbusinessestowin,other businessesmustlose.Hebelievesthereare enoughproblemsintheworld,andweneed hardworkingbusinessestomakeittheir businessaboutsolvingthem.ThisTrailblazeris alwayssearchingforopportunitieswhere everyonewins.Heworksatcreatinga communitywherepeopleseeeachotheras peers–collaborators. “Whenthetiderises,all boatsareliftedup.Ourcommunitybenefits, notjustonebusinessbenefitsbutthewhole community,thefamilies,theworkforce,the schools,everyone.”

ExposureCanLeadto Empathy

Atjust25yearsold,thisTrailblazeris alreadyperfectlyfluentinthreelanguages.Ata veryyoungage,Mr.Salas-Olivaunderstood thatifhewantedtobeinapositiontohelpthe lessfortunate,hewouldhavetoexposehimself todifferentsocial,economic,andcultural situations.Afterhissecondyearofcollegein MexicoCity,hedecideditwastimefora challenge.Helefthome,movingfirsttoSan Francisco,CA,andlatertoWashington,D.C.It wasuncomfortableatfirst,butanecessary experiencethatgavehimstrength.Mr.SalasOlivasaid, “whatfrustratesmeistoseehow recklessweareandhowlittleempathywe haveforothers.Forme,thrivingin uncomfortablesituationsstrengthensmy

empathyforothers.”

humilityand

Mr.Salas-Olivaisdeterminedtoextendhis internationalstudies.Hesaid, “Iplantogoto BeijingtolearnMandarinandearnaMaster’s degree.Althoughwehaveverydifferent cultures,Idobelievethatthereisvaluein learningaboutsomeofthemodelsand processestheyhaveimplementedintheir system.IwanttounderstandhowChina,since 1950s,hasliftedmorethan800millionpeople outofpoverty.Mostimportantly,arethere anylessonsthatcanbeappliedtoa democraticsociety?”

Immigration:Barriersto

Growth

ThisTrailblazerwondersiftheU.S.willbe abletoretainandsustainitsleadershipinthe

Technologywhowasunabletogetan academicappointmentorfundingforhiswork intheU.S.,sohereturnedtohishome country.” In2016,Arikanwasacceptedasthe scientistwholaidthefoundationof5G standardsintheWorld.Asaforeigncitizen, Mr.ArikanwouldhavehadtofindaU.S. employerinterestedenoughinhisprojectand ideastogothroughthetumultuous sponsorshipprocessthatwouldhaveallowed himtostay.

ThinkingGlobally

Mr.Salas-Olivadidnoticeaninteresting trend:HUBZonesandHispanicbusinessesare thinkingglobally.Consumersarerewarding companiesthatcare–theonesthatuse sustainableproductsthatprovide environmental,social,andeconomicbenefits whileprotectingpublichealthandthe environment.Socialmediamadeitclearthat beinggoodforpeopleintheUnitedStatesat theexpenseofmarginalizingcommunities abroadwillnolongerbetolerated.Withthe worldgettingsmaller,wehavetorecognizethat makingaglobalimpactcanalsobeachievedby workinglocally.

PhotoSource:SantiagoSalas-Oliva

PASSING

AdministratorIsabella CasillasGuzman