WIMAUMA, Fla — One of the biggest hurdles to starting your own business is access to capital. Here in Tampa one local non-profit is helping Latinos, like Ale Pacheco, bridge that gap.
"I'm from Venezuela and I came to this country seven years ago," Ali Pacheco, owner of Ale's Charcuterie Boards LLC said.
Seven years ago, Pacheco had no idea how to start her own business. Fast-forward to today, and she's the first entrepreneur in her family.
"I do charcuterie boards. It's my passion," she added.
But her passion needed a plan, and she didn't get this far alone. Leaders with Enterprising Latinas said their mission is to help people just like Pacheco.
"Enterprising Latinas is a women's empowerment organization with a mission to create pathways of economic opportunity for women, for Latina women in particular, because Latina women tend to be on the lowest end of the wage spectrum," Santos Morales, Director of Economic Prosperity, explained.
This week, The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) awarded the non-profit $70,000 in funding and specialized training to adopt new lending technology and improve systems and processes. Enterprising Latinas said this will increase the flow of loan capital for minority business owners across Tampa Bay.
"The $70,000 grant is being used for a few things. One is to help us build capacity. We were able to hire someone full time to work with small businesses to help them with loans, loan packaging, understanding credit, understanding all the nuances that come with applying for a business loan because access to capital is a major issue for Latino and minorities," Morales explained.
Meanwhile, Pacheco said thanks to other grants the non-profit has been given, she was able to receive $10,000 to help with her business.
"They gave me my life back," she told ABC Action News.
Pacheco said she never thought her dreams would become a reality after moving to Wimauma from Venezuela, but she wants other women like her to know that anything is possible and Enterprising Latinas are there to help.
"It's a really good example for my kids. They can feel now like, oh my mom can do it, I can do it too. That's really important," Pacheco shared.
ABC Action News spoke with several small business owners across Polk County, and the topic on everyone's mind heading into the 2024 election was inflation.
