There is a program through the Consulate of Mexico in Phoenix that is helping women in the Valley build a business from the ground up.
You could call it a "summer of success" for Edith Maynez with Manny's Air in Mesa where they are wrapping up a long, hot — but very lucrative — summer season.
"It's been so crazy!" Maynez says. "But good for business!"
Maynez and her husband Manny have owned the business for more than 20 years. Before that, Manny worked for another A/C company but decided to go into business for himself when he noticed a gap in the marketplace for companies that had Spanish-speaking technicians.
It was a risk that paid off big-time all these years later. And now, Maynez is ready to open a financing company to help her customers get access to funding for new A/C units and costly repairs.
"I found for my community, the Latino community, it wasn't easy for them to get approved and to obtain a loan to buy a new A/C system so for so many years I had my own dream of opening up my own financial company - but I didn't know where to start."
And that's where a program from the Mexican Consulate comes in. It's called "Mexicana Emprende."
In partnership with the Thunderbird School for Global Management at Arizona State University, the goal is to support female entrepreneurs who are originally from Mexico, with the tools, resources and connections they need to not only build a business, but also succeed.
Over the duration of the four-month free program, students learn basic business concepts, create a business plan, connect with mentors and other business leaders, and take part in workshops like public speaking.
"I heard about the program and all the workshops and the mentoring and networking they were doing and I was like yeah this is what I need!" Maynez explains.
She graduated from the program in July and says the lessons are already paying off.
"Now I feel more confident to do anything. I'm not scared anymore. I can do anything."
To learn more about Mexicana Emprende, click here.
