PHOENIX — Magaly Martinez Sanez has always been a woman with a dream. Right now, she and her partner, Jose "ET" Rivera, own and operate Tres Leches Cafe near 19th Avenue and Van Buren Street with a second location in South Phoenix.
"Through hard work, you can achieve anything you want to do," Magaly explains. "You can be anything you want to be. As long as you work for it."
As a first-generation Mexican American, Magaly is part of a growing trend of Latinas who are starting businesses.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Latinas are opening small businesses faster than any other group right now.
"I would say we feel more empowered right now," says Magaly, about why Latinas are opening more small businesses. "Seeing that representation has really empowered us...there is change possible if we speak for ourselves and a better future for our communities."
"I think Latinos are very entrepreneurial," says Elmy Bermejo with the Small Business Administration. "And I also think Latinas are like the CEOs of families, always looking to maximize what's going on."
Bermejo says many of these new Latina business owners got their inspiration during the initial stages of the pandemic.
"During the pandemic, there were women who were starting to sell tamales and now it's — how do I scale up?"
But for Magaly, that "scale up" process hasn't been easy. She's the head of a blended family, a mom to nine kids, and co-owners, with her partner, ET, of Tres Leches.
"There are still days where we have to talk each other off the ledge to close every week because of the challenges we've experienced. There's been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears invested into this business and there are so many members of the community and staff that rely on this."
But whatever the issue is, the pan still rises at Tres Leches. Magaly tells me she knows there is a lot more than just a business at stake.
"We have eight young women looking to us to see how we will make a difference in our community...I want to empower them and set a good example."
If you'd like to check out Tres Leches, they currently have two locations open in Phoenix. For more information, click here.
