A lifelong Chicagoan, I am the daughter of parents who immigrated from Monterrey, Mexico. I was born in the Little Village neighborhood then later moved to the Southwest side and attended Gage Park High School. In these communities, I learned the importance and benefits of creating opportunities. This core value has been essential to my success as an entrepreneur.What began as a non-profit rescue helping special needs dogs find forever homes transitioned into a home-based pet care business that evolved into my becoming the owner of K9 University Chicago in 2003. My record of employing a diverse workforce consisting of 75% Hispanic and African American employees and other disadvantaged groups seeking a first or second chance in their career, was mentioned as a highlight when I proudly received the US Small Business Association Illinois Rising Star Award in 2019. A personal experience benefiting from excellent healthcare in Mérida, Mexico, lead me to better understand the necessity of sharing this critical knowledge with a variety of under-resourced communities. As the founder of Mérida Medical Tourism, established in 2020, I am committed to supplying; small business owners with a competitive tool to attract and retain employees, individuals with affordable and safe healthcare solutions, and a platform for international tourism providers who create and curate purposeful cultural encounters.I have active memberships with the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Greater Southwest Development Corporation and 36Squared Business Incubator.