WASHINGTON–Friends of Puerto Rico and the PenFed Foundation hosted a networking event here that celebrated the breakthroughs of Puerto Rican women.
Friends of Puerto celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by exalting the trailblazing women leaders of Puerto Rico who are impacting their communities by taking risks and creating opportunities leading to financial access and bridging the gap between education and entrepreneurship to achieve success for women and girls, according to PenFed.
Three speakers were selected to discuss the importance of investing in women and girls to break cycles of poverty and entrepreneurship.
Seda Goff, director of PenFed’s Veteran Entrepreneur Investment Pro-gram, and Jessica Van Dop, a veteran and entrepreneur, was well as author of The Dining Traveler, participated in a fireside chat discussing entrepreneurship.
Goff also discussed the difficulties of being a mother and how it is hard to turn off being a mother even when pursuing entrepreneurship.
Among the observations made:
- “Until you’ve done your financial analysis on business, it’s a hobby.”
- “Outsource your financial bookkeeping and focus on the thing that makes your business great.”
Van Dop said having a baby was actually a motivator, not a hindrance, for business because it pushed her to succeed. She reminded people that being an entrepreneur is humbling and a lot of businesses are not profitable for the first five years, PenFed reported. Van Dop began her journey by writing for free and cold-calling, and now enjoys entrepreneurship because it allows her flexibility with her children and family.
In addition, Yvette Peña, vice president of Latino Audience Strategy with AARP, shared her personal story as an Afro-Latina daughter of Dominican immigrants in New York City. She said she learned how to navigate large companies by challenging the status quo and always being prepared.
“You are your own brand. Never let down your integrity,” she said.
Peña said we are living in an exciting time and gender roles are now being abolished.
“We as Latinas have to pay it forward and build a legacy.”
The evening ended with a reception and four guests received roundtrip tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines.
In addition to the PenFed Foundation, the event was also hosted by Southwest Airlines and the Gates Foundation.