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Concepción Jiménez cleans Valley homes for a living, an occupation she has perfected after 20 years of living in Phoenix. Decades of experience in the cleaning industry have allowed her to build up her clientele.
But it wasn’t until 2022 that she officially established her own cleaning business. According to Jiménez, 47, she was able to do that thanks to Fuerza Local’s Latino business accelerator program, offered by Local First Arizona.
She was one of 45 Valley entrepreneurs who were celebrated on Wednesday night at the Versailles Event Center in Maryvale. Jiménez, along with other Maryvale, south Phoenix and Mesa business owners, graduated from the six-month incubator program.
The Fuerza Local accelerator provides free training and resources to Latino small-business owners across Arizona, and is taught in Spanish. It falls in line with the mission of Local First Arizona, a nonprofit that aims to boost local economies by supporting local entrepreneurs.
“We are very happy ― all these entrepreneurs had six months of preparation and we helped them to be ready to grow their businesses,” said Mónica García, senior manager of small-business development at Local First Arizona. “We have entrepreneurs from all walks of life, like food, decorations, construction, bakers — well, all sorts of industries graduating from the course. Imagine the contribution we are making to the state of Arizona.”
During the program, participants learn the basics of running a business and slowly develop advanced skills to grow their businesses, creating a firm foundation to achieve their short- and long-term goals. All classes are taught by professionals and subject matter experts.
More than 800 graduates
Local First Arizona has graduated more than 800 Latino entrepreneurs across Arizona since 2013 through the Fuerza Local program. A similar incubator focused on uplifting Black business owners, called We Rise, was launched in 2020 and over 40 leaders have graduated since.
The goal is to build an inclusive and sustainable economy in Arizona, supporting entrepreneurs of color. The programs aim to end long-standing racial wealth gaps and unfair banking and lending practices by connecting Latino and Black business owners with mentors, clients, the community and sources of capital.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these graduates. Their hard work and dedication inspire everyone,” said Kimber Lanning, CEO of Local First Arizona. “(The program) is helping to shape the future of Arizona, in our rural and urban areas alike. Our heartfelt congratulations to all of these incredible business owners.”
A second Fuerza Local graduation was set to take place in Sedona, where Latino entrepreneurs in Sedona and Cottonwood would be celebrated on Friday at the Sedona Performing Arts Center.
According to the latest report from the U.S. census, there is a population of 7,359,197 inhabitants in Arizona, of which 32.3% identify as Hispanic or Latino.
In 2018, there were more than 610,000 businesses in Arizona, of which more than 112,000 were Latino-owned. These companies employed more than 101,000 people, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency.
Getting the tools to help them grow
When the opportunity was presented to her, Jiménez was undecided about signing up for the program. She asked herself: “‘Why am I going to take classes if I clean houses? What am I going to learn?'”
Conce’s Cleaning LLC, based out of Phoenix, was born during that accelerator program.
“I was pleasantly surprised with the instructor that I got. I am so grateful to him because he was very patient with me. They really helped me a lot with things that I didn’t even know and that I needed for my company,” Jiménez said.
Luis Antonio Fuentes Olmos is the owner of Tacos Monkey in Phoenix, near 22nd and Campbell avenues. Through his tacos, he shares his Mexican family’s recipe — a fusion of Guerrero, Baja California and Sonora cuisine.
He dreamed of taking his small business to the next level and decided to sign up for the Fuerza Local program.
“I am selling something original, something that we made ourselves, and here they have taught us that there is a Latino community with which we can work together and with which we can do great things if we set our mind to it,” Fuentes said.
Another graduate, Luz Murillo, has lived in Peoria for over two decades after migrating to Arizona from San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. She sells homemade sweets and has also started catering parties through her business DessertsLu.
“The concern to continue growing was what motivated me to sign up,” she said. “I had projects, proposals and I limited myself because I needed permits, licenses.” Murillo, 37, said the program’s instructors helped her figure that all out.
She’ll celebrate two years of owning and growing her Peoria-based business in 2023.
