Andrea Roebker
Latina Entrepreneurs
Regional Communications Director,
Small Business Administration (SBA).
are Business and Community
Leaders in Chicago
By Christine Bolaños
As one of the fastest growing segments of the population, Latinas
are opening businesses at equally quick rates in an array
of industries and fields. Their impact is palpable in Chicago, Illinois,
where Latinas own firms in the family and personal care services
as well as in industries traditionally dominated by men such as
energy, construction and insurance.
Patricia Mota
President,
Hispanic Alliance for Career
Enhancement (HACE).
“We expect to continue to see growth in
Latina business ownership, and from that,
continued economic benefits for Illinois,”
says Andrea Roebker, the Regional
Communications Director for the Small
Business Administration.
She points to Edith De La Cruz as a
prime example of the staying power of
Latina entrepreneurs in Chicago. De La
Cruz started Antigua Construction in
2005 after a career as a teacher. The
company currently employs 14 people
but is growing thanks to government
contracts and private sector work.
“She recently graduated from SBA’s
Emerging Leaders program, a sevenmonth
executive education series for
businesses poised for growth that prepares
16 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 24, No. 1, 2018
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