Celebrating the Fall 2025 Business Development Training Graduation at ELI

On Saturday, January 17th, 2026 Enterprising Latinas hosted a graduation ceremony that was as meaningful as it was inspiring. Entrepreneurs from both the Spanish and English cohorts of the Fall 2025 Business Development Training came together to celebrate the completion of an eight-week journey marked by commitment, courage, and growth.

It was a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony, one that honored not only business plans, but also the personal transformations behind them. Family members, community leaders, instructors, staff, and partners gathered to recognize the decision each graduate made to invest in themselves, their dreams, and their families.

A milestone rooted in data, opportunity, and purpose

Throughout the ceremony, Liz Gutierrez, our CEO, and Santos Morales, our COO, shared key data that highlights why moments like this graduation matter, not just for individuals, but for entire communities.

In the United States:

• More than 800 women-owned businesses are launched every day.

• Women own 39% of all businesses, representing over 14 million companies that employ nearly 13 million people nationwide.

• In 2024 alone, women founded 49% of all new businesses, a significant increase compared to 2019.

• According to Wells Fargo, women-owned businesses have outpaced men-owned businesses in growth, job creation, and revenue over the past five years.

• Here in the Tampa Bay region, women-led businesses are growing at an annual rate of nearly 9%, one of the highest in the country. In fact, 12 of the top 100 women-led businesses in Florida are located in this region.

Liz Gutierrez, CEO & Founder of ELI

As Liz emphasized, these numbers represent real opportunity, real momentum, and real responsibility. They remind us that economic growth is happening, and that with the right preparation, education, and support, our community is positioned not just to participate in that growth, but to lead it. That is precisely what we celebrated today.

From vision to action: the Business Development Training

The Business Development Training of Enterprising Latinas (ELI) is an intensive 8-week program designed to help participants critically analyze their business ideas or existing ventures and translate them into clear, realistic, and actionable business plans.

In this program, a business plan is not treated as paperwork, it is treated as a living document, one that helps entrepreneurs organize their ideas, understand their numbers, and move forward with intention and confidence.

During the ceremony, special recognition was given to the program’s instructors, Natalia Arellano and Viviana Zambrano, whose dedication, patience, and lived experience deeply shaped the learning journey. Both instructors once sat where the students sit today, having participated in this very training themselves. Their leadership created a learning environment rooted in trust, accountability, and community, where questions were welcomed, ideas were challenged with care, and growth happened collectively.

Community, partnership, and gratitude

None of this work happens in isolation. A central theme of the ceremony was gratitude for the strong network of partners who make this training possible.

Enterprising Latinas proudly recognized and thanked our financial and community partners, whose continued investment allows us to offer accessible training, support our instructors, and provide seed capital awards to outstanding business ideas.

We extend our sincere appreciation to:

• Bank OZK

• BMO Bank

• Regions Bank

• MIDFLORIDA Credit Union

• Truist Bank

• and other valued partners who consistently believe in our mission and invest in the economic potential of our community.

Their support goes beyond funding. It includes financial education, guidance, access to banking resources, and, most importantly, relationships built on trust and long-term commitment. At Enterprising Latinas, we know that impact is built through partnership, and every graduate’s success reflects the strength of this collective effort.

Celebrating businesses in motion

As the culmination of the program, students presented their business plans in a final pitch competition, evaluated by local entrepreneurs and community leaders. Presentations were assessed based on clarity of vision, feasibility, financial understanding, and the ability to communicate impact.

Winning Projects – Spanish Cohort

• Third Place: Tofuri’s Cleaning ServiceA residential and commercial cleaning business serving Riverview and surrounding areas, recognized for its professionalism and attention to detail.

• Second Place: Mi Casita LaundryAfter more than 20 years of dreaming, the first laundromat in Wimauma became a reality—an inspiring example of perseverance meeting community need.

• First Place: Mi Vaquita BakeryAn emerging bakery inspired by authentic Venezuelan flavors, combining handcrafted products with a strong social mission focused on giving back.

Winning Projects – English Cohort

• Third Place: Dee’z WienersA mobile hot dog cart concept with a bold Latin twist, praised for its creative concept, strong branding, and memorable personality.

• Second Place: Elegancia Canina en RuedasA 24/7 mobile dog grooming service designed to support busy families with flexible, accessible, and thoughtful care.

• First Place: Chef’s Mesa – Charcuterie & CateringWhat began as charcuterie boards for friends and family has grown into a business creating curated food experiences across Tampa Bay, blending artistic vision and culinary expertise.

Each project represented more than a business idea, it reflected a story, a lived experience, and a clear decision to move forward with purpose.

“I am because we are”

Diolexis Nuñez, Owner of Vicky Sweetness

The ceremony closed with a powerful keynote from Diolexis Nuñez, a graduate of a previous Business Development Training cohort and the founder of Vicky's Sweetness. Her message centered on Ubuntu: an African philosophy meaning “I am because we are.”

Diolexis shared how she arrived at Enterprising Latinas with a dream, but also with fear and uncertainty. Through the training, she gained not only knowledge, but confidence, support, and a sense of belonging.

Her advice to the new graduates was simple and profound:

"Ask questions. Ask for help. Take action, even when things are not perfect. Your story, your culture, and your life experience are not obstacles, they are your strengths." - Diolexis Nuñez

This is not the end, it’s the beginning

The Fall 2025 Business Development Training Graduation marks a new chapter, not a conclusion. At Enterprising Latinas, we remain committed to walking alongside our entrepreneurs, providing continued resources, mentorship, capital access, and community.

Today, we celebrate dreams that are already in motion.Tomorrow, we continue building pathways of opportunity: together.

Congratulations to the Fall 2025 graduating class. This is only the beginning. ¡Si se puede!