Her Story
About Monica
I've dedicated over 14 years to marketing and community outreach, with a deep commitment to creating economic opportunity for all. My journey with EGBI began 9 years ago as a volunteer, and after being named Volunteer of the Year in 2014, I joined the staff. Since January, I've served as Director of Operations, where I ensure that everyone who walks through our doors has a top-standard, welcoming experience, whether they're attending events, volunteering, or seeking business support. I oversee special events, logistics, volunteer coordination, and marketing, always with the goal of making our no-cost and low-cost services feel like a high-end consulting experience. I also maintain my own marketing firm and have been involved with organizations like Hispanic Women's Network of Texas, Las Comadres Para Las Americas, and Young Hispanic Professionals Association, where I served as Vice President for two terms. Through Leadership Austin and social entrepreneurship certification at the LBJ School RGK Center, I've continued to develop my skills. What drives me is seeing the real impact on families - business owners who send their kids to college, pay off homes, and achieve business success. When adult learners commit to our 8-week night classes after working blue-collar jobs all day, it creates a domino effect where their children take education more seriously too. I'm proud that EGBI has been ranked the number one business accelerator in Central Texas for three years in a row by Austin Business Journal, and I believe it's because we truly listen to the business owenrs we serve and lead by example.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Monica
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
One thing I'd like to say, I do teach on personal branding, and what I say is, we've always been taught to be humble, and that's a thing of the past. Always dress up for the job that you want, not the one you have at the moment. So, we're dressing up personally with your clothes and how you look today, but also dress yourself up online as well. Thinking about someone's LinkedIn account, it needs to be created for the job they want. Anytime I sit with someone about their LinkedIn account, I ask them, where do you want to see yourself in 5 years? And we start branding them for their 5-year goal, not for the job they have today. I feel like the people that do most of the work in society are the ones that don't get the attention, which is fine, because that's fine for them not to get the attention, but sometimes you do have to be behind the microphone to make sure change happens. Even though you don't want to, if not you, who?
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is economics - the cost of everything going up, and as employers and working with business owners, the prices are going up, and people's wages aren't going up fast enough to meet that demand. That's always going to be the biggest challenge - finding a way that people can make a living wage for the skills that they have, and achieving economic mobility for all. On the opportunity side, I still think wherever there's a problem, there's always a way that someone out here can create the solution for that problem, and it doesn't have to be a non-profit. It could be a for-profit entity. What makes a strong business is there being a problem, so wherever there's a problem, there's opportunity.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
When I think about values, I feel like we all have something to give to our community with our own special talent. And it doesn't always have to be monetary, we all have a special gift. So my value is, I do like to surround myself with people that are always trying to improve themselves. I like to say I'm a work in progress. I'm always looking to learn, and so I like to surround myself with the same like-minded individuals that are willing to help others.
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