Paola F. Enriquez

I started formally in hospitality and event management in 2012 at a property in Grapevine, Texas, where I had wonderful mentors who really invested in me with their time and guidance. That's how I discovered my passion for this work. I've always been a people person, but I wasn't quite finding my path until then. After four years in hospitality doing sales, events, and catering, I connected through networking with a nonprofit in Texas where I spent six years developing my skills in project management, logistics, and on-site execution. My director there believed in me 100% and let me pretty much run with things, which is how I truly developed hands-on experience. At one point, I was doing 18 events a year, ranging from 50 to 2,500 attendees. In 2022, I transitioned into trade shows as a conference manager, and the trade show universe was new to me, but it was a great fit. As of September last year, I joined the Latino Builders Show team as Associate Director, working directly with the CEO. I'm now laser-focused on something that pertains to my community, impacting my own community, and that is really a privilege. I see my journey as preparation, with all of the joy, challenges, tears, and laughter that started in 2012 continuing on, but now more aligned with everything I believe in. It's truly a privilege to love what you do for a living, because when those rough spots come, it's easier to navigate when you go back to your core and remember what you believe in 100%.