Ay Mí México Grill & Seafood Restaurant
Albuquerque, NM: Tatiana and Martin Cera Marquez Tatiana Cera Marquez, with support from her husband, Martin, opened Ay Mí México Grill & Seafood Restaurant in Albuquerque in July 2022. They worked to establish the restaurant as a destination for authentic Mexican food and hospitality, building an established customer base and presence in the Albuquerque community. The restaurant offers a broad menu that includes traditional Mexican breakfast and lunch dishes, from tacos to m
Highway 28 Farmers & Artisans Market
Anthony, NM: Patsy Villalobos Patsy Villalobos was familiar with WESST for some time through her work with the community as she began developing the idea of starting a business with her cousin, Grace. Patsy had previously collaborated with Candle Baca, and when she learned Candle joined WESST in April 2026, the timing was perfect to reconnect and learn how WESST could help turn her idea into a reality. One of the biggest challenges Patsy faced is common for so many new entrep
Little Gigglers Learning Center
Tatum, NM: Denise Null, Lisa Bell, and Tina Jackson Family-owned and operated, Little Gigglers Learning Center is the first child care center in Tatum, NM. Denise Null and her daughters, Lisa Bell and Tina Jackson, opened their center on June 1, 2026. The Little Gigglers team learned about WESST through another client, Susana Salcido, earlier in 2026, and shortly after became connected with our team in Hobbs, participating in our Lea County Child Care Accelerator. As new chil
Remnant Design Co.
Albuquerque, NM: Jakia Fuller Jakia Fuller is a full-time multidisciplinary creative artist, but back in 2020, she was looking for resources to simply get started. She wanted to know what a creative business looked like, and she realized that starting a business, in any industry, was the same for many. She learned about WESST through an online search and that it was a resource for women entrepreneurs. “One of the first obstacles I faced was the fear of not knowing what to do
Stitched
At its heart, Stitched is truly a family business. Owners, Gena and Gerardo (Gery) Bermudez, have built their embroidery and trophy business to reflect the community of Las Cruces. Gena’s family plays active roles, with her aunts, parents, and other family members creating a warm and welcoming environment. Las Cruces, NM: Gena and Gery Bermudez Gena, Gery, and their team, are deeply committed to Las Cruces, donating their time, energy, and resources to school programs and co
Redhorse Engineering
Santa Fe, NM: Teena Redhorse Teena Redhorse first became involved with WESST in 2023, before she officially launched Redhorse Engineering, an engineering and expert project management business. At the time, she knew she had the technical experience to start a business, but she also knew there was a lot she didn't yet know about running a business. Teena started taking business trainings at WESST, learning the fundamentals to develop a business plan, and continued with additio
Creative Duke
Albuquerque, NM: Jordan Tate Jordan Tate is the owner of Creative Duke, a creative design company based in Albuquerque. He first approached WESST in July 2019 when he decided to turn his side project into a full-time company. Jordan initially received a WESST Hope loan and describes it as "the boost I needed to get my business operational." He was able to purchase equipment to secure his initial clients, providing him with a good starting point as far as quality he was able t
Retail Therapy
Silver City, NM: Lauren Bland Lauren learned about WESST through word of mouth from a fellow colleague, and she connected with WESST in May 2026. She loves a good pun and aptly named her business Retail Therapy, after her history as a physical therapist. One of the biggest barriers for Lauren was taking the leap and pivoting from regular life to starting her business venture. She is a full-time Doctor of Physical Therapy but always knew she wanted to start a business in anoth