STORIES OF IMPACT

At WESST, we believe the heart of our mission is best told through the journeys of the entrepreneurs we serve. In our Client Stories section, you’ll find inspiring accounts of New Mexican business owners—at every stage of their ventures—who have been transformed through WESST’s consulting, training, lending, and incubation support. These stories highlight how we partner with clients to turn ideas into thriving, sustainable businesses, showing the real impact of guidance, financial tools, and persistence.

From wellness centers, retail brands, and service businesses to manufacturing and tech enterprises, each narrative underscores how tailored resources, mentorship, and belief in their vision helped these founders overcome obstacles, build confidence, and grow with purpose.

Last Call Kombucha

Santa Fe, NM Kiana Estevez has always been inspired by her summers growing up in the Dominican Republic and loving the drink, kombucha. This led to launching her own business. “I determined that now was the time,” says Kiana. “I reached out to every available start-up resource I could find in Santa Fe. I had met with a WESST team member at different events and learned more about the organization, and the connection was made.” Kiana had been making and selling her beverages l

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Blessed to be a Blessing Farms LLC

Chaparral, NM Daniela Lizarraga first heard about WESST through local entrepreneurs in Las Cruces who had spoken highly of the support they received. She came in for a consultation in June 2024 to get some guidance on how to move her business idea forward and make her LLC more active. At the time, Daniela had already created her business, Blessed to be a Blessing Farms, registered in New Mexico and Texas, and even built her website, but she had yet to make a sale. “I needed

FOOD & BEVERAGE

ValidSync

Albuquerque, NM In 2025, Solomon Gbara first learned about WESST through Jordan Tate, owner of Creative Duke and WESST Incubator member. Solomon was interested in learning more about credit, who to speak to, and was referred to Melissa, WESST’s Loan Operations Officer. As a UNM college student and young entrepreneur building his own business, ValidSync, Solomon wanted help in establishing an LLC and taking care of his credit. He was able to successfully set up his LLC with t

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Leading with Intention: Valeria Olave on Her Leadership NM Experience

By WESST | January 23, 2026 With nearly a decade of experience in the banking industry, Valeria Olave joined WESST in 2023 as Program Director of our Albuquerque Women’s Business Center (WBC). Under her leadership, WESST’s Albuquerque WBC earned the 2025 National Certificate of Excellence from the Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) and was featured in the first ever AWBC Media Spotlight tour in August 2025. Valeria recently gradu ated from Le adership New Mexic

WESST NEWS & UPDATES

Sandia Pet Products

Albuquerque, NM When Veronica Fuller’s former boss was selling her wholesale product business, Sandia Pet Products, she came to WESST after a referral from a friend to explore her options. At the time, she didn’t have the funds to purchase the business, but through consulting and training, WESST and Veronica worked together to realize her path to entrepreneurship. Veronica’s main challenge was accessing the capital she needed to purchase the purchase. Through WESST, she rec

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