Ii’ni Marketplace
Tohatchi, NM As Laris Manuelito began planning for her business, Ii’ni Marketplace, the biggest obstacle she encountered was securing funding for start-up businesses. She didn’t have collateral or prior business experience. Laris connected with the WESST Farmington office and learned about Native Women Rising, a special initiative focused on serving Native entrepreneurs. Laris, a Diné woman and a U.S. Army veteran, found there was a noticeable lack of dedicated support for
Andino Mini Market
Santa Fe, NM Gina Auz needed assistance with a start-up business and learned about WESST from the City of Santa Fe Economic Department. She has always considered herself an entrepreneur, but because she is a mother of five who also worked full time, she wasn’t able to dedicate the time she initially wanted or needed to follow her dream. This changed when she was encouraged to reach out to WESST. When she was told about WESST, Gina learned we had bilingual staff who would be
Alma's Restaurant
Artesia, NM Before coming to WESST, Alma Martinez was already the owner of multiple businesses in Artesia. Her journey has not been easy, but it has been gratifying. She was a young widow raising two young children when she began working as a restaurant server in Artesia. Her strong leadership did not go unnoticed, and she climbed the ranks, becoming assistant manager. The restaurant unfortunately closed as the owners choose to pursue different opportunities, leaving Alma une
EMTeas
Cuba, NM Ben Yeargin, a former wildland firefighter and current EMT, had been thinking about EMTeas for a few months before reaching out to WESST. His wife is a small business owner and has "been singing WESST's praises for years." Ben had also recently attended a workshop for Cuba-area business owners hosted by a WESST team member. When he became more serious about his idea of starting EMTeas, he reached out for assistance. Ben didn’t know exactly where to start, but he had
La Ruta de Anotjitos Mix
Albuquerque, NM Patricia learned about WESST through word of mouth and visited our WESST Enterprise Center in June 2024. During that initial visit, she learned about our services and originally had been planning to operate a fresh fruit cocktail cart. Patricia eventually scrapped that idea due to stricter health inspection requirements that the cart could not meet, but came back to WESST in November 2024 to explore the possibility of securing a loan to purchase a food truck.
AGA Smör LLC
Santa Fe, NM AGA Smör is a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based business with Swedish influence making artisanal seasoned butters with the goal of enhancing meals and simplifying the daily cooking experience. Anika’s entrepreneurial journey began with her then two-year-old daughter, who was deep in the life-changing moment of experiencing solid foods. Wanting to create more flavorful and easier options for parents, the idea of flavored butter was born. There was a steep learning curve
Amigo Café
The Amigo Café is in Kayenta, Arizona near Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation. The restaurant is open six days a week and is one of only two full-service restaurants in the township. Employing fourteen, the business is the longest continuously operating business in town. The menu is a blend of Mexican, American and Navajo cuisine. The business actively supports youth athletics, sponsors of local-area marathon runners and is a long-time donor to the local women’s shelter.
Bosa Donuts
William Cardoza is the owner of a small restaurant and bakery located in Las Cruces. Initially only donuts were sold, but eventually, William expanded his menu to include burritos, menudo, tamales, and other Mexican food. The startup process was a bit different for William since he was an employee of the business for a short period of time before taking ownership. William started as an entry level hourly worker with the company and through his hard work and determination, h
Cacho's Bistro, LLC
Ronsuelvic Cavalieri has always had an entrepreneurship spirit. She came to WESST in March of 2017 with the idea to start her company based on a popular Venezuelan pastry called cachos. She knew she had to learn the basics of forming a business, design her business plan, learn about the food industry regulations, save some money to pay for the startup costs and get proper advice and mentorship. She worked for about 9 months on developing her plan, attending training and consu