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.

Leyva's Dog Training

Amy Levya is a stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur. When she was looking for an appropriate location for her mobile and training business for dogs, Amy needed to find a location and option that worked for both her business and her family. She loves working with dogs and wanted to keep her business small-scale to ensure she was prioritizing being a stay-at-home mom to her two small children. In August 2024, she learned about WESST through the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce while

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Libélula Financial

Brenda partnered with her husband to start J&B Gardens, a family-owned landscaping business. She began taking care of their bookkeeping needs while continuing to work with another contractor as a full-time office manager. Brenda then decided to open her own business: Libelula Financial, a bookkeeping service that assists businesses with acquiring the permits and applications needed to become registered businesses. She focuses on working closely with the Spanish-speaking commu

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Little Sprouts Childcare and Learning Center

Little Sprouts Child Care and Learning Center is a family child care provider in Roswell, NM. The home-based daycare service provides care to children from infancy through 12 years old. When Sonia couldn’t find dependable childcare, she decided to be a stay-at-home mom to homeschool her own children. After eleven years of experience homeschooling her children, she decided to investigate how to launch a daycare business. Because she herself had been on federal assistance, she

CHILDCARE, EDUCATION, & OUTREACH

Luna and Luz

“Luna and Luz” (Tess’s daughters’ middle names) is a retail shop, located in the historic Albuquerque Old Town district. Her shop showcases nearly 200 local artisans, including many women-owned and Albuquerque-based businesses. Tess is in the business of invigorating the local economy and making our community rich by supporting vendors and artists who are true makers. She finds purpose through the creation of experiences and cultivation of relationships within the local artis

RETAIL

The Magic Cookery & Naples Drizzle

The Magic Cookery offers a full-service professional commissary kitchen for food service providers. Designed with the client in mind, The Magic Cookery is fully registered and compliant with the FDA. In addition to kitchen services, they offer packaging and bottling facilities. Additionally, The Magic Cookery is home to Naples Drizzle their original manufacturing brand. Naples Drizzle is a line of hot sauces that include their best selling namesake Italian hot sauce. Cheryl C

FOOD & BEVERAGE

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