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.

Virtue Ventures

After being denied a business loan at her local credit union, Katelyn Cardenas was referred to WESST in January 2025. Katelyn was in the early stages of her business, Virtue Ventures, LLC, a private car rental service based in Farmington. While she was able to satisfy the essential requirements for a small business loan, she lacked the two years’ worth of financial statements or projections needed to substantiate her loan. Nevertheless, she continued to push forward. Katelyn

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Visionary Imagery, LLC

Maia Franz is a fine art photographer, specializing in black and white photography, and owns Visionary Imagery, LLC. She first learned of WESST through the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Ascent program in October 2024. In 2023, Maia went through a monumental life change, suffering from a heart attack and multiple strokes, all due to an unknown tumor in her heart. After recovering from open heart surgery in the fall of 2023, she realized she wanted to embrace her phot

CREATIVE ARTS

Voice Power Studios (VPS)

Sandy is a leading international expert in the art of the speaking voice. Voice Power Studios (VPS) work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Houston Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, New York Times and other publications. She’s an international keynote speaker, private voice and speech coach. Over the past five years she’s developed a popular accent reduction online training program. In the late 80's it became clear that her advancing age was an issue in landing jobs i

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Wild Horse Truck & Trailer Repair

From working for Price’s Truck Stop to doing oil changes in the driveway, the decision to open Wild Horse Truck & Trailer Repair in the old Price’s Truck Stop location seemed like the right thing to do. Their work ethic, experience, and knowledge provided the necessary foundation. Marty Lightfoot knew the books, and Chris Martinez had the mechanical background they needed to be successful. All they had to do was take on the liability of running a business with day to day acti

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Warriors Karate

Refugio ‘Cookie’ Flores teaches all levels of karate up to and including black belts, provides individualized exercise training for small classes of students and teaches kick-boxing. He provides support through his years of training to address discipline issues, help students focus on positivity, and build both mental and physical toughness. Cookie learned karate when he was a teen and continued studying the art until he became a certified instructor and could have his own st

HEALTH, WELLNESS, & BEAUTY

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