Success Stories

Albuquerque Kayla Vallejos has been cooking since she was 13 so it was only a matter of time when she would own her food operation. Vallejos, proud owner of Albuquerque-based Taste of Love food truck that started business this spring, got her start working at Burger King and then moved on to waitressing and

When Doris Sandoval, co-owner of SSC Construction, talks about the single-family homes she’s built for clients living in New Mexico’s Pueblos, she takes pride in the final product. “It’s my home before we give it to you,” says Ms. Sandoval, who is a citizen of San Felipe Pueblo. “If it

Apprenticeships for Leaders in Mosaic Arts Albuquerque Founded in 1999 on the idea that the mind should be used to promote the arts among youth and adults, the Apprenticeships for Leaders in Mosaic Arts or ALMA was born. The program provides paid training for youth using the mosaic arts. Youth

Dub-L-EE LLC & Exotic Blooms LLC It was nearly 10 years ago when Edward Saiz and his son, Eddie J. Saiz, created DUB-L-EE LLC, an Albuquerque general company that has been doubling revenue yearly.  Eddie, a certified plumber, and his father who has 40 years experience in plumbing decided to

(505) 877-8871  Isleta, NM Eleven years ago, while working as a housekeeper for a large Albuquerque hotel, Delia Gallegos dreamed of owning her own restaurant. But she soon realized she needed more than passion to make her dream a reality-she  needed to learn about business. So, Delia went to WESST

2125 Broadway Blvd SE Albuquerque, NM 87102 (505) 247-2979 “GOOD!  GOOD! and more GOOD!” exults an online review from a satisfied customer of Albuquerque’s El Dorado Bakery. “This little gem of a bakery is probably one of the finest things in Albuquerque’s South East ‘San  Jose’ neighborhood .. . .

    Rio Grande Educational Collaborative     www.atriscoheritagefoundation.org Albuquerque, NM When the Atrisco Heritage Foundation lost a significant annual contribution to its Legacy Fund in the 2008 recession, CEO Peter Sanchez was thankful his foundation had an existing relationship with the state’s oldest and largest nonprofit community lending organization. “We

(David and Juliana Garcia, owners of Pet Planet Hotel & Day Camp)Las Cruces, NM After adopting seven dogs from friends and neighbors, David and Juliana Garcia concluded that Las Cruces sorely needed a business that served animals and the people who love them. The couple bought a van with their savings

(Christina Montoya, Montoya Transportation owner, with loan officer Cathy Sorenson)  Silver City, New Mexico The Silver City economy was thriving in 1996 when Christina Montoya bought her family’s bus company from her parents and continued its contract with the Cobre Consolidated School District to transport students. In 2001, Montoya approached

http://www.villamyriam.com  /  http://www.thebrewabq.com  Brothers David and Juan Certain grew up in Colombia knowing great coffee. Coffee is a three-generation old family business that dates back to the mid 1960s when their grandfather founded Villa Myriam Coffee.  As children, the brothers would run through the fields of their grandfather’s coffee plantation

Jose Ocampo moved to the United States from Nicaragua in 1980 after his family was granted political asylum here. Following a tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps and a few years at the University of New Mexico, he set his sights on being a mechanic and eventually opening

2201 Q St NE, Suite 9A, Albuquerque, NM Opening a business that sells authentic, made-from-scratch Italian gelato requires substantial startup capital, which is why Daniel Romero and Lori Griego worked hard to get the right ingredients to finance their Frost Gelato Shoppe franchise. While approval was quick from The Loan Fund,

(San Felipe Pueblo, NM) Doris Sandoval works in an industry hard hit by the recession and lagging recovery, yet by following a strategic plan of borrowing through lines of credit, the owner of SSC Construction has kept her business going strong. SSC Construction is based in San Felipe Pueblo in

www.ymcacnm.org The YMCA was founded in 1844 to put the Christian principles of respect, honesty, caring and responsibility into practice, while working to strengthen the spirit, mind and body of its members. Over time, its programs have expanded steadily to meet social and community needs. Today, it is the largest

Tommy Padilla does not have a lot of time on his hands. He works full time for the state Livestock Board and owns a 2,000-acre cattle ranch near Quemado (population 781). But he saw an opportunity to provide a needed service to the traveling public. Quemado is on Route 60

600 N. HudsonSilver City NM   88061 575-534-9172 www.milliescenter.com 84-year-old Margaret “Peg” Aker was in difficult straits after her husband died in 2004: grieving and coping with diabetes, she was increasingly unable to take care of herself, had no children, and her only nearby relatives were an older sister and a

PO Box 25181Albuquerque, NM 87125505-764-0359 www.sawmillclt.org Josie and Charlie Pflieger raised their three grandchildren here. Retiree Judy Gallegos found an active, involved community here. “Here” is the Sawmill neighborhood, a former industrial area north of Albuquerque’s Old Town. Under the leadership of executive director Debbie O’Malley, and her successor, former

Three Catholic nuns working in southern New Mexico envisioned building a community with affordable, environmentally sustainable housing for low-income people. When Sisters Joan Brown, Jean Miller and Jean Durel founded Tierra Madre Land Trust in Sunland Park with 18 local families in 1995, they translated this vision into reality and

318 Isleta Blvd. SWAlbuquerque, NM 87105505.217.2473 www.rgcdc.org Based in Bernalillo County’s unincorporated South Valley, the nonprofit Rio Grande CDC was created in 1986 to articulate community concerns about the neglect of the area’s infrastructure, environment, and economic development. Under the leadership of its present and former executive directors, Tony Gallegos

Founder: Nan Elsasser212 Gold Ave. NWAlbuquerque, NM (505) 242-9267www.workingclassroom.org  Working Classroom provides academic and artistic education to talented young artists and actors from historically ignored communities. “The arts both mirror who we are as a nation and help us interpret where we are headed and what we want to become,” says Nan