Chamber of commerce presidents, consular representatives and Latina business owners gathered Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the Conversation Room at City Hall, where Mujeres Que Inspiran set out to map what women entrepreneurs across Philadelphia’s Latino communities need to grow, and to carry those needs to city government in one voice.
«Our goal for this event is to be in contact with other women in the community and find areas of need in different Latino communities,» said Rocío Peralta, the organization’s director of engagement and owner of the business “Consulta con Rocío”. «We need to be a united voice to bring our concerns to City Hall,» she explained.
Peralta said, “The organization has identified five main barriers standing between Latina women and successful businesses: language, lack of information, lack of funding, difficulty identifying resources, and not knowing how to move a business to the next level. Today, we want to get together to understand more of what women in the community need to empower themselves to make their businesses successful,» she said.
William Garcia, director of Latino engagement in the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement, attended to support the group’s work. Around the table sat leaders representing bodegas, chambers of commerce and consulates from across the Americas: Enerolina Meléndez, president of the Asociación de Bodegueros Dominicanos; Lana Palafox, president of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce; Gloria Castro, president of the Colombian and Latin Chamber of Commerce; Georgia Atanassopoulos, consul of Panama; Felipa Ventura, a leader in the Mexican community; Tamara Contreras, representing the Mexican Consulate; and Anngie Milán, representing the Dominican Chamber of Commerce. Journalist Yesenia de Moya moderated the session.
The stakes are economic as well as personal. Immigrants make up about a third of Philadelphia’s entrepreneurs, which is roughly double their share of the city’s population, according to a 2024 report by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Included in this count are about 21,000 self-employed immigrant business owners in the city in 2022. They run everything from corner groceries and restaurants to construction firms.
Mayorie Paredes, the organization’s founder and president, launched the nonprofit four years ago to offer events, conferences and workshops that motivate Latina women throughout the region to start their own businesses or take an existing business to the next level. Today the network counts 300 members. «We are 300 women strong and united, like a group of friends,» Paredes said. «We are like best friends.» Paredes was also joined in leading the session by Lina Bono, the organization’s vice president of communications and a community media personality.
The 501(c)(3) organization offers workshops, networking sessions and mentorship meant to help women overcome self-doubt and gain access to financial and business tools. On the third Thursday of every month, it hosts a virtual session where entrepreneurs share strategies and resources, and each March it holds Women’s History Month gatherings celebrating Latina business owners across industries. Its reach extends beyond the balance sheet. The organization says it has walked alongside survivors of domestic violence, single mothers returning to the workforce and young women with big dreams who need guidance to begin. More information is available at the organization’s website, mujeresqueinspiranphl.org, and on Instagram at @mujeresqueinspiranphl.
As its mission statement puts it: «When a woman empowers herself, she transforms everything around her.»
