Mentors Paving the Way

Mentorship Opportunities

The Self-Taught Chef

In 2017, Alex Hill quit her marketing job to pursue cooking full-time, and launched Just Add Hot Sauce with a mission to make her favorite dishes accessible to everyone. The Afro-Latinx chef has a wildly successful blog (and was recently featured in an episode of Claima stories,) but says she still faces imposter syndrome. Luckily, her love of cooking has helped her build a community through food.

The Haircare Maven

It took Lulu Cordero ten years to launched Bomba Curls, which then became the first woman-owned Dominican haircare company to sell in Target. She now partners with nonprofits (like Latinas y Lideres) to empower young girls to be leaders in their communities.

The Gen-Z CEO

Brittany Chavez launched Shop Latinx with a mission to highlight Latinx-owned businesses all year round. In 2016, she introduced her company on Instagram and now has a full-fledged site featuring brands like Almar Cosmetics, Ceremonia and Nopalera.

Allies and Advocates Are Great, But BIPOC Women Want BIPOC Mentors, Too

Why is it so hard to find women at the top who look like me?

How does your culture play a role in your cooking?

My mom really knew how to make a lot of Puerto Rican food. But when my parents got divorced, she also wanted me to know about my Black culture, so she brought Patti Labelle’s Southern Style cookbook. My mom taught me how to cook both of my cultures and it’s super important to me to portray them in my cooking now.

Do you still have that cookbook? What’s your favorite recipe from it?

The cookbook is probably 30 years old at this point! I still make the smothered chicken to this day.

How did you start cooking full time?

I was in entertainment marketing for ten years, before I quit on my 33rd birthday. I just always loved food. I wanted to go to culinary school, but every time I was ready to check out, they would ask for $40,000. I was already in student debt, so I decided to teach myself. I learned from my mom, YouTube, magazines, cooking shows, etc.

What was it like balancing your marketing job and cooking career?

OMG it was so hard! I was trying to shoot recipes on my “lunch break” or at night after I was finished working. It was really hard to balance and give 100 percent of myself to both.

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow a passion?

First, save money. Then say yes to everything.

How do you deal with imposter syndrome?

I have this screenshot on my phone that says, “Feel the fear and do it anyways.” I look at it every day and I tell myself, “Alex, you’re figuring it out and you can do this.”

What’s your favorite dish at the moment?

Definitely arroz con pollo.

What does Bomba mean?

Bomba is a feeling, a state of mind. You walk into a room with confidence, like a rockstar in your own skin.

What’s the best and worst thing about being your own boss?

You are forced to wear a lot of hats and tap into parts of yourself you never knew were there, but it also pushes you to become a stronger version of yourself.

If you could go back in time and tell yourself one piece of advice before launching your brand, what would it be?

This is a marathon, not a sprint!

What do people get wrong about your brand?

People don’t realize that we are 100 percent self-funded. I entered this with zero funding, zero connections, zero anything. I just had my formula and grit.

What does it mean to be Afro-Latinx?

A lot of people don’t understand that it’s not mutually exclusive. Latin America has a lot of Black people and they are influenced by Blackness through music, food and anything that has sazón, baby. I always joke around and say it’s just Black with subtitles.

Do you have a current song or album that pumps you up for work?

Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. The entire album for me is a hit. There is not one song that I skip.

What was your inspiration behind developing Shop Latinx?

I came across a study that our community had $1.7 trillion in annual buying power, but there was no platform for us to really check out dope emerging Latinx-owned designers and brands.

Why was creating a marketplace for the Latinx community so important to you?

For so long, we've been taught that Latinx Heritage Month is the only window for us to be highlighted. We're more than just a month. We should be celebrated every day.

What’s the best and worst part about being a boss?

The best part is representation. It really allows our consumers to feel seen in a way that they probably couldn't if they were to see a CEO of a large corporation, who are predominantly white men. But it’s also hard being honest and open about my journey as a solo founder in the startup tech space.

What do people get wrong about running a company?

I feel like entrepreneurship is very glamorized. It’s really no easy task. It's not girlboss every day and it's not fancy lunches.

What’s your favorite brand at the moment?

I really love the Nopalera charcoal soap. It's made with cactus oil and it helps clear up all my breakouts and blemishes.

Latinas In Journalism

Created by Rebecca Aguilar, this mentoring program matches Latinx women with Latinx media professionals.

Women Who Create

A community for women of color to network, receive business support and gain mentorship opportunities in their field.

Unlock Her Potential

A program that offers network opportunities, workshops and mentorship for women of color in the media and entertainment industries.

'We in Here' is slang for running things like a boss and taking up space in your given field. We spoke to BIPOC women about what they love, what they need and what they strive for in their careers.

Making Career Moves

We In Here

learn more

Created by Rebecca Aguilar, this mentoring program matches Latinx women with Latinx media professionals.

Latinas In Journalism

learn more

A community for women of color to network, receive business support and gain mentorship opportunities in their field.

Women Who Create