Newsletters

Gala 2011 Newsletter

AnewAmerica Honored by Bank of America

AnewAmerica is the proud recipient of the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Award (NEI) from Bank of America. NEI is Bank of America’s signature philanthropic program, which recognizes, nurtures, and rewards community-based organizations working to improve their communities. Bank of America chose AnewAmerica for this prestigious award based on our work to strengthen and grow our communities through offering sustainable microenterprise development services.

(Pictured left to right: Milton D. Speid, Assistant Vice President, Market Specialist, Bank of America; Viola Gonzales, CEO, AnewAmerica; Robert Lattimore, COO, AnewAmerica; Jeff Butler, Director of Women's Business Center, AnewAmerica; Jeremey Williams, Community Relations Manager, Global Corporate Social Responsibility, Bank of America.)

AnewAmerica's Microbusiness Expo & Gala

Building A New Future

Thursday, November 10th, 6pm-9pm
Scottish Rite Center, Oakland

Click here to buy your tickets today!

Join AnewAmerica on November 10th!

SHOP for the Holidays!
SHOW your support for immigrants in our communities!
ENJOY live music and taste fabulous appetizers and desserts made by our entrepreneurs!
ENTER our drawings to win terrific prizes, including FOUR ROUND TRIP PLANE TICKETS to anywhere Southwest Airlines flies!

Shopping opportunities will include:

-African-inspired handicrafts and apparel
-Tibetan handicrafts and jewelry
- locally-made artisan jewelry
-spa products
-upholstery services
-car/body shop products
-tile design
-vitamins
-computer technology repair, and much more!

Gala Awards

This year, AnewAmerica is awarding three entrepreneurs and one volunteer for their exemplary success and dedication to AnewAmerica's mission. Here are their stories:

Green Business of the Year Award: Nancy Rosales
Owner of Abel 1950 and Pepitos Ice Cream

Nancy Rosales’ unique ice cream business, Abel 1950, will receive AnewAmerica’s Green Business of the Year Award. Nancy is committed to using green business practices. Her product is all-natural and sold in recyclable containers. One of nine sisters, Nancy’s business is helping to support her family. Nancy has overcome adversity, and her drive to succeed is an inspiration to the AnewAmerica community.

Nancy has a passion for giving hand-churned, all-natural Mexican ice cream a contemporary twist. Her business, Abel 1950, combines the best of traditional Mexican paletera recipes, passed down from her grandparents, with high-quality agave liquors. Nancy’s ice cream passion is rooted in exploring the flavors of her culture, which is evident in Abel 1950’s motto: “Swoon into the tradition of all things Latin.” Her current ice cream flavors include Mexican Hot Chocolate, Sweet Mango, Caramelized Sweet Corn, and Sweet Potato. Abel 1950 desserts can be found in Draeger’s Markets and Whole Foods Markets in San Francisco.

Nancy’s first ice cream business, Pepitos Ice Cream, had a retail location in South San Francisco. Now, she is focused on the ever-popular Abel 1950. Pepitos is still available for catering and events. Pepitos’ fusion flavors include Flan, Dulce de Leche, Pine Nut and Guava Sorbet.

Nancy started her career in marketing. She knew she wanted to start her own business, but she didn’t have the skills or resources necessary to explore her vision. She states, “I thought, there has to be a business development program out there for Latina women”. In 2009, she found AnewAmerica. Nancy states, “I got an amazing education at AnewAmerica. The classes helped me develop and plan for my business. AnewAmerica enabled me to network with the resources I needed to launch and grow my business.” Nancy was awarded an AnewAmerica Business Grant, made possible by the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Job Opportunities for Low-income Individuals program, designed to expand businesses and create jobs in low-income communities. This grant enabled her to grow her business and to employ five family members for part-time work.

Nancy is dedicated to using her businesses to give back to the community. She sponsors a self-esteem building program for at-risk girls and a soccer team. She also participated in a panel on the Extreme Entrepreneur Tour, which visited community colleges in the Bay Area.

Abel 1950: www.abel1950.com
Pepitos Ice Cream: http://www.pepitosicecream.com/

Richard Winnie Mentor Award: Manuel Lopez
Owner of Compusalv

Manuel Lopez, Owner of Compusalv Tech Support, is the recipient of the Richard Winnie Mentor Award. Manuel uses his computer and tech support skills in service to his communities. He has taught fellow AnewAmerica entrepreneurs about website planning; volunteered as a computer instructor; and he sends part of his earnings to an impoverished family in El Salvador. Manuel has also leveraged his skills to help AnewAmerica maintain its three computer labs, which serve our entrepreneurs with a variety of technology-based resources and education.

Manuel Lopez moved from in El Salvador to the U.S. in 2002 in search of a safer home for his family. He was a professor at the University of Sansonate in El Salvador, where he specialized in technology and provided maintenance, systems installations and website design services. Upon arriving in the U.S., Manuel started his own technology business to financially support his family. However, he didn’t have the logistical or cultural knowledge of how to establish a business in the U.S. Manuel joined AnewAmerica’s program to fill in these missing links. He states, “Many people think that the most important aspect of starting a business is the financial element, but I believe that the business knowledge I received at AnewAmerica was just as crucial. Compusalv is my family’s main source of income.”

Richard Winnie, former Chair of AnewAmerica’s Board of Directors, passed away in March of this year after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Richard’s commitment to community service was reflected in all that he was able to achieve in his life: he was the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ County Counsel and served on many city, county and non-profit agency boards. Dedicated to public service, he will long be remembered for the generosity with which he mentored others. The Richard Winnie Mentor Award recognizes AnewAmerica entrepreneurs who dedicate their business skills to serve the community.

You can learn more about Compusalv at http://compusalv.com/.

Emerging Entrepreneur Award: Jesus Sepulveda
Owner of Taqueria El Mezcal I & II

Jesus Sepulveda is the recipient of this year’s Emerging Entrepreneur Award. Jesus currently owns two Mexican taquerias, El Mezcal I & II, located in San Lorenzo and Hayward. He will open Restaurant and Bar El Mezcal in Fremont in mid-November. El Mezcal serves delicious, fresh, authentic, handmade Mexican food. Jesus is pursuing his dream of establishing a franchise by sustainably growing his business.

Jesus came to America from Mexico in 2000 to reunite with his family and to study English. Upon arriving in San Jose, he started working in a Mexican restaurant. Back in Mexico, Jesus’ father runs a successful restaurant business, and Jesus had a strong understanding of cooking and restaurant management. After years working in restaurants, he realized that he wanted to start his own business to explore his knowledge of cooking and creativity.

Jesus credits AnewAmerica for helping him realize that he can build a successful and sustainable business. . He states, “I knew how to manage a business in Mexico but in the U.S., laws and licensing procedures are different. The classes at AnewAmerica taught me how to do basic things I didn’t know before – how to balance my accounts, purchase the best insurance, negotiate a lease, establish a marketing plan, and more. I’ve used everything I’ve learned in the classes. I’ve learned how to protect my finances and build my business.”

Jesus uses the success of his businesses to give back to the community. Jesus has employed sixteen people within his communities in San Lorenzo and Hayward, and will be employing fifteen more in his new location in Fremont. Jesus continues to provide technical assistance to AnewAmerica entrepreneurs who are interested in starting their own restaurant. In addition, Jesus also volunteers his time to teach kids soccer skills, and he donated uniforms for an Oakland youth soccer team.

Enjoy a meal at Taqueria El Mezcal at: 5 E Lewelling Avenue, San Lorenzo or 194 Harder Rd., Hayward. And coming soon: Restaurant and Bar El Mezcal at 1530 Washington Boulevard, Fremont.

Volunteer of the Year Award: Paul Leung
Over 200 volunteer hours in service to AnewAmerica in one year
UC Berkeley

AnewAmerica honors Paul Leung, who has spent countless hours assisting AnewAmerica in fulfilling its mission. Paul is a Junior at UC Berkeley majoring in Political Economy. His career goals are to work in Finance and Accounting. Paul traveled to South Africa this summer where he taught English and volunteered for local churches. He plans to study in Singapore next semester!