Meet Mariela Briceno | Co-Founder & CEO at Venprendedoras

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariela Briceno and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariela, how does your business help the community?
Venprendedoras exists to close opportunity gaps for women entrepreneurs—especially Latina, immigrant, and first-generation business owners who often have talent and drive, but limited access to capital, networks, and visibility.

At a community level, we create “safe, bilingual, and intergenerational spaces” where women can learn practical business skills, build confidence, and form real relationships. Through workshops, structured programs like *FOCUS Mujeres Emprendedoras* and *Getting Pitch-Ready*, and our signature Bazaars, we help entrepreneurs strengthen their business foundations, test their products in the market, and generate income.

We focus on economic mobility. Visibility leads to sales. Sales lead to sustainability. Sustainability leads to stability for families and communities. Each year, Venprendedoras directly impacts around 1,000 women, and indirectly many more.

One of our differentiators is our intergenerational approach. We intentionally connect younger and more experienced entrepreneurs, fostering mentorship in both directions. This model has been recognized by national organizations such as CoGenerate and The Eisner Foundation for its role in reducing isolation and strengthening community resilience.

Ultimately, our impact is about more than businesses—it’s about belonging to a community that is there for you. When women entrepreneurs thrive, they don’t just grow companies; they reinvest in their families, neighborhoods, and local economies. Venprendedoras helps make that growth possible.

What should our readers know about your business?
My professional journey has been shaped by entrepreneurship, innovation, and resilience. As CEO of Venprendedoras, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Venezuelan and Hispanic women entrepreneurs, I have spent over five years leading an organization born directly from my own lived experience as an entrepreneur and immigrant.

One of the biggest challenges in my career was migrating and having to start over from zero: without connections, without knowing the business environment, and facing a language barrier. Building a professional network and understanding how things worked in a new country required persistence, humility, and adaptability. That experience deeply marked me—and it is one of the main reasons why I created Venprendedoras: to offer other women what I wish I had when I arrived—guidance, connections, visibility, and a supportive community.

Throughout my career, I have always considered myself an early adopter. I am passionate about staying close to emerging trends and new technologies. I took advantage of the dot-com boom early on, later founded a marketing and communications company during the early stages of social media, and today I lead a community where digital tools, visibility, and innovation are essential. This journey has reinforced my conviction that closing the digital gap is critical—especially for women entrepreneurs.

Before Venprendedoras, I spent 16 years as Managing Director of VIVA+, developing integrated communication and content marketing strategies for nonprofits and global brands. That experience strengthened my belief in collaboration, innovation, and the power of strategic communication.

Today, through Venprendedoras, we support over 1,000 women entrepreneurs each year and have impacted more than 10,000 women globally. My work is driven by a deep commitment to supporting first-generation migrant women, fostering intergenerational collaboration, and helping entrepreneurs overcome barriers related to access, visibility, resources, and language. I strongly believe that partnerships and alliances are key to building inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Definitely the beach—any beach. One of the greatest joys of living in Miami is being so close to the ocean and being able to enjoy a sunset by the sea after a workday.

I love books and literature, so one of my favorite spots is Books & Books. Beyond the books, it has a great atmosphere and there’s always something happening. Right across from its Coral Gables location is the Coral Gables Art Cinema, where you can catch great independent and international films.

My go-to local restaurant—one I always come back to—is Matsuri, and Miami also has an incredible variety of Venezuelan restaurants that feel like home.

Lately, I’ve been stopping by Rivareno for gelato and Graziano’s Market for happy hour. Happy Wine Calle Ocho is a great place to hang out with friends—and their “huevos rotos” are amazing.

When it comes to art, Miami’s best-kept secret is the The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse. I go back every year—it’s, in my opinion, the best art collection in the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In 2019, I applied to and was accepted into FOCUS Mujeres Emprendedoras, a Business Model Validation Program, created by María Ignacia Arcaya, SVP of Social Impact at Cisneros, for Venezuelan women entrepreneurs in Miami. This experience quite literally changed my life.

After completing 12 weeks of training alongside 19 women who, like me, were determined to move their businesses forward, I gained not only the inspiration but also the tools to create Venprendedoras and to scale a model that today is impacting not just 20 women, but hundreds—and not only Venezuelan entrepreneurs, but Latinas from diverse backgrounds.

This article can only be dedicated to the FOCUS Program, to its creator María Ignacia Arcaya, and to all the women entrepreneurs who have walked alongside me on this journey ever since.

Website: https://venprendedoras.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venprendedoras/

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/venprendedoras/

Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marielabriceno/

Image Credits
Matea Michellangeli, Leslie Gabaldon