Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.

Christian Torres | Owner

I was born in Miami, Florida but my background is Colombian. My mom traveled through Mexico to make it here to Miami as a child with her sister and their mother. My father moved to Miami in his late 20s and started working as a valet attendant in Bayside marketplace. I am very prideful of having a hispanic background and use this pride to search through my history. Forgotten foods are very attractive to me and my goal is to bring them into light. Read more>>

Maria Victoria Diaz | Spa and Salon Owner

I am from Colombia. I have been in America for 24 years and since I arrived I was looking to set up a business related to wellness, beauty, aromas, I graduated as a Business Administration in my country and worked there in a totally different business. But my desire was always to have my own business related to aromatherapy and beauty. Read more>>

Eugenio Mendoza G. | Innoventrepreneur

I was born and raised in Venezuela, and when we emigrated to the US in 2016 leaving everything behind, we knew it was going to take time and hard work to start from scratch – with nothing but our principles, ethics, business acumen and tenacity to survive and thrive. Four years ago, my wife and I made the decision to leave Venezuela and come to the US with our two boys. Many people make their careers traveling all over the world, but it is quite another thing to decide to leave everything you know and love behind, with no inkling of when or if you will ever come back to your home. In Venezuela, most of us were entrepreneurs by default, because from CEOs of large companies to its employees and from young founders of startups to government employees, had to deal with a reality in which nothing was standard, stable, readily available, and most importantly, nothing was ever guaranteed. Read more>>

Bobbie Weiner | Owner

I am from Phila. PA. When I was 15 1/2 YO I told my very successful father I would need a car soon. He quickly said to me, “ You will need a job soon” I cried and could not be,I eve he would think I needed a job. He quickly told me that if I brought him $200.00 he would match me and I could buy a car for $400.00. I thought about this and the next day got a job. It was in a thrift shop near my high school for a charity but needed someone to work from 3-5 every day and Saturdays. My aunt was a member of the charity so she suggested to call them and see if they could use me. Worked there for 3 years and then the charity fell apart so I took it over at 19 and ran it for 16 years. BTW, I did get a great car within 6 months. , A Corvair Monza convertible. Wish I had it today. My Dad always said, work for it and own it. Read more>>