The pandemic did not leave only crises and problems. It united many families and groups. And it generated new friendships, serving to open new spaces and boost projects.
Last year, Latinas Executives and Entrepreneurs Network (“LEEN”), born in 2019, consolidated a diverse group of high-profile Latina entrepreneurs with different backgrounds.
All of them are committed to important issues that are relevant to today’s world. They joined forces to educate, inspire and encourage other women as they reflect on how being more active in the business world while at the same time celebrating the customs, values, and traditions of Latina women.
And the best news is that more and more Latinas are joining LEEN. This organization offers them a place that helps them move up in their professional world and build their particular versions of success.
LEEN embraces entrepreneurs of all ages, industries, and professions because it includes among its founders mentors who share multiple experiences and challenges.
Thanks to this collaboration, LEEN continues to thrive in its mission of inclusion, integrating Hispanic women into diverse spaces (from sports to business to politics) until recently reserved for men.
A destiny unites them
Without knowing each other, Paola Meinzer and Martha Tovias, two passionate woman entrepreneurs, self-confident, independent, and highly respected in the local business scene, saw the need for space to further integrate Hispanic women in Chicago.
The two met on the social scene, as they both belonged to well-known Latino business organizations in Chicago and shared common friendships.
Martha and Paola identified with the vision and mission that would become LEEN.
Paola, born in Medellin, Colombia, has a degree in psychology and has had a long career in the corporate world, including senior executive positions in a 500 furtune companies. She currently works as VP of business development and marketing for a global accounting and business services firm.
Martha Estela is one of the most recognized Latina Entrepreneur in Chicago. Over the last 15yrs she has build several privately owned companies. i.e. Tovias Title and Trust inc., of which she is the President & CEO, Café Rumba Restaurant & Mediterranean Imports Inc., an Import & export Company based in Italy which did business throughout Europe.
When Paola arrive from Colombia, she enhanced her professional career in the US. During her early years in Chicago she implemented services in within the general market but felt a personal need to get involved and support Hispanic organizations. That’s when she identified an opportunity for a space or for better support system for Latin American woman entrepreneurs like herself.
Martha Estela, was born and raised in Chicago, and recognized the difficulties and inclusion of finding support from executives and entrepreneurs to assist her move forward as a business women.
The needs of both of them became challenges and the engine for the creation of an organization that currently brings together more than 100 women executives permanently. It has a network that extends to more than 1,149 followers in social media across the country.
LEEN also aims to serve as a connection between those entrepreneurs who seek financing for their projects and the growing network of organizations and financial institutions that have discovered the opportunity to bet on women-led businesses. In addition, as members of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC), they provide a connection between member corporations and the group of women entrepreneurs.
We are very grateful for the work of organizations like the IHCC and, in particular, Jaime di Paulo, in further integrating our organizations and betting on the growth of spaces for Latina women. Jaime is a leader who has guided us, and we value his support from the beginning. He has extended not only to us but also to the members of LEEN with the resources available at IHCC and his ability to integrate us into the great Hispanic business family”.
That idea is now a reality that excites us and encourages us to continue.
Multiple activities
Martha and Paola are excited about the idea of LEEN being an organization that supports, promotes, and celebrates the life of executive women in all aspects. They have organized meetings with Latinas involved in Illinois political life, having presentations with State Senator Iris Martinez and Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
Among the audience were Republican and Democratic women, even from other Illinois cities, because there is a growing interest among Hispanic businesswomen to become more involved in the discussion of relevant issues to the state and the country.
In addition, LEEN has reached an agreement with the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, which provides information and technical assistance to all LEEN members, especially at this crucial time when we are coming out of the pandemic.
One of the organization’s most recent successful events was the Women’s History Month celebration in March and the Mother & Daughter Tea Celebration in May. Both events were sold out and demonstrate the commitment to support initiatives to celebrate women’s lives in all its aspects.
Those are just a few examples of the organization’s events throughout the year, and it’s no surprise to see gentlemen attending.
The Golf Proposition: LEEN Golf Society
Martha Estela and Paola, a passionate golf player, has launched LEEN’s first Latina golf league in the Midwest, constantly training and playing in tournaments in and around Chicago.
The idea was also to cover some of the social interaction needs that every executive woman needs in her life.
“When I first started playing golf, I didn’t see many Latinas on the golf course” Martha explains.
During the pandemic LEEN reinvented itself and pivoted with new strategies, such as virtual meeting and presentation. When the opportunities for outdoors actives presented themselves, LEEN implemented the Golf league.
The founders saw the opportunity of bringing the network to the same place where men have always used to do business. They started with 10, then, then 20, until there were more than 50. Then came six young ladies between 14 and 17 years of age, who are now assisting as caddies. What began as a passion is now part of LEEN‘s inclusive mission.
Now, many Latina women set up “tee times” within their companies, colleagues, and they also participate in co-ed business tournaments across the country.
To summarize the success of the golf practice in the organization, Paola and Martha Estela had witness many business deals and new partnerships on the greens.
The work has paid off: LEEN is at the forefront and now is a committee member in one of the most elite golf tournaments in the United States. They will be part of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital golf tournament to be held on August 16, 2021, at the prestigious Medinah Country Club.
Thanks to the passion they both bring to their projects, the LEEN Golf League continues to grow, with more and more women participating in the golf outing of other organizations. They were an essential part of the new women’s participation in the 2020 IHCC golf outing, and June 10 will be a big part of the 2021 Mulligans & Mariachis Golf Outing, to be held at Harborside International Golf Center.
A bright future
“Yes, we can.” It sounds like a simple play on words or an advertising slogan. But it can also be a very inspiring phrase. With LEEN, Paola and Martha Estela believe that Latinas can be more integrated, offering support not only in their executive jobs but also in their personal lives, which is a fundamental part of the executive woman’s world. LEEN continues to support businesswomen holistically: work, resources, fun, and family.
The IHCC will continue to support this organization that seeks to empower Latinas through a platform of connection. LEEN seems to be the best space to share ideas, strategies and grow together as entrepreneurs and professionals.
LEEN and its founders are grateful for the acceptance of the business community in and around Chicago. They also thanks the continued support of all those who follow the organization and support its initiatives.