“ Making sure our Latinas are heard and viewed by the community is incredible . As a part of iLatina , we have actually expanded the program to include the “ iLatina Leadership ,” a one-weekend summit . We bring people from all around the United States and overseas into the area to get the necessary tools to empower Latina businesses .”
This past summer , over 50 women received training . León described the experience as “ powerful ,” noting that representatives from Univision ’ s Miami office , Telemundo ’ s Orlando office and even some educators from Colombia were in attendance , and there is talk of replicating the event in other markets . “ The event was so successful that Miami now wants to replicate the program in South Florida , and a representative of the Department of State in Maryland was eyeing implementing a similar program ,” she said .
Beyond the iLatina Gala , the Chamber has had a noticeable impact in the counties where they operate , with reciprocal partnership agreements signed with other local chambers operating in the tri-county area offering same-price event tickets to the events the Hispanic Chamber puts on . Additionally , the Chamber ’ s Cafe Con Leche networking events in Orange City , Lake Mary and Daytona Beach are well attended and often see cross-country participation from businesses located on the fringes of their operation area . Business owners see these events as great opportunities to build bridges between cities , and they learn how to access resources and expand their business to new markets .
For the future , the Chamber is considering increasing its presence in Flagler with a potential new satellite office in Flagler Beach , as well as building out its ambassadors and community teams to continue to facilitate events in new regions . And there is discussion of recruiting members in Miami , Orlando and Bogota , Colombia . León said that as the Chamber continues to grow , a name change may be in the cards . Whether this means the Chamber becomes a statewide organization or something more has yet to be determined . For León , it is very important to have many Chambers of Commerce working together for one purpose : to drive business .
Maryland born but Florida bred , Alex Gurtis is a writer based in Orlando and owner of independent bookstore , Zeppelin Books . A ruth weiss Foundation 2022 Maverick Poet Award Finalist and a winner of Saw Palm ’ s 2022 Florida Flora & Fauna Poetry Contest , Alex ’ s work has appeared in Eunoia Review , W & S Quarterly , Rejection Letters , and other publications .
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