Meet Daniela, a passionate volunteer and aspiring interpreter. Born and raised in Guanajuato, Mexico, Daniela decided to move to Austin in 2002. Moving to Austin was one of the best and biggest decisions of her life. The welcoming community and the ability to grow and become better, were some of the reasons why she decided to stay. Throughout her childhood, Daniela was taught to care for and share with others. This led to her passion of volunteering and using her talents of translating, cooking, listening, and candy making to help others. There was a time in her life where Daniela felt insecure due to her fears, but overtime and through meeting amazing people, Daniela realized that it is never too late to become a better version of herself and that she is a part of a community that needs her. She wants to give a special thanks to the EGBI team for helping her become a better person and entrepreneur, and for jump-starting her passion for translating and interpreting.
Daniela shares her experience as a volunteer with EGBI and how you can get involved too.
Hi Daniela!To get started, would you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself?
Sometimes my face doesn’t show how I really am. I love to laugh – even though it doesn’t seem like it- but I don’t laugh just at anything, it has to be a really good joke or something worth laughing at.
How have you volunteered for EGBI?
I help EGBI translate documents, blog posts, etc. from English to Spanish. If there is anything else I can do to help EGBI, and if I have the talent for it, I would do it.
Why do you think it is important to volunteer?
It helps the soul. There is a phrase in Spanish that says, “Es más bonito dar que recibir,” meaning it is more beautiful to give than receive.
“Support your small business community today by supporting EGBI.”– Daniela Ariza
Why is it important to volunteer at EGBI?
EGBI helps you start and grow your business, because without business there are no jobs, to work and having a job dignifies you. Besides giving jobs, businesses give a lot more to the community, to schools, and other institutions in need and they help to keep a city running.
Do you have a favorite experience about volunteering with EGBI?
When COVID appeared everything seemed so unreal. I stopped working, my business was on pause, and I didn’t know what to do. But when Monica contacted me to translate all the information that they have for small businesses suffering from COVID-19, my mind stayed occupied and stopped thinking about my situation. Even though I decided to close my candy business, EGBI has helped me see that I have a new talent: translating. After that I started taking a course at ACC for translation and interpretation to become a certified translator and interpreter.
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In 2020, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and served over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Daniela make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training ,coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can get involved.
Meet Anne La Grange, a Texas native from a small town near the border named Palmhurst. Anne is currently studying Finance and Spanish at the University of Texas. After graduation, Anne plans on working as an analyst in commercial banking at JPMorgan Chase and Co. In her free time, Anne enjoys playing tennis and running, and is currently training for the Austin marathon.
Anne shares her experience as a volunteer with EGBI and how you can get involved too.
Hi Anne! To get started, would you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself?
Even though it is not super popular in Texas, I used to ice skate competitively. I started at 6 years old and continued for 5 years. Eventually I quit to focus on school and tennis.
How have you volunteered for EGBI?
I helped EGBI prepare for their main annual fundraiser Celebrating Success by putting together their program, assisting with gift boxes, and creating marketing materials.
Why do you think it is important to volunteer?
It is important to volunteer because it helps build a sense of community. Volunteering allows you to give back and make a difference, while making friends and meeting new people.
“Supporting EGBI means supporting growth in your community.” – Anne La Grange
Why is it important to volunteer at EGBI?
Volunteering with EGBI helps promote economic development and encourages sustainable growth. It directly created jobs and investment in the community, making a real difference in the lives of people in need.
Last question, do you have a favorite experience about volunteering with EGBI?
My favorite experience volunteering with EGBI was working with other volunteers to make gift baskets for Celebrating Success. As we worked, we chatted, bonded over our shared interests, and became friends.
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In 2020, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Anne make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training ,coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can get involved.
Meet Ron Nemetz, a passionate entrepreneur and small business owner. Ron started his career in the US Army. There he spent 10 years working as an Operation NCO and US Army Recruiter. In 1998, Ron decided to use the skills he learned from the Army and pursue a career at Monarch Technical Services. Here he spent 8 years as the recruiting and staffing manager. Ron is now the managing member and founder of Nemetz Insurance Services, where he specializes in helping micro businesses (20 or less employees) and entrepreneurs attain health insurance.
Ron shares his experience as a volunteer with EGBI and how you can get involved too.
Hi Ron! To get started, would you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself? 11 years ago, I somehow convinced my wife to move to Austin from Chicago without her ever being to Texas before.
How have you volunteered for EGBI? I’ve done some presentations and classes on Health Insurance for EGBI’s Small Businesses series.
Why do you think it is important to volunteer? Sharing knowledge to start up companies in order to help them with a roadmap to future success only helps us all as a society.
“Newly created Small Businesses are the lifeblood of any community, providing them building blocks for success helps our community as a whole.” – Ron Nemetz
Why is it important to volunteer at EGBI? EGBI provides knowledge and tools that if taken advantage of properly can help a new small business avoid making the mistakes of other failed small businesses.
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In 2020, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Ron make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training, coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business. Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can get involved.
Meet Shelly, a 3rd generation Austinite. Shelly has firsthand experience of breaking the cycle of generational poverty as she lived in affordable housing projects as a child and became the first college graduate in her family. She attended Texas State University’s McCoy College of Business where she received her BBA in Economics. Shelly’s work experience has included a diverse mix of industries and roles. She has worked in nonprofit economic development, banking, and HUD affordable housing compliance. She has a passion for community engagement and is heavily involved in community service and volunteerism with local nonprofit organizations. She currently serves as the Engagement and Giving Coordinator with the Tito’s Handmade Vodka philanthropy team.
Shelly shares her experience as a volunteer with EGBI and how you can get involved too.
Hi Shelly! To get started, would you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself? A fave hobby of mine is exploring trails around Austin. Although I grew up here, I still have not explored every one. There’s so many! I have two children and this is a go-to weekend morning outing for us. Also, it is not uncommon for me to utilize a walk through a trail as a meeting option with friends and colleagues. I love theexperience of seeing, hearing, and feeling all that nature has to offer.
How have you volunteered for EGBI? I have been involved with EGBI over the years in various capacities. I have had the opportunity to volunteer my time with EGBI by serving on the Marketing Committee and also by assisting with the annual Celebrating Success fundraiser. In my previous role with the Housing Authority for the City of Austin, an organization that helped found EGBI, I was able to deepen my knowledge and relationship with the mission EGBI serves by working with residents who were able to start their entrepreneurial journey because of EGBI. It was amazing to witness these stories unfold and see residents thrive in ways they never thought was possible.
Why do you think it is important to volunteer? Community impact is driven by community members banding together and creating solutions. Volunteerism is the element that puts this concept into action. Every individual has overcome unique challenges and struggles and each of these perspectives brings value to create viable solutions that can benefit the overall good. I can speak firsthand to the benefits volunteerism can have as I was a child of poverty myself who oftentimes found myself on the receiving end of goodwill. I would not have been able to accomplish the goals I have had it not been for organizations and their volunteers who provided tools and resources needed to succeed. This is the power of community impact and exemplifies how volunteerism is essential to empowering individual successes and results in stronger communities.
“EGBI provides tools and resources for the most vulnerable entrepreneurs and supporting this organization provides the necessary assistance to widen the reach and capacity of the organization in order to provide greater economic development in our communities.” – Shelly Cruz
Why do you think it is important to volunteer at EGBI? EGBI provides support to the entrepreneurs that need it the most. Starting a business is one of the most vulnerable challenges an individual can take on and the need for resources to mitigate the barriers involved is essential. Volunteering with and supporting EGBI provides the necessary assistance to widen the reach and capacity of the organization in order to provide greater economic development.
Last question, do you have a favorite experience about volunteering with EGBI? My favorite experiences with EGBI involve working with Monica Peña on the marketing committee and witnessing her passion and expertise. Her excitement for the mission of EGBI is contagious and makes our projects fun and exciting. I also love the annual ice cream socials because I am able to see various supporters and clients of EGBI come together and unite.
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In 2020, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Shelly make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training, coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business. Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can get involved.
Meet Pilar Sanchez. In 2000, she was responsible for starting another Housing Authority City of Austin (HACA) subsidiary, SHCC, from the ground up. SHCC now generates the revenue to fund the social services provided by Austin Pathways, the non-profit she currently leads at HACA.
Sanchez’s entrepreneurial spirit was instrumental in co-founding a business incubator in East Austin in 2008. Sanchez brokered a three-tiered partnership between her employer, the Housing Authority (HACA), the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC), and the Hispanic Technology Institute of Austin (HTIA) to start an incubator that would help small to medium business thrive and create new jobs during the recession. This became the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI), which spun off as its own independent non-profit in 2010. HACA still supports EGBI in many ways; they provide the space at Eastland Plaza, and have provided over $1 Million in funding for operations since 2010.
As a co-founder and lifelong EGBI volunteer, Pilar hopes that EGBI can encourage others to not only support themselves but to also support their families, friends, and community through the value of philanthropy.
Pilar shares a quick fun fact about herself. “While my mother taught me to be a strong, independent, and caring person, she never taught me to bake. My daughter asked me to make her a castle made of cupcakes for her 4th birthday. John, my husband, knew we were in trouble when I could not find a box of cupcake mix in the cake-mix aisle. Don’t ask me to bake for you; you might regret it. ” Although we may not ask her to bake for EGBI, her unwaivering commitment to EGBI and the local community is evident through all the areas she has volunteered for the organization. She has served on the board, various committees, and different projects throughout the years.
In 2020, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Pilar make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training ,coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can get involved.
