By Sarah Jester
Taking place annually from September 15 through October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is a national opportunity to celebrate and uplift Hispanic & Latinx individuals and stories. This year, we spoke to several Hispanic LGBTQ+ business owners to learn more about their businesses and personal entrepreneurial journeys, as well as the importance of focusing on intersectionality year-round. Read the full Q&As below!
Jason Núñez (he/him/his) | Founder & CEO, Go Digital Hero LLC
Q: What is your business?
A: Your US-Based Virtual Personal Assistant! We’ll help you achieve a better work-life balance by providing expert assistance for all your personal and business needs –– at a fraction of the price of a traditional personal assistant.
Q: What is unique about your business?
A: I’m a US Air Force Veteran, Minority, LGBT Entrepreneur. With a collective experience of over 18 years spanning the military, government, nonprofit, and private sectors, I offer a Hero Immersion Experience that will help you reimagine work-life balance.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a Hispanic LGBTQ+ entrepreneur?
A: My Hispanic Heritage is a key part of the intersectionality of who I am. My story is not very different from many other Hispanic LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs, but my story is mine and one I am proud of. Having served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the US Air Force, I could not be “out” and had to serve under multiple personas, but the one constant across all was my Hispanic Heritage, and for this, I am proud. To say that I am the Founder & CEO of a Minority/Hispanic Owned Company brings me much joy as this accomplishment has come after many hurdles – both intrinsic and extrinsic. I live as an example and love to coach, train, and equip other minorities and Hispanics to leap into entrepreneurship.
Q: Why is it important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
A: America is what it is today because of the diverse lived experiences and melting pot of heritages, cultures, and traditions. Hispanic Heritage Month is just one month of the year dedicated to recognizing the many accomplishments of those pioneers of Hispanic Heritage that have allowed me to be the entrepreneur I am today and the many accomplishments that have made and sustained America as the greatest nation in the world.
Q: How has being a Certified LGBTBE® through NGLCC impacted your business? Why did you join the NGLCC?
A: Being a Certified LGBTBE® has given me the “up” and recognition and respect when next to other non-certified enterprises. Go Digital Hero is an LGBT, veteran, and minority-owned business, and all components are integrated into who I am and what Go Digital Hero represents. My very first action after receiving the certification of the LLC was to apply for the LGBTBE Certification. I knew the impact of membership, certification, credibility, and endorsement. [I am also a] 2022 LGBTQ Veteran of the Year (NaVOBA), 2022 NGLCC XLR8 Spring Cohort graduate, and a 2022 NGLCC Summit Attendee.
Connie Pacheco (she/her/hers) | President, Recoveries R US LLC
Q: What is your business?
A: We are a vocational training program dedicated to the overall profession of Counseling and Peer to Peer services. Our trainings are designed to arm individuals with all the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully engaged in the field of human services. We provide the NY state curriculum for the provision of CASAC (Credential Alcoholism Substance Abuse Counselor) and Recovery Coach & Peer Advocate.
Q: What is unique about your business?
A: We provide individuals with the opportunity to enter the workforce as counselors, recovery coaches, or peer advocates in the state of New York, particularly individuals that are in recovery themselves; as well as enhancing professional portfolios for those already in the field of substance abuse. We conduct a cap and gown graduation for all our students; for some, this may be their first time graduating. In addition, we ensure that all our students obtain either internships and/or employment. We place a strong emphasis on the LGBTQ community as this population is underserved when it comes to treatment, prevention, and recovery for substance use disorders.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a Hispanic LGBTQ+ entrepreneur?
A: I was supposed to be a statistic and for some time I was. Today I am a proud owner and President of an agency that provides individuals like me with the opportunity to strive while helping those in the throes of addiction. We need to celebrate the accomplishments of our ancestors as well as our own accomplishments, and our tenacity and resiliency as we encounter oppression, discrimination and obstacles that somehow makes us that much stronger. We need to continue to address the issues and disparities when it comes to marginalized populations and be a conduit for our next generations to prosper and hopefully not have to deal with what some of us had to endure.
Q: How has being a Certified LGBTBE® through NGLCC impacted your business?
A: I joined NGLCC because I wanted a stamp that recognized my hard work and inclusivity of the LGBTQ community. I wanted a stamp that recognized my agency and that upholds my values and dedication to the services we provide. This year I attended the NGLCC Conference for the first time in Vegas and I was overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge, resources that I have not tapped into for the past couple of years. I want to take full advantage of my membership and navigate & collaborate with others that support my cause.
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Click here to connect with the NGLCC Communities of Color Initiative (CoCi)! Learn more about NGLCC at nglcc.org.
