AvantGarde News & Insights

Government contractors still feeling effects of shutdown despite it ending Full Audio Interview and Article: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3893790/government-contractors-still-feeling-effects-government-shutdown-despite-ending/ The longest  government shutdown  in U.S. history has ended  after 43 days , and while many  received back pay and moved on , for others, the effects are still being felt. Due to the  Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 , federal e

Rebecca Contreras received the Entrepreneur of the Year – Austin award at the 2025 LATINA Style Business Series, a nationally recognized business development program for minority entrepreneurs.

Rebecca Contreras was featured on NTD News to discuss the real-world impact of a federal government shutdown on small businesses—particularly federal contractors like AvantGarde. Drawing from firsthand experience, she highlights the operational disruptions, workforce challenges, and financial strain that come with halted federal activity. https://www.ntd.com/ntdplus/entrepreneur-breaks-down-real-life-effects-of-shutdown-with-thanksgiving-approaching_1105762.html

When the federal government shut down, more than one million contract employees across the U.S. were suddenly left without pay. For many, this wasn’t just a political debate — it was a personal financial crisis. At  AvantGarde, LLC , nearly half of our federal workforce was affected overnight. Projects paused. Invoices froze. Families faced uncertainty. But rather than waiting for Washington to act, our leadership team, led by  Founder and CEO Rebecca Contreras , chose to tak

AvantGarde LLC Responds to 2025 Government Shutdown with Zero-Interest Employee Loan Program

We are proud to share that AvantGarde’s CEO has been recognized as one of the winners of the 2025 Entrepreneurial Women of Impact Awards, hosted by the Women Presidents Organization (WPO) and Women Elevating Women (W.E.W.).

AvantGarde’s CEO Rebecca Contreras did not come to VEO with a tidy origin story. She came with the kind of journey that makes a room go quiet. AvantGarde’s CEO Rebecca Contreras is the president and CEO of AvantGarde (AG), the women-owned human capital, IT, and strategy consulting firm she co-founded in 2011 and scaled across multiple states. Before joining AG, she spent 15 years in public service, from Austin to Washington, culminating in her role as Deputy Assistant Secreta

AvantGarde recognized as a Top 5 minority-owned business in the Austin area!

By  Gloria Park   Featuring insights from  Rebecca Contreras , entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of  AvantGarde When Rebecca Contreras made the leap to start her own firm, she wasn’t chasing a dream. She was waking up from one. “I was generating 90% of the revenue,” she told me, describing her role as a senior executive at a private firm. “But I wasn’t a partner. I didn’t own anything.” The numbers were great. The title sounded impressive. But none of it was hers. So she did

“Navigating the Pivot: Expanding Our Impact in a Shifting Landscape,” Celebrating 25 years as the voice of women entrepreneurs, Rebecca is featured in this special edition of Enterprising Women  magazine.

Rebecca ContrerasPresident & CEO of AvantGarde LLC Was featured in Champions of Adult Education, From Extraordinary Story to Champions...

Rebecca Contreras, the CEO of AvantGarde, was honored with the El Paso in Austin Trailblazer Award in October 2024

Hispanic Heritage Month is always a special time for Rebecca, and on October 8, 2024, she was invited to speak with the faculty and...

Read the feature here Following is an article written by Rebecca Contreras , Founder and CEO of AvantGarde, on building a successful...

The article was featured in the Spring 2024 issue of Enterprising Women Here. In my journey through the highs and lows of the business...

This past month AvantGarde CEO Rebecca Contreras and her Girls of Legacy were featured in both Fortune and Forbes magazines. The feature...

This month in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, AG was honored to be a sponsor of the 50th Anniversary Gala for Greater Austin Hispanic...

Rebecca and AG Managing Director Susan Bradberry attended the annual awards gala for Enterprising Women Magazine. Rebecca shared her...

AG CEO Rebecca Contreras was honored to win the Texas District 2023 Small Business Champion of the Year for SBAs National Small Business...

December 2022 Blog Last month women around the world were recognized at the 19th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business held at...