Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 2025: Built with Faith, Family, and Grit

Each year, from September 15 to October 15, we pause to honor Hispanic Heritage Month — a time to recognize the extraordinary impact of Hispanic and Latino communities on the culture, economy, and identity of the United States. At AvantGarde (AG), this month is more than a commemoration. It’s a reminder of the values that power entrepreneurship and leadership, many of which are embodied in our CEO and Founder, Rebecca Contreras, and the countless Hispanic-owned businesses thriving across the nation.

This year, we want to showcase a light on the entrepreneurial heartbeat of the Hispanic community: businesses that are dreamed, built, and sustained with relentless effort and deep ties to family, faith, hard work and community.

Built Businesses: A Legacy of Growth

The numbers tell a powerful story:

• Hispanic-owned businesses now represent 14.5% of all U.S. businesses — more than 5 million firms employing nearly 3 million people. (source: SBA Office of Advocacy)

• Together, they contribute an estimated $800 billion annually to the U.S. economy. (source: Culture Banx)

• Growth has been explosive: between 2019 and 2023, Hispanic-owned businesses grew by an average of 34% annually, compared to about 1% for all U.S. businesses. (source: Joint Economic Committee)

• Since 2018, the number of Latino-owned businesses has grown by 44%, reaching approximately 465,000 employer firms. (source: The Brookings Institution)

These statistics aren’t just abstract figures. They represent millions of hard-working individuals and their stories: people like our founder Rebecca who started with little more than an idea and the determination with little to no resources, who just took the leap to “make the dream happen,” often facing insurmountable odds, discouragements, and systemic barriers along the way.

And yet, the Hispanic community continues to build businesses from the ground up — in industries as diverse as construction, hospitality, IT, finance, healthcare, and professional services. These ventures not only provide for families but also revitalize local economies and create millions of jobs in communities across the country.

The Bootstrapped Spirit – the Latino Way

What sets Hispanic entrepreneurs apart is not just the rate of growth, but the way they grow and how the journey happens.

Many start with limited access to traditional financing, often facing low income or poverty from the start. Instead of waiting for approval, waiting for the handout, or complaining about discrimination or lack, they step up, work hard, take risks, and bootstrap — funding ventures through personal savings, family contributions, and community support networks. Others leverage side hustles, turning skills in food, art, design, or services into full-fledged enterprises.

This spirit is rooted in a cultural willingness to work tirelessly, to seize opportunity, and to adapt with agility. Hispanic entrepreneurs are statistically more likely to start a business than the general population, and they do so with creativity and resilience that inspire entire communities.

It’s about more than profit. It’s about building something lasting for family, community, and future generations. For our CEO Rebecca, it was about building legacy.

Traits That Fuel Success

Behind the growth of Hispanic-owned businesses are the values and traits that define the community:

• Family Loyalty: Businesses often begin as family efforts, with siblings, cousins, and extended family stepping in as staff, mentors, and early investors. Family provides both the backbone and the safety net for entrepreneurial risk.

• Faith in God: Spiritual grounding and trust in God remain central to the entrepreneurial journey. Faith provides resilience during setbacks and hope for the future.

• Community & Collaboration: Hispanic business owners often support each other, sharing advice, connections, and customers. Collaboration is viewed as strength, not competition.

• Resolve and Relentless Grit: Quitting is not an option. Success is measured not by how many times one is knocked down, or how many punches one takes, but by how many times one rises.

• Creative Talent and Servant Hearts: Hispanic entrepreneurs infuse creativity into their work, often blending cultural heritage with innovative practices. At the core is a spirit of service — to meet community needs, uplift others, and give back.

These traits don’t just create strong businesses; they create sustainable businesses that last, even through economic downturns and systemic challenges.

The Road Ahead: Closing the Gap

While the progress is extraordinary, there’s still room to grow. If Hispanic business ownership matched the 19% share of the U.S. population, America would gain over 800,000 additional businesses, generating more than $1 trillion in revenue and $250 billion in payroll. (source: The Brookings Institution)

This underlines both the potential and the importance of support systems — from access to capital and mentorship to policies that break down barriers for underrepresented entrepreneurs.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

For AvantGarde, Hispanic Heritage Month is deeply personal. Our founder and majority owner, Rebecca Contreras, embodies the spirit we celebrate — rising from humble beginnings, poverty and lack to build a thriving consulting firm that now serves clients nationwide. Her recent best-selling memoir LostGirl - From the Hood to the White House to Millionaire Entrepreneur, depicts her full story of her rise. AG’s journey reflects the broader story of Hispanic entrepreneurship: businesses built on resilience, creativity, and servant leadership that uplift both the economy and communities.

“As a Hispanic woman who started with very little, I know firsthand the grit, faith, mentors, and family support it takes to build something from the ground up. Hispanic entrepreneurs don’t just create businesses — we create legacies of opportunity, resilience, and service to our communities. That is what Hispanic Heritage Month means to me, and why I am proud to celebrate it with AG and with the millions of Hispanic business owners across this country.”

– Rebecca Contreras, AG Founder & CEO

This month, we honor the rich cultural heritage and entrepreneurial drive of the Hispanic community. To every Hispanic entrepreneur who has risked, built, and persevered — you are shaping the future of America and creating opportunities for generations to come. AG is proud to celebrate and stand alongside you.

To learn more about AG’s story, capabilities, and experience, visit avantgarde4usa.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.