Adriana Castillo is a business strategist who helps women grow and automate their digital businesses, so they can have more free time and impact more clients.

Some of her clients have closed $25K deals (10x Adriana’s prices), and reduced their work to 2-4 hours a day after implementing her four-step framework.

When she is not spending time with her amazing clients, she is out with her husband and twin babies at the family farm, reading a good book, or sipping some good coffee.

You can find Adriana on her website at Adriana-castillo.com

Prior to joining WESST in 1991, Agnes served as a small business consultant in the United States Peace Corp in Costa Rica and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. She holds a BA in Political Science from Berea College and a MA in International Affairs from The George Washington University. She has received numerous honors: Top-Performing CEO (2009), Junior Achievement’s New Mexico Business Hall of Fame, (2005); Women of Influence (2005); and New Mexico’s Small Business Advocate of the Year, United States Small Business Administration, (1995). Agnes is particularly passionate about personal and business financial literacy. She loves to read and fantasizes about becoming a beach bum.

Anita has over 15 years of senior level professional career experience in various areas of sales and marketing. After graduating from NMSU and earning numerous NCAA accolades, Anita played professionally overseas and for the Cleveland Rockers of the WNBA. She is a sought-after marketing and community relations professional, assisting people to achieve and maintain positive relationships with clients and communities. Anita also owns her own company, SuccessFULL Living, which gives people knowledge and tools to make their financial goals a reality by managing their debt and saving for retirement and their children’s education. 

 Anita volunteers for projects through community organizations and through her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She mentors professionals still young in their careers and enjoys speaking on her vast experiences. Her favorite things are traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Carrie Hamblen worked at KRWG Radio, the Las Cruces NPR affiliate, for 20 years. She was the local host of Morning Edition, Operations Manager, and has hosted her own public affairs program – Images. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Las Cruces chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and the Southern New Mexico PRIDE Board of Directors. She currently is the President of the Board of Directors for the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope and is a member of the J. Paul Taylor Academy Governing Council. She holds a Masters Degree in Communication Studies from NMSU and a Masters Degree in Public Administration. In her spare time, she likes to remodel the 1948 home she shares with her wife Char, make homemade candles and soap, and laugh around her firepit with friends and family.

Cathy Chen is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Fab Lab El Paso: a digital design, fabrication, and education space. Cathy champions the Maker Movement and works closely with designers, engineers, developers, and educators to execute high impact programs for the border community. In 2016, she was named STEM Educator of the Year by Chevron. In 2019, she was given the Innovation Award alongside Dr. Diana Natalicio by Pioneers 21. “Disrupted Borders,” a documentary short which she co-produced about a DIY prosthesis project at Fab Lab won Audience Choice Award at the prestigious Cleveland International Film Festival in 2021. Cathy studied Literature at Duke University, Interactive Media Design Masters at Keio University in Tokyo, and completed a CORE Certificate from Harvard Business School. Cathy is a native of New York City, currently residing in El Paso, Texas.

Cece Meadows, Founder and CEO of Prados Beauty, is of Xicana and Indigenous descent. From her Yaqui to Comanche roots, she works diligently to build a beauty brand that is inclusive and highlights the beauty of her culture and people.

From a published professional NYFW makeup artist, to a Beauty Brand Owner and Philanthropist, Cece has always given back to Indigenous communities throughout Turtle Island. Starting her dream from a small bedroom in her home and just $150.00, that budding empire has grown 410% in just two-and-a-half years. Cece is slated to become the first Indigenous owned beauty brand to be in a big box store later this year. From her collaborations with fellow Native, Steven Paul Judd, who is of Chocktaw and Kiowa tribes, this powerhouse of Indigenous Beauty, Excellence and Entrepreneurship is a force to be reckoned with.

Whether you’re looking for styling direction (Courtney is, indeed, a fashion lover and particularly interested in promoting conscious fashion), anxious to add a new place to your adventure list (because she and her husband are constantly plotting our next great experience), or interested in general lifestyle inspiration (you can expect a great deal of foodie posts {specifically gluten + dairy free} and tidbits on living an eco-friendly life), you can look to Courtney as a trusted resource. She loves connecting with her friends/followers and sharing tips and recommendations any chance she gets. You’ll find that much of her aesthetic and style is inspired by the American Southwest. As a New Mexico native, Courtney has a strong love for the landscape and uniqueness of this beautiful state. She feels inspired by its vast blue skies, rugged and unusual outdoor offerings, and charm that, quite frankly, is unparalleled. Courtney is the founder of Somewear Southwest, a blog dedicated to providing inspiration ranging from fashion, fitness and beauty to travel, experiences and tasty indulgences.

Chancellor Dan Arvizu joined NMSU last summer, as the most recent step in his distinguished career. He brings to NMSU experience in advanced energy research and development, materials and process sciences, and technology commercialization. He has deep experience working in the public and private sectors. Dr. Arvizu served as the Chief Technology Officer for CH2M Hill Companies, Ltd. and was the 8th Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. He was also appointed by two separate presidents to serve on the National Science Board, and he chaired the board that oversees the National Science Foundation his last four years. Chancellor Arvizu is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Public Administration.

Irene has 43 years in theatre arts, arts integration, and humanities as a producer, director, actor, storyteller, creative dramatist, writer, arts advocate and arts educator/administer. She has performed and been an artist in resident throughout the United States, Mexico, Scotland, Japan, and Korea. She is a theatrical producer and consultant in arts integration, humanities and theatre in the classroom and alternative spaces for universities, museums, and public school districts.  As Executive Artistic Director for the Court Youth Center since 1996, she developed an arts-based charter high school, Alma d’arte in 2004. Since her retirement in 2014 she has been involved in historic preservation and arts/culture in the Las Cruces 1849 original townsite. She co-wrote the Las Cruces Arts and Cultural Plan in 2018 which received “Best Strategy for Creative Tourism Development in 2019” from the Creative Tourism Network in Barcelona, the first time the United States has received an award. She and her sister, Sylvia Camunez, will open an arts studio “Las Muchachas” in their historic home in the Mesquite Street Historic District in Spring 2022.

Hey cupcakes!  I’m Kai Clough, the Santa Fe solopreneur behind Bath Thyme Bakery (BTB). BTB is a genuine extension of me: the perfect corner of the universe where my creativity, my never-ending desire to learn, and unwavering compassion and love for those in need blend. I formulate and design beautiful, clean self-care products. We (you and BTB) help provide access to clean water to people in Sierra Leone through our 10% donations to Safe Water for Sierra Leone. 

I’ve also spent the last 15 years recruiting for healthcare organizations in California and now New Mexico. I moved to New Mexico to work for an organization that provides healthcare to those who wouldn’t be able to receive care elsewhere. It’s important that everything I do is directly connected to helping others. I’m pursuing my Masters in Cosmetic Science. I want to dig deeper to create products with great intention and understanding so that everyone can benefit from BTB’s bath and body treats.

Kathy serves as Director of Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University (NMSU) and CEO of Arrowhead Center, Inc., a non-profit corporation created to support the mission of NMSU. She leads Arrowhead’s efforts in entrepreneurship and innovation, focused on technology commercialization, student entrepreneurship, starting and growing businesses and creating public-private partnerships. She provides direction for Arrowhead Center programs, initiatives, strategies, goals, and performance in support of the organization’s mission; leads development of public-private partnerships for economic development; champions new business development opportunities; provides management oversight of programs, products, and services; and develops and monitors operational and programmatic budgets.

Dr. Lauren Goldstein serves as Strategic Engagement Specialist in the Office of the Chancellor at New Mexico State University. In her position, Lauren works directly with departments, units, colleges, and university administration to revise and optimize university processes. She provides support and expertise in organizational writing, communication, and facilitation related to the NMSU LEADS 2025 strategic plan. She is currently PI on a Thornburg Foundation-funded project, Aligning Our AgriFuture (bit.ly/aligningouragrifuture), which uses multiple Strategic Doing convenings to help communities reach their full potential. At Arrowhead Center, NMSU’s innovation and entrepreneurship center, she piloted the integration of Strategic Doing with NSF I-Corps site teams to foster momentum toward commercialization. Lauren earned her B.A. in English at Creighton University, her M.F.A. in creative writing at Virginia Tech, and her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Professional Communication at NMSU.

Lupe Mares is Vice President, Southwest Region, at LiftFund. Based in El Paso, she supports entrepreneurs and small businesses with loans, tools and resources to grow their business. Prior to working with LiftFund, Lupe worked with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, El Paso Branch as Communications and Outreach Manager. She is a graduate of UTEP with an MBA and is committed to helping entrepreneurs make their dreams come true.

Marisol Alarcón is Partner at Laboratoria. She holds a BS in Business Administration from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile and a Masters Degree in Public Administration and Development Practice from Columbia University in New York. She was the International Development Director of Un Techo, one of Latin America’s most renowned NGOs, for more than four years, through which she experienced the harsh reality of slums in Latin America.  After her Masters she worked at the Chilean International Cooperation Agency, situated in the Ministry of External Affairs and at the Regional Government of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. In 2015 Marisol launched Laboratoria in Chile, which became one of the most recognized social enterprises in the country and the region. Marisol has received many awards, the Social Entrepreneur of 2017 by Revista El Sábado from El Mercurio, Chile’s most important newspaper, and one of the leading 100 youth. She led relationships with Laboratoria’s global partners as Chief Partnerships Officer for four years and is currently the founder of their spinoff company. She is also a Board Member on Comunidad Mujer, Fundación Everis, Fundación Niñas Valientes, and Brave up. She is married and has two toddlers.

With a social media reach of over 100k followers, Micaela Brown has created a national event marketing voice with an audience interested in event marketing, marketing, branding, and entrepreneurship. Micaela’s work has been featured by Forbes Travel, The New York Times, Travel Pulse, American Towns, New Mexico Entertainment Magazine, Albuquerque the Magazine, Albuquerque Business First, The Santafean, Santa Fe New Mexican, SantaFe.com, and NewsCastic.

Miriam Rivera is CEO and Managing Director of Ulu Ventures, a top seed stage venture fund in Silicon Valley focused on IT startups. Miriam is dedicated to increasing diversity in both the entrepreneurial and investment communities. Previously, Miriam was vice-president/deputy general counsel at Google, joining as the second attorney. Her work to simplify contracts helped Google scale from $85m to $10b in 5 years. Miriam earned AB, AM and JD/MBA degrees from Stanford; was a trustee at the university and has been honored with the Stanford Medal, awarded to fewer than 1 percent of alumni. Miriam is the co-founder, former co-president and on the board of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs, an open source network of Stanford alumni investors and entrepreneurs. Miriam is on the investment committee of Acumen Fund America, is a Kauffman Foundation Board member and an advisor to the Launch with GS Advisory Council, a Goldman Sachs initiative to reduce the investing gap for Black and LatinX founders. In her spare time she runs in the foothills and overcomes her fear of heights hiking in the Sierra. 

Monica Le Baron is an Advanced Teacher of Therapeutic Yoga, a Kripalu 800-Hour Professional Yoga Therapist in training, a Reiki practitioner, and a neuromuscular-body alignment expert. She trained with renowned neuromuscular therapist Lee Albert and the founder of Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT), Joseph Le Page. Monica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and graduated with honors with her MBA.  From 2010-2017, she lived and worked in both Sweden and China, where she founded Monikards. Monica seeks to help others embrace their own self-healing journey with confidence and fearlessness, empowered to face inner wounds, sleep better and live a joyful life as pain-free as possible. She can advise on business management strategy, mindful leadership, and stress management along the startup journey.

As a co-founder of NMCO Media, a full service creative agency located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Christina sees the whole picture. She is a multidisciplinary visual artist with a specialty in branding identity and promotional print. She has a broad understanding of the media field and has been working in production, graphic design, marketing, event planning and management for a decade.