I’ve wanted to own a business since I was a child. My first idea was to open a Chiclet (gum) stand in my hometown of Teocaltiche, Mexico. Growing up, I was surrounded by family members who ran their own businesses. My abuelo Roberto, on my mom’s side, was a woodcarver who made everything from chairs to statues for churches and museums. On my dad’s side, abuelo Roque owned a tile business and drove trucks. My parents followed the same path—my dad worked as a truck driver and helped with the tile business, while my mom ran a fruit-and-juice bar from home. With this background, it’s no surprise that entrepreneurship is in my blood.

I am very grateful to my parents for doing everything they could to give us a better future. When I was six, we moved from Teocaltiche, Mexico, to Oakland, California, and started a new chapter in our lives. The transition was daunting—learning a new language, adjusting to unfamiliar customs, and navigating an entirely different culture tested us daily. I often felt the pressure to succeed, knowing my parents had sacrificed so much. My dad often worked two or three jobs, and my siblings and I devoted ourselves to our studies, determined to excel in school and to assure our parents that their sacrifices would not be in vain. Every challenge I faced—whether struggling to understand my teachers or trying to fit in with my peers—became motivation to push harder toward my goal of attending college.