Today we’d like to introduce you to Lourdes Leon.
Hi Lourdes, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey began in Caracas, Venezuela, where I was born and raised. I’ve always been driven to work and lead; I actually started my career in the banking industry at the young age of 17. By the time I was 20, I had already stepped into management, and I also went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in Marketing.
Life took a major turn when I was 22. My husband, our young son Carlos, and I made the life-changing decision to move to the United States. We settled in Miami, where I initially gained invaluable experience working alongside U.S. Customs within the freight forwarding industry. Over time, I transitioned into the world of real estate, title, and mortgage management, where I spent years building a successful career and honing my leadership skills.
In 2022, I took on a significant new challenge as the 4th President of what was then the Volusia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Since then, we have rebranded as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, and I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved. Under my leadership, the Chamber has grown by over 100%, successfully integrated the West Volusia Chamber, and received multiple Best of Florida and best of Deltona recognitions.
Today, my work extends beyond our local region. I’ve had the honor of becoming a voice for Latino and immigrant communities on a national level, advocating at the White House and Capitol Hill on critical issues like immigration reform, workforce development, and food security. In 2023, I was humbled to be one of 80 Venezuelans chosen to represent our diaspora during the first-ever Venezuela Day at the White House.
Ultimately, my story is about growth and advocacy—starting from my roots in Venezuela to now working every day to ensure Hispanic-owned businesses thrive and that our community’s voice is heard at the highest levels of government.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first major struggle was the transition of immigrating to a new country. Moving from Venezuela to the U.S. at 22 was a leap of faith. I arrived with my husband and a very young son, and we had to navigate the realities of building a life from the ground up. Balancing the responsibilities of being a young mother while trying to establish a professional footprint in a completely different culture and economy was a true test of resilience.
Another challenge was re-establishing my professional identity. In Venezuela, I had already reached a management level in banking by the age of 20, but when I arrived here, I essentially had to start over. I had to pivot through different industries—from freight forwarding and U.S. Customs to real estate and mortgages—constantly learning new systems and proving my value in competitive fields.
In my recent years with the Chamber, the struggle has been one of transformation. Taking the lead in 2022 meant navigating a total rebranding and the complex integration of the West Volusia Chamber. It wasn’t just about growth; it was about shifting the culture to ensure we were truly fostering equity and inclusion, also creating a platform where Hispanics and non Hispanics could get the same benefits, but ensuring the Latino voices still could be heard.
Even today, the ‘struggle’ continues in a different form through my advocacy work. When I’m at the White House or on Capitol Hill, I’m fighting against systemic hurdles like food insecurity and workforce barriers that many in our community face. It isn’t always easy to get those voices heard, but my own journey reminds me as of why it’s so necessary to keep pushing forward. It hasn’t been easy, but someone reminded me that sky is the limit, and sometimes we are the ones putting obstacles to achieve higher goals or dreams. It hasn’t been a smooth road but wouldn’t change one bit as my path has given me life experiences that I now use to help others around me.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our Organization & Expertise The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida (HCCCF) serves as a powerful engine for economic development and a vital bridge between Hispanic and non-Hispanic businesses. We specialize in fostering economic growth for over 20,000 professionals, acting as a catalyst for revenue generation and job creation throughout the region. We are best known for our partnerships with other Chambers and organizations, which harnesses the collective strength of all of us to drive regional prosperity and advocate for the needs of diverse businesses.
What Sets Us Apart
Our unique value proposition lies in our unprecedented growth and deep community roots:
Rapid Expansion: We have seen a remarkable 110% increase in membership from last year, demonstrating an immediate and high demand for our network.
Inclusive Excellence: More than 80% of our members are minority-owned small businesses, making us the primary hub for the region’s rapidly expanding Hispanic market.
Unmatched Visibility: We offer a massive digital footprint, including a surge in website page views of +1852% (over 27,900 views) and a social media reach exceeding 763,200.
Accessibility: We are a truly bilingual organization, offering key networking and resource materials “En Español” aside from the English ones as well, to ensure full inclusivity for our members.
Brand Pride & Successes
Brand-wise, we are most proud of our role as a transformative leader in advocacy and empowerment. We have successfully recognized over 600 empowered Latinas and honored more than 400 healthcare professionals and first responders, showcasing the achievements of those who drive our community forward. Additionally, we are proud of our high engagement levels, with unique digital visits increasing by +1715% in the current year.
What You Should Know About Our Offerings
We want readers to know that we offer a comprehensive ecosystem for business success:
Extensive Networking: We provide over 120 opportunities for business networking annually, including our weekly AM Connection(in English), Café con Leche, (en español), quarterly Connection After 5 events and our Leads Group twice a month (en Español).
Targeted Education: We host specialized panels and keynote speakers at events like “I Latina Leadership” to educate and inspire Latinas business owners and soon we will be celebrating the first ever I Latinos summit targeted for all those (man) business owners and entrepreneurs.
Strategic Advocacy: We actively fight for workforce development, tourism investment, healthcare access, and education funding to ensure a sustainable business landscape.
Resource Access: We provide scholarships, grants for entrepreneurial learning, and workforce training to nurture the next generation of leaders.
OUR VISION & MISSION
Mission: We strive to promote economic growth for over 20,000 businesses contributing millions of dollars and thousands of jobs and serving as a catalyst between Hispanic and non-Hispanic businesses in Central Florida and beyond.
Vision: We envision a community where businesses thrive educationally, economically, culturally, and philanthropically. With our vision of growth and expansion, we provide guidance for our future leaders in the communities we serve to become successful within their chosen industry.
What matters most to you?
Closing Economic Gaps: We are driven by the opportunity to close economic inequality by dismantling barriers that prevent minority-owned businesses from receiving the resources they need to excel.
Creating a Robust Workforce: By connecting job opportunities to the rapidly expanding Hispanic market and prioritizing vocational training, we ensure our region remains competitive and prosperous.
Building Future Leaders: We are most proud of nurturing the next generation of leaders through scholarships and empowerment programming, ensuring that businesses don’t just survive, but thrive educationally and philanthropically.
Unified Advocacy: We believe in the power of the working together with our business partners, trustees and city and government officials because collective strength allows us to influence local and federal legislation, ensuring the voice of our 20,000+ business professionals is never overlooked.
Ultimately, we are motivated by the remarkable growth we are witnessing—such as our 110% membership increase and a 1,852% surge in website page views—which proves that our community is hungry for the connections and resources we provide.
Also personally I believe in equality for all, I want to make sure our business owners, entrepreneurs and future business owners have all the tools to never have to go through difficult times, this is why the personal connection for me is so important. Every networking event or meeting I give my 100% to the person approaching, it is what it should be done, never loose the human factor of interacting with others.
Pricing:
- Our memberships start at $325.00
- We have monthly memberships starting at $40.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hispanicchambercfl.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hispanicchambercfl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hispanicchambercfl/
Image Credits
Pictures credit Leginska Shaomy, Pete Wilson, Gary Katz, Judith Fernandez.
