Des Moines, IA – For years, a magazine featuring Latina business owners was an idea and a dream for Tar and Erika Macias, co-owners of Hola Iowa/Hola America News and with the help and vision of Hola Iowa’s editor and writer Christina Fernandez-Morrow they are able to make it a reality. “We spent hours discussing how to show the talent and accomplishments of the growing number of female entrepreneurs in our community and a magazine seemed like a great way to merge local talent to tell those stories,” says Fernandez-Morrow, editor-in-chief of JEFAS -Latinas in Business Magazine, launching in May 2024.
JEFAS Magazine is a collaboration of writers, photographers, social media managers, editors, translators, and designers from across Iowa – all of whom are Latinx. It is the first magazine created by the Latinx community, for the Latinx community that focuses on how they are boosting the economy, giving back, and filling the gap between what is needed and what is available in the state. “It always inspires me the level of expertise and inventiveness among our people,” says Macias. “I wanted to display it in one place where we can all celebrate it.” The magazine not only features over 50 entrepreneurs in a variety of industries, it also contains valuable information about resources and opportunities any entrepreneur can use to enhance their business.
According to the Stanford 2022 State of Latino Entrepreneurship Report, at the national level, from 2007 to 2019, the number of Latinx-owned businesses grew by 34%, while the number of White-owned businesses dropped by 7%. LOBs outpaced WOBs in revenue growth during the same period and their annual payroll grew over twice as fast. During the pandemic (2019-2022), the median growth rate in revenue for LOBs was 25% and 9% for WOBs.
Since 2020, Latina-owned businesses have grown to represent over 14% of all small businesses in the US. This number may not seem like a lot, but considering Latinas opened more businesses than shut them down during the pandemic, this number is significant. Their businesses contribute over $175 billion to the US economy. The potential for Latina-owned businesses is huge, especially if resources like JEFAS can help overcome the disparities that limit their growth.
For example, according to a joint report done by Ventureneer, Wells Fargo, CoreWoman, and the WIPP Education Institute, if businesses like the ones featured in the magazine earned the average revenue of men, they would add $1.3 trillion in revenue to the U.S. economy. That’s the magazine’s mission is to empower Latina business owners by increasing their access to opportunities, representation, and resources so they can realize their full potential and inspire other Latinas to do the same.
If you are a Latina business owner please fill out this questionnaire so we can learn more about your business and include it in the publication or the digital edition. The deadline to be part of this project is March 22. We may contact you again after we receive your responses for an interview or photos to include in the project.
If you know other Latina entrepreneurs, please share this link with them. We want to celebrate as many of you as possible, regardless of the product or service they sell; it is for all ages, backgrounds, and industries.
We are excited to learn more about your business and share it with others across Iowa, the country and the Internet!
If you have any questions, please reach out to our editor Christina Fernández-Morrow via email at [email protected]
About JEFAS -Latinas in Business Magazine
JEFAS -Latinas in Business Magazine is a magazine created by and for the Latinx community in Iowa. It features stories of Latina entrepreneurs, as well as resources and opportunities to help them grow their businesses. The magazine launches in May 2024. The mission is to empower Latina business owners by increasing their access to opportunities, representation, and resources so they can realize their full potential and inspire other Latinas to do the same.
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