Writing by Christy Maxfield. Christy has taught entrepreneurship at UMSL and Washington University in St. Louis and co-hosts the Entrepreneurially Thinking podcast where listeners are invited to meet amazing individuals and be inspired to be entrepreneurial wherever they are. She is Treasurer of the Forward Through Ferguson Board of Directors and an advisor to MEDLaunch and We Stories. Christy is particularly focused on helping women and entrepreneurs of color – those visionaries who are typically underrepresented and under estimated – build wildly successful businesses. Her portfolio with Purpose First Advisors, where she is President and CEO, includes privately held companies, startups, entrepreneur support organizations and regional initiatives. She specializes in business model validation, financial operations modeling, strategic growth plan development and core messaging.

On this episode of Entrepreneurially Thinking, we had the opportunity to talk with Autentico Podcast Hosts, Gabriela Ramirez-Arelleno and Junior Lara.

This dynamic pair has been able to tap into a vein of enthusiasm from Latinx communities, not just in St. Louis, but around the country. The Autentico podcast is amplifying the voices of business professionals, founders, small business owners and creatives by sharing their stories and experiences, and inspiring others to persevere on the paths of entrepreneurship and professional success.

Gabriela and Junior, themselves reflect the myriad experiences of their listeners. “The most important thing for me [ when starting the podcast ] was finding my voice and realizing how my voice affected others,” says Gabriela, who provides resources and technical assistance to business owners and entrepreneurs full time in her role with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in St. Louis.

Listen to “ETHINKSTL–Episode 9.4-Autentico Podcast | Hosts Gabriela Ramírez-Arellano and Junior Lara” on Spreaker.

Junior works in the corporate world full time. He recalled when he was in a meeting at work and noticed he was the only Latino at the table. It was in that moment that he knew he wanted to help other Latinos accelerate their success and give them the fast track, so they didn’t have to go through what he went through to get to a seat at the table. “We’re here, and we do have a voice, but we want to put a big bull horn on that voice,” explains Junior.

The Autentico podcast is rooted in being authentic, celebrating and elevating the stories of entrepreneurs that don’t often get acknowledged and shared. With each episode, Gabriela and Junior are cultivating a community that can rally together and cheer each other on in business and beyond. Stay listening!