NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDE: Supporting future Latina generations page 3 Seeing RED page 6 Mapping Success Trelaine Mapp page 12 Local Spotlights pages 20 & 21 And More Trelaine Mapp Founder, President and CEO of Source Building Group Photo by Rachel DeLira www.TheMetroReport.biz Free estimate H100: Supporting future Latina generations by Brandon George with 74 members but has since grown to 96 and expects Special Contributor to The Metro Report to soon top 100 for the first time ever. H100 is a network of area Latina leaders who support each other and is Consider former Mesquite High School student Emily committed to impacting future Latina generations. Mancha’s motivational story to get a clear understanding H100 president Lucinda Rocha, who has been a part of the impact the Hispanic 100 nonprofit organization of the organization has had on North Texas area Latinas. for 12 years now, said Mancha had the opportunity to get a glimpse of her group members often future and help rewrite her family’s legacy by taking part celebrate each other’s in Mesquite High School’s Escalera STEM program, which successes and lean on supports Hispanic youth to pursue careers in science, each other for support technology, engineering and mathematics. during challenging Through Hispanic 100 grant money in 2017, via Dallas times. nonprofit The Concilio, the Escalera STEM program was “They get me from a “Complete able to take a field trip to Texas A&M University- cultural perspective,” Commerce. Students and their families toured the cam- Rocha said. “That’s the pus and met with professors and administrators, inspir- key for me. For me, it Cleaning ing them to know that college was within their reach. was a matter of find- Mancha saw firsthand that she had the opportunity to ing a network of other Programs” not only be the first from her family to graduate from working women who high school but also become the first to attend college. happened to be His- Lucinda Rocha, President of H100 She knew then that she had the chance to pursue a panic, to find mentors career in nursing. for myself, or be a mentor to others coming in and to “Escalera STEM has helped me by opening new doors,” realize that I’m not the only one going through similar Mancha said. “This program has helped me by motivat- challenges or opportunities.” ing me more. I’ve talked about financial aid and intern- Rocha has spent her career working in the financial ships to help get me where I need to be. It has helped sector, primarily in a consulting role. She works in Dallas me also by focusing on pursuing a career and becoming as the vice president and senior principal relationship someone.” manager for Fidelity National Informational Services, Inc., Clarke Building Services, Inc developing partnerships for $1 billion-plus financial insti- Record year for Hispanic 100 tutions to help design and execute payment strategies. The Hispanic 100 – also known as H100 – has empow- Rocha has led a transformational year for H100. Not Providing cleaning services for over 25 years ered and impacted Latinas in North Texas for more than only has she helped the organization achieve record 20 years now. The nonprofit organization started as the membership, but she’s also played a part in moving Hispanic 50 in 1996, when, according to its website, local H100’s endowment fund to become a partner with Latina leaders Delia Reyes, Bertha Outler and Patricia Dallas-based Texas Women’s Foundation. ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ Asip recognized the need for Hispanic women leaders The Texas Women’s Foundation had two African- Daily Weekly Biweekly Monthly Yearly in the Dallas area to unite and advance Latina participa- American and one Asian Giving Circle established, tion in the areas of employment, procurement and social Rocha said, and H100 wanted to mirror those philan- issues. thropic arms. H100 established the first Latina Giving In 2003, the organization changed its name to the Circle at TWF. Hispanic 100 as membership grew. H100 started 2019 This helped pave the way for H100 to secure a record $100,000 in funding this year to give to North Texas nonprofit organizations to help Latinas. In previous years, H100 would provide grant money “The benefits are tremendous having to roughly four to six local nonprofits, Rocha said, often a network of highly accomplished ranging from $1,500 to $2,500. This year, H100 expects to double the number of nonprofits it can help with Latinas around you that you can much larger grants, Rocha said. The $100,000 secured Construction Zones Office Buildings New Home Make Ready One Time Specialty Services reach out to for advice, knowledge, this year was funded, in part, by donations from individ- connections and support. It’s uals and corporations. “We saw the welcome-ness from the community that incredibly powerful. – Silvana Rosero wanted to participate in a Hispanic Giving Circle,” (817) 608-0903 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected] SEE H100 ON PAGE 20 ” 3 byIt’s Erin Ratigan a woman’s world,At too the local level Rezaie said other barbers are very sup- portive and sometimes refer their clients to her. Still, poten- Kenya Mobley describes herself as a “girly girl.” She has tial clients have refused to visit her shop because they did long nails, wears makeup and styles her hair before going to not want a female barber. work. While this routine is familiar to many businesswomen, Once, while booking an appointment over the phone, a in Mobley’s profession it is hardly commonplace. customer hung up on Rezaie after she mentioned that she Mobley works in the trucking industry and is one of many was the barber on-staff. women navigating a male-dominated field. After working “You can’t get upset about that, but it’s one of my favorite as a truck driver for six years, she opened On Track Truck stories to tell,” she said. Driving School in 2019, a rare feat for a woman. What makes up for those experiences are the interactions While looking for a truck driving school to attend, Mobley she has with her regulars — the people who let her work said she came up against sexism regularly. speak for itself. In the end, she said that’s all any business- “I didn’t feel welcome, I felt like a piece of meat,” she said. woman wants. “I even had one guy comment, ‘Nice butt.’” South Barbershop is a solo operation, with Rezaie running It was this feeling of exclusion that eventually motivated the business behind the scenes, performing cuts and shaves, her to start her own truck driving school. She said she gets and managing the shop. While opening the business was a calls from women saying they’ve never felt comfortable major achievement, she said working alone was the biggest going to a driving school that was all men. Once they attend challenge she had to overcome. Her goal is to eventually her school, they tell her they feel protected and empowered. add another seat to the shop floor — and some staff to help. What motivates her every day is her desire to help women But Rezaie said she likes working alone because she gets succeed — the same thing that empowered her through her to work one-on-one with clients every day. difficult early days in driving school. “My brand is not just the haircut and the product and ser- “I prepared myself for the ‘no’s,’ I prepared myself for the vice that I put out,” she said. “I also like to make everybody sexual harassment, I prepared myself for all of this, but I feel like they’re important when they’re sitting in the chair. prepared myself first for success.” They are. They’re the only person in the universe whenever Mobley said she does not consider her trucking business I’m cutting their hair.” Rezaie believes women will soon be free of labels and the a boys’ club, but women are still underrepresented — only need for advocacy in their fields. She said she looks forward 6 percent of the industry. Catalyst, a global nonprofit to seeing that change. Photo credit: peshkov/iStockPhoto.com aimed at promoting women-friendly workplaces, describes “Right now, there are a little bit more stepping stones of male-dominated fields as occupations wherein 25 percent Glenn is frequently asked by male brewpub owners how Having previously worked for a small family-owned con- actually focusing on someone being treated equally in the (or fewer) of workers are women. to improve diversity in craft beer. She said brewhouses need struction business, she had seen other women navigate the industry, despite being a female,” she said. “Once we get In recent years, conversation around this gender disparity past this [hurdle] it’s only uphill from there.” to appeal to a wide customer base if they are serious about pitfalls of running a business, which she said prepared her particularly focused on careers in science, technology, engi- Samantha Glenn, owner and general manager of Funky diversifying the industry. She said Funky Picnic does this for starting her own business. neering and mathematics (STEM). But many local business- Picnic Brewery & Café, echoed Rezaie’s sentiment about through their family-friendly atmosphere, which includes She knew she wanted to fill the gender gap in construc- women – like Fort Worth barber Laleh Rezaie — have said public perception of women in her field. While the craft beer changing rooms and kids’ menus, as well as comfortable tion, she said, which she saw as an opportunity rather than they’ve faced sexism on a regular basis.