Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Interview No. 1494, Raul Ramos

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Raul Ramos purchased Han-D-Pak from Mr. Young. Raul admits not knowing much about owning a small business however he did see a need for the products within the local market. Raul worked out of a small grocery owned by his mother-in-law and had the help of his two brothers and mother. They would all work to package and deliver the products to the local grocery stores. Raul hand made the racks to hold his product until he was able to hire a carpenter to assist him in the creation of the racks. Raul bought into El Paso products from companies …

Interview No. 1493, Julius Lowenberg

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

When Julius graduated from St. Patrick’s Cathedral High School in the early 1950’s, he went to work for Fur Foods and then the railroad company. After being let go from the railroad company, Julius started volunteer coaching touch football. The following year, Julius began coaching tackle football and basketball at St. Patrick’s. During this time, Julius began attending The University of Texas at El Paso and did so while coaching at St. Patrick’s. Julius left St. Patrick’s to coach at Putnam Elementary when he was offered a high school coaching job at a school in Canutillo, a community in the …

Interview No. 1492, Patti Holland Branch

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Patti Holland Branch began developing her skills as an entrepreneur when she was around the age of 8. Patti purchased a weave machine to make pot holders and sold them around the neighborhood to earn money for her family. Patti would also host a summer school for the kids in her neighborhood and would receive gifts of cash for her efforts. When Patti was a teenager, she worked for the Mayor’s office creating a scrapbook. She eventually earned the Dorrance D. Roderick scholarship to attend Texas Western College. Patti married her husband and they moved to Germany for his work …

Interview No. 1491, Mike Garcia

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Mike was brought to El Paso by his godmother to attend school at Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas when he was 11 years old. Mike had his first job working at a bowling alley in El Paso at the age of 12. At the age of 15 years old, he got married. Mike cared for and loved his mother Benita very much. He recalls that she taught him to better his life, to better his family, to do the proper thing, to be honest with himself, and to have self-respect. Mike has used these concepts to build his …

Interview No. 1490, Leigh Kersh

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Leigh Kersh was born in El Paso, Texas to Moe and Rosie Kersh. Leigh attended The University of Texas at El Paso and The University of Texas at Austin before attending New York University and graduating with a degree in Physiology. While Leigh finished her degree at NYU, she worked for Federal Express in customer service and then once she graduated she became their corporate physiologist. Leigh credits her time with Federal Express for learning how to do customer service, how to run an operation, and how to train the right people for the company. Leigh grew up watching her …

Interview No. 1489, Don Shapiro

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Don Shapiro was born and raised in the New York Metropolitan Area. In the 1930’s Don’s father Isadore worked in the fur district in New York City. When Don graduated from high school, he joined the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. After WWII, Done atteneded NYU and got a degree in accounting. After graduating NYU, he became a door to door salesman in New York City. After a time in New York, Don and his friend Harry Katz decided to drive cross country to California and work to earn money along the way. They started by driving …

Interview No. 1487, Gustavo Rodriguez

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Gustavo learned the glass trade while growing up and working alongside his father. The name of his father’s business was Rodriguez Glass. Gustavo’s father had a hard time purchasing glass at an honest price and would purchase glass from Ciudad Juárez, México until a man from Amarillo approached them about buying the glass from him. Gustavo met his wife Elma when they were in high school and they married five years later. Gustavo was in the United States Navy Construction Battalion Reserves and was drafted into the Vietnam War in the early 1960’s. When Gustavo returned home, he had $500 …

Interview No. 1486, Elma Rodriguez

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Elma met her husband Gus when they were in high school and they married five years later. Gus served in the Vietnam War and when he got out he was given $500.00 so he and Elma decided to start a business. At the time they lived on Basil St. and they started their business out of their home garage and so they named their company Basil Glass Incorporated. Another reason why they named their company Basil Glass instead of their last name is because they wanted to avoid as much discrimination as possible. As Hispanic entrepreneurs starting a business in …

Interview No. 1485, Paul Zacour

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Paul Zacour took real estate classes and began to sell real estate when he was 19 years old. After graduating from The University of Texas at El Paso in 1986, Paul moved to Austin, Texas to be a part of the real estate market boom. In 1992, Paul moved back to El Paso, Texas. He began to work with Fred McKinstry doing appraisals together. The name of the company then became McKinstry-Zacour and Associates. When the opportunity to buy the company arose, Paul took it and Fred McKinstry semi-retired. The company then morphed into Zacour and Associates. Paul’s company works …

Interview No. 1484, Sylvia Martinez

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Sylvia Martinez, her then husband and his brother decided to start inhome healthcare support business to assist families in El Paso. The business is called Altomar and is located in El Paso, Texas. Their business provided help for families dealing with special needs children. Altomar is a woman-owned certified as well as minority certified business. Sylvia also owns Altomar New Mexico and just started Altomar Medical Equipment Company that provides medical equipment. Sylvia is a member of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Altomar is able to help the El Paso community was …

Interview No. 1483, Edith Morales

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Edith Morales was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Ciudad Juárez, México as well. Edith attended The University of Texas at Dallas. She began working at a company called Daisy Tech in Plano, Texas eventually running their Latin America division in Miami, Florida and in México City, México. After twelve years of working for that company, the company went out of business. Edith started Printek Supplies Inc. in Miami. In 2005 while visiting family in El Paso, Edith and her husband decided to move their company and family back to El Paso. Edith belongs to the Greater …

Interview No. 1481, Armando Reyes

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

When Armando was a 12 years old, he began accompanying his father to work at Alejandro’s Plumbing Company. When Armando was a teenager, he worked for that company as well. Armando Reyes graduated from Jefferson High School in 1965 and worked for Pacific Food Express after graduation. Once the job ended, Armando and four friends left for California to find work. He was able to find work in California that paid well but eventually Armando returned to El Paso. When he returned, Armando attended El Paso Community College and worked with his brother Julian at an air conditioning company called …

Interview No. 1482, Carlos Guzman

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Carlos Guzman was born and raised in Puerto Rico and lived in there until he joined the United States Army. Prior to joining the military, Carlos obtained his Bachelor degree from the University of Puerto Rico in biology and chemistry. While in the military, Carlos served as an officer and served in Iraq from 2004 until 2005. Upon returning from Iraq, Carlos began to pursue his M.A. in computer resource management. It was during this time that Carlos met Larry Walter and the two became interested in biofuel technology after a discussion on biofuel. Carlos began investigating what it would …

Interview No. 1480, Gonzalo Rangel

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Gonzalo began working at the age of 13 in a parking lot off of Wyoming St. in El Paso, Texas. The parking lot was owned by Bud Fischer and Gonzalo would park cars and clean them to earn money. By the time he was 15 years old, Gonzalo was able to purchase a 1938 Chevrolet. During high school, Gonzalo and his girlfriend had a baby and got married and Gonzalo left school to work to support his family. He briefly worked at Sanker Plumbing before leaving to work at Bray's Washing Machine to support his new family. Though his father …

Interview No. 1479, Robert Navarro

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Robert Navarro was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and attended school in El Paso. After Robert graduated from high school, he attended Texas Western College in El Paso, Texas and graduated in 1961 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He entered the United States Army via the ROTC program for two years. After the Army, Robert attended New Mexico State University and received his Masters in Structural Engineering. During his time as a graduate student, Robert worked for A.B. Peinado and Sons. After graduating, he continued to work for that company. A.B. Peinado and Sons got into land …

Interview No. 1478, Robert Wingo

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Robert Wingo was born in Columbus, Ohio but spent the majority of his life in El Paso, Texas. Robert attended elementary and high school in El Paso. After graduating from high school, Robert was drafted into the Vietnam War. After the serving his time in the Vietnam War, Robert attended The University of Texas at El Paso and in 1973 he got his BBA in Marketing. While attending UTEP, Robert worked for BDM Corporation on Fort Bliss. After graduating, Robert started working for Billy the Kid and ended up as the VP of Advertising. In 1983, the company was sold …

Interview No. 1505, Nan Napier

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Tres Mariposas was started by three women in El Paso, Texas and after a time, only one of the women owned the dress shop. This woman, Betty Bowman (Young) sold the business to her husband, Sam Young Jr. Sam was a client of Frank Napier and he then sold Tres Mariposas to Frank Napier. Frank Napier’s wife, Isabel Napier ran the store for a while until they presented their son, Charles and his wife Nan with the opportunity to run the store. Nan ran the store by herself until her two children were born and then her husband joined her. …

Interview No. 1477, Adam Nieto

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

From the age of 12 until he was 15 years old, Adam Nieto worked a paper route to earn extra money for his family. After high school, Adam left El Paso for Los Angeles for two years to work, however in 1965, the draft system caught up with Adam and at the age of 21, he was drafted by the United States Army into the Vietnam War. In 1967, after his time in the military, Adam enrolled at The University of Texas at El Paso and spent four years working on his B.A. in Education. Adam was able to use …

Interview No. 1477, Adam Nieto

Combined Interviews

From the age of 12 until he was 15 years old, Adam Nieto worked a paper route to earn extra money for his family. After high school, Adam left El Paso for Los Angeles for two years to work, however in 1965, the draft system caught up with Adam and at the age of 21, he was drafted by the United States Army into the Vietnam War. In 1967, after his time in the military, Adam enrolled at The University of Texas at El Paso and spent four years working on his B.A. in Education. Adam was able to use …

Interview No. 1504, John Romero

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

John Romero got his start in his father’s tax preparation office when he was in the 7th grade. By the age of 14, John and his other siblings would assist their father with tax return preparation. After graduating from Cathedral High School, John worked at a Safeway grocery store, working his way up to different positions within the store. During this time, John and his siblings continued to help their father at his tax business during tax season from January until April. John would work at Safeway, then work at the commissary part time and attend The University of Texas …

Interview No. 1503, Carlos Eduardo Casillas

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Carlos attended school in the United States while living in México with his family and at the age of 19, his father decided to move the family to the United States permanently. Carlos Sr. owned a transportation business and Carlos would tinker with the bus ticket machines. His fascination with computers grew and he got a degree in computer science. After college Carlos worked for his father some more before starting his own company, Icon Technologies. Icon Technologies went dormant and Carlos along with his business partner Ruben Ramirez started E.R. Computer Doctors in 2002. At E.R. Computer Doctors, Carlos …

Farrell’S Nursery Company Limited Brand Identity Project, Peter Dee

Other resources

Peter Dee - Strategic Design and Marketing Consultant, was responsible for the design and development of the brand identity for the Farrell’s Nursery Company which was used on business cards, letterhead, signage and website.

Farrell’s unique plant nursery is always full of fresh ideas, inspiring plants and solutions for every garden. You'll find an extensive range of plants and people who provide expert advice and a range of associated services at all times of the year.

The Glass Ceiling Women Face: An Examination And Proposals For Development Of Future Women Entrepreneurs, Janet Nixdorff, Theodore H. Rosen

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

As of 2007, there were an estimated 10.4 million businesses in the United States that were owned and operated by women. The number of women-owned firms has continued to grow at around twice the rate of all firms for the past two decades (Center for Women’s Business Research, 2008). On the other hand, women comprise only 15.4 percent of corporate officers in Fortune 500 companies (Catalyst, 2007b) and, in 2003, held only 14.8 percent of board seats in the Fortune 500 (Catalyst, 2007a).To better understand the glass ceiling faced by both female entrepreneurs and women leaders, the research on women’s …

The Influence Of Spirituality On Servant Leadership Among Small Business Entrepreneurs, Sharilyn D. Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Servant leadership, which promotes virtuousness and altruism, is gaining attention as a potential solution to the perceived leadership crisis, as evidenced by the ethical breakdown of some of America's largest corporations. Entrepreneurs, who represent 99% of all employers, play a significant role in the American economy as innovative risk takers and early adopters. As such, it is important to understand how they relate to servant leadership. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore research questions related to (a) the extent to which servant leadership is practiced by small business entrepreneurs, and (b) the relationship between their levels of …

Peranan Perbankan Islam Dalam Pengembangan Industri Kecil Dan Sederhana Di Kota Pekanbaru, Riau: Analisis Terhadap Instrumen Murabahah., Masriadi -

Student Works (2010-2019)

Islamic banking in general defined as the conduct of banking operation in consonance with Islamic principles of mu‘amalat. The emergence of interest – free financial institutions especially in predominantly Muslim countries, has added a new dimension to economic models. This Islamic banks have organized financial intermedians including al-murabahah which operate in accordance with the principles Islamic transactions. This dissertation explains the rol and practice of Islamic banking in the financing of the small and medium enterprises in Kota Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia using the murabahah instrument. The research found that Islamic banks play the important role in the development of SME …

“It’S A Ripple Effect”: Global Mamas In A Developing Ghana, Mara Dold

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My research took place almost entirely in Cape Coast but was supplemented with time in Krobo-Odumase and Accra. I worked exclusively with the nonprofit and fair trade international organization Women in Progress, specifically focusing on the women working for their brand name product line Global Mamas. I was a part of 2 batik workshops and 1 bead making workshop, led by Ghanaians hired by Global Mamas. Participant observation and informal interviews went hand in hand during the workshops. I had many an informal discussion and just 5 formal interviews overall. Book research was key to my more general findings and …

Women's Work And The Informal Sector: Case Studies Of Egypt's Feminization Of The Textile And Garment Industries And Market Vendors, Engi Assaad El-Maghraby

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Documentary Film Presentation Local Colors: Natural Dyeing In A Milas Carpet Weaving Village, Ulara Tamura, John Wells

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This documentary, filmed in 2006, examines the process of naturally dyed carpet production in a village in the Milas region of Muğla Prefecture in southwest Turkey, a region well known as a traditional Turkish carpet production area. In large numbers of villages of this region, carpet weaving is the household based work of every woman who lives there.

In this paper, I aim to add more detailed information and discussion specifically on the colors and dyes of the carpets shown in this film. First I will introduce the varieties of the natural dye materials the villagers use one by one. …

Annotated Bibliography On Women Business Owners: A Diversity Lens, Bonita L. Betters-Reed, Lynda L. Moore

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

When we take the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, and class to the collected academic work on women business owners, what does it reveal? What do we really know? Are there differing definitions of success across segments of the women businessowner demographics? Do the challenges faced by African American women entrepreneurs differ from those confronting white female entrepreneurs? Do immigrant female women businessowners face more significant institutional barriers than their counterparts who have been U.S. citizens for at least two generations? Are there similar reasons for starting their businesses?

Latino Business Owners In East Boston, Ramon Borges-Mendez, Brandynn Holgate, Carlos Maynard, Robin Reale, Jennifer Shea

Gastón Institute Publications

The main objective of this research was to investigative the contribution of Latino immigrant business owners (or entrepreneurs) in East Boston. Twelve Latino business owners in East Boston were interviewed and supplementary interviews with public officials and other key informants served to further document the contribution of Latino entrepreneurs. The main finding of the report is that Latino business owners have made, and continue, to make extremely important contributions to East Boston’s economy and neighborhoods.