Meet Vanessa Nevarez | Vanessa Nevarez, VELA Network CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanessa Nevarez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In 2019, I decided to leave my stable and nice job in Northern California to move back home with the purpose of starting a business unrelated to the one I have now. I work in Media and love to network because I truly believe in networking as a tool for connecting humanity not in the washed out and chore-like definition most give it. As a person who works in media and is well connected, I had the harsh realization, more like a blessing in disguise, that it was very hard to start a business and much less find resources for a Latina. I went on Government-operated business resource websites, the Chamber of Commerce, and reached out to older Latina business women for guidance and all I heard were the vigorous clack of my fingers tapping on my laptop’s keyboard. That is when VELA Network was born.

Latinx-owned businesses are the 8th biggest economy in the world bringing 2.6 trillion in GDP in 2018 yet resources aren’t readily available for us to learn to grow our businesses. The disparity in my Latinx community was clear to me and it wasn’t just the lack of resources but it was the blaring lack of access to mental, financial and entrepreneur wellness. My resilient community; our Latinx parents and grandparents have been “boot-strapping” their businesses without a dime to their name since they stepped foot into this country. As a new business owner and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, their resilance gave me a newfound respect for our forefathers and mothers who established brick and mortar restaurants, food carts, landscaping and construction businesses. Although, the Latinx business owners before me hustled and survived starting their business that does not have to be the Latinx entrepreneur’s narrative and at VELA Network we believe in thriving and community over competition always. It is the classic help “thy neighbor” literature.

I became obsessed in 2019 and wanted to learn everything about Latinx e-commerce businesses and entrepreneurship. In 2019, I used all my vacation time and days off to travel 1000+ miles to visit businesses, conventions, seminars pertaining to Latinx businesses owners in the southwest region for market research. VELA Network is at the intersection of e-commerce and Latinx culture because I saw the ingenuity of Latinx business owners starting their business online to save money and build up. It was genius to sell Latinx-centered merchandise and services. At VELA Network we are a network to connect other Latinx businesses to each other, redirect our dollar to buy and hire within our community, we provide a Latinx ecommerce business directory and a media presence consulting service.

What should our readers know about your business?
VELA is a network of empowering Latinx and Queens of Color (QOC) where culture and e-commerce intersect and bold, raw, resilient Latinx raise each other up and are of resource to each other in a safe environment while on our entrepreneurial journey. VELA is a Spanglish derivative of “verla” shortened to “Ve la” which translates to “see her”. A sort of ode to the English quote “She believed she could, so she did.” Although, we use the pronouns “she” we are inclusive of our LGBTQIA community something we stand strong on.

VELA Network is the first Latinx e-commerce network in the southwest U.S. region if not maybe the whole U.S. Our network is very niche to what is much needed to the Latinx community– a resource to be a resource to each other. I know it sounds redundant but for a very long time the Latinx community has not known where to find like-minded brands or services for hire that speak to our culture.

What I am most proud of I feel hasn’t even happened yet since we started in 2019 with the pandemic changing our plans. In a short year of operation, I feel the most proud of two virtual events I organized and curated. During the beginning of the pandemic on March 2020 I pivoted from e-commerce resources to educational COVID-19 Instagram Lives featuring prominent Latino doctors, Immigration attorneys, Latinx entrepreneurs and tech experts to address every question the Latinx community may have had to quell anxieties, pacify major uncertainties and get answers they weren’t getting from mainstream news. The Instagram lives were a hit and was a mix of humor and facts that spoke directly to my community in a five-part series called “A Latinx conversation on Coronavirus”

Fast forward to the fall of 2021, when VELA Network and financial platform Moneda Moves partnered in an Instagram Live series that brought our first in-person event to life after a long pandemic. During the pandemic many Latinx were laid off or had to become ingenious in creating income, we co-created “Hoy Cobre: Creatives Get Paid”. The series educated Latinx creatives which includes content creators on how to ask big corporations for pay, how to negotiate pay and value their worth. We realized early that VELA and Moneda Moves was at the forefront of a conversation not yet had in our community.

I am also proud of our first VELA Latinx gift guide ever designed for the holidays. It was full of Latinx brands never showcased in a gift catalogue before. It was the Ikea catalog of gift guides. We are also very proud and fortunate for being featured on Good Morning America’s newsite for an article on Latina Equal Pay Day.

Although, our business, VELA Network, is niche-focused it doesn’t mean that the world can’t learn about the vibrant e-commerce brands and the people behind Latinx-based services. The world should know Latinx businesses are the 8th largest economy in the world and the Latinx community have $1.7 Trillion in purchasing power. Essentially, Black and Brown businesses are the future of this country so it would be smart to learn about these diverse communities and what is important to them something most marketing companies and corporations are still clueless about.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, I technically feel I have two homes since I spent almost 8 years in San Francisco but I am originally from Sunny San Diego. For the sake of this answer, I will stick to San Diego or how we say “Daygo”. I was raised at the border of San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico so I know a few places. (Not to brag). Our diverse bordertown culture gives way for some of the best Mexican food and fun places to visit.

1) Tuetano Taqueria– Michelin recognized bone marrow and birria tacos. Bonus if you ask for the “Cafe de Olla” it’s brown sugar sweetened Mexican traditional black coffee. The best cafe de olla in my humble opinion. It is in the touristy heart of Old Town.

2) Barrio Logan– It is a whole vibe and neighborhood home of historic 1970s Chicano murals, a barrage of Latinx shops, coffee shops and breweries. Some of my favorites Simón Limón, Sew Loka, Nativo, Las Cuatro Milpas, Barrio Dogs, Por Vida Coffee, Border X Brewery and the first ever WOC-owned brewery Mujeres Brew House.

3) Holy Matcha– You can’t come to San Diego and not come to the Latina-owned pink fantasy interior that is the home of the Matcha Horchata. Holy Matcha has amazing matcha tea and matcha products in one of the most Instagramable spots in San Diego.

4) Artelexia– is a vibrant Mexican gift shop specializing in selling well-known Latinx brands, Mexican artisan gifts, art, home décor, and gourmet foods without having to travel to Mexico.

5) Polite Provisions– I recently learned it is Latino-owned but is a trendy spot and great bar. There liquor menu is extensive and is a great place to start the night off. Trust me on this one…order a Tijuana Slowdance.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
VELA Network has just started and we already have a great network of support and love from our community. I am so grateful to have both journalism and business mentors to believe in the vision I have to uplift our Latinx e-commerce community.

We have love and encouragement from friends, mentors, and our longtime friends turned clients Skin by Chris Luevanos, Diosa Leon owned and operated by Latinx sisters Yesenia and Jax Menjivar Garcia, Lyanne Alfaro creator of financial platform Moneda Moves, Hola Chola apparel brand by Susanna Gonzalez, Mari owner of LATINX MKTG, Holy Matcha owner and Matcha Mornings founder Geraldine Ridaura, Sew Loka, an upcycled fashion brand owned by Claudia Biezunskie-Rodriguez, Educated Hermanaz owned by sisters Mariana and Melanie Montoya and Angie Gonzalez owner of lifestyle brand For My Homegirls. Thank you to these amazing Latinx businesses for believing in VELA Network.

VELA Network has grown by the trust of, have the honor to know in our community, been featured and at times collaborated with our beautiful Latinx community of Shop Blatina, Chasing Camila, JZD Designs, Real Women Sisterhood, NYTAQ, We Are All Human, Reina Rebelde, El Cholo’s Kid, Wine and Chisme Podcast, Raggedy Tiff, A Pretty Normal Podcast, The Latina Daily, FEMX Quarters, JetSet With Jeannette, Bold Latina and so much more.

Website: https://www.iamvela.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vela.red/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/velanetwork

Image Credits
Vanessa Nevarez, Jessie Medina, Lyanne Alfaro