Winning Ideas from Winning Women
with Angela Velazquez

At the age of 19, Angela Velazquez was a translator on Wall Street. Today, she is an influential and inspiring Hispanic businesswoman in Raleigh. Velazquez has been extremely successful in her life as an entrepreneur: She owns her own business, Making the Connection/Haciendo La Conexion, and also works at La Ley 96.9 FM, a Spanish-language radio station in Raleigh.

After earning an associates degree from Orange County Community College in Newburgh, N.Y., Angela first worked with children at a non-profit agency; this role ignited in her the drive to make a difference, especially with the Hispanic population.

Angela Velazquez

When Angela moved to North Carolina, she had a vision of positively impacting the growing Hispanic community. And she went at it full force, making a difference not only in the lives of individuals she met, but in the greater Hispanic community as a whole.

Through her business, Making the Connection/Haciendo La Conexion, Angela acts as a bridge to North Carolina’s quickly growing Hispanic community. “Haciendo La Conexion helps first generation Hispanic residents, those speaking little or no English, to become better informed and connected with lawyers, doctors, teachers and others who can provide support.” Angela explained.

“Our goal is to educate Hispanics on aspects of American culture and help them with issues related to healthcare, housing and legal matters.”

Angela’s business has really caught fire as a result of her connection to the Hispanic radio station, La Ley 96.9 FM. The relationships she has developed at La Ley make it possible for her to reach out to the Hispanic community in a powerful way. “La Ley has over 100,000 watts of power and reaches an estimated 400,000 Latino listeners across the state.” Angela tells us with pride. “Our station provides real connection for Latinos who speak limited English.”

Over the past few years, Angela has also made her mark on the North Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NCHCC). Recently elected president, Angela is the first woman to serve in this role. And, through NCHCC, Angela has supported the Hispanic community by providing seminars that reach out to small business owners.

Angela traces her drive and positive outlook on life back to her family, especially her mother, who was able to speak only Spanish when she came to the United States and is now a teacher who speaks four languages. It is her mother’s determination to help others that Angela tries to emulate in her work, and her impact on hundreds of North Carolina Latinos is an indication of her success. And, this success has not gone unnoticed. In 2003, Angela was awarded the Triangle Business Journal’s “40 under 40” award. Competition was fierce for this award; Angela was selected one of the top 40 from among 350 candidates.

Angela with family

But all of life is about individual people, and as Angela thinks back to her most significant moment, she recalls working with a young girl from a third-world country who knew no English. “I remembered being in her shoes when I was a child. I came to America when I was five; I knew no English and I was terrified.” Angela remembers. “So it was such an honor to be able to help this child overcome her fear and get started in her new life.” This experience, and hundreds of others like it, remind Angela of the difference one person can make, and provide her with the energy to continue making an impact in the Hispanic community.

“You must always believe in yourself so that you can see it, and then it will be.” It is these words of wisdom that Angela lives by and encourages others to live by as well. Her fondest wish is that she can continue to help hundreds of Hispanic people across North Carolina and can someday “help establish other companies like mine that have a genuine concern for Hispanics across the entire country.”