On November 15th, 2025, I had the honor of attending The Business of Her Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, alongside ILS staff, Notre Dame alumni, and five fellow Latino Studies Scholars. The event was hosted by Alexis Meruelo, a proud double-Domer from the classes of ’16 and ’21 and member of the Institute for Latino Studies’ Advisory Board.
The mission of Business of Her is clear: to help women believe in themselves, equip them with the tools and resources to pursue the careers they want, and connect them with the trailblazing leaders who can help them get there. None of this fell short. I left Las Vegas genuinely inspired, ready to take meaningful action in my career, and with a clearer vision of what my future success looks like both at Notre Dame and beyond.
Beyond the panels and programming, the most unexpected gift of the conference was the community. I walked away with newfound, genuine relationships with women whose leadership I deeply admire. Among them Nikki Fargas, President of the Las Vegas Aces, and Azin Radsan van Alebeek, Co-Founder and General Partner at Emmeline Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in female-led startups across tech-enabled, FemTech, FinTech, and sustainability sectors. Their willingness to share their stories and their encouragement of mine left a lasting impact.
The conference centered around various panels: Overcoming Challenges and Rising Above, Nevada Business Spotlight, Empowering Women Through Sports, and the $10,000 Grant Program Pitch Initiative, where three local entrepreneurs presented their ventures live. Watching their pitches felt electric, almost like being on Shark Tank, but with a spirit of genuine support and celebration for women pioneers.
For the breakout sessions, I chose Unlocking Your Dream Career, led by Dr. Lori Ochoa. She emphasized a powerful truth backed by psychology and research: our fears often hold us back more than any external barrier. Dr. Ochoa guided us through identifying what keeps us stuck and what steps we need to map out the careers we want. It was transformative and deeply affirming.
As a young Latina with ambitions of stepping into the corporate world, this conference made my dreams feel not only possible, but within reach. Every woman I met wanted to support, guide, and uplift the next generation, and I left feeling seen, valued, and empowered.
A special thank-you to ILS and Alexis Meruelo for making my attendance possible. I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity and excited to continue sharing what I learned with the young women who will come after me.
