By Diana Hinojosa

Tlanez Xotchitl’s rise as an entrepreneur has been an organic one. Whereas some entrepreneurs got their start early on as children while they set up their lemonade stands, she simply began making things she liked to wear as an adult. She tended to make things that were found in Mexico, but not in the US. First came the compliments, then came the requests for reproductions of her handcrafted goods.

Tlanez immigrated to the Chicago from Michoacán, Mexico, when she was 2 years-old. When she grew up, she temporarily moved to California and became an Aztec ceremonial dancer, a practice that has significantly influenced her aesthetic. Her designs embody pre-Columbian symbolism with a modern urban twist. One satisfied customer’s review speaks of a “beautiful necklace collection” that is “one of a kind” and describes her selection of earrings as “breathtaking.”

She has recently set up her own shop along Pilsen’s main commercial corridor, 1523 W. 18th Street, in a brick-and-mortar space for the first time. She shares stories of how she got her start selling at community markets and festivals. And when that wasn’t enough, she organized her own community markets so that she could sell her goods. In 2023, she participated in ESDC’s pop-up-shop program, through which she was able to get a taste of what it would be like to operate her business out of a local storefront, while having access to the no-cost workshops and technical assistance ESDC provides to local businesses. After completing the program, Tlanez was contacted by a neighborhood business owner who advised that their space would soon be up for lease. After beating out other contenders, the kind landlord offered her the space.

She is now the proud owner of Ollin Papalotl, a local shop in a thriving and bustling area of Pilsen, where one can find an array of candles, hand-crafted jewelry, t-shirts, embroidered blouses, incense and more. It is important to this up and coming local entrepreneur that people have an opportunity to learn about Mexican traditions and culture, and her business is a vehicle through which she could pursue that mission. Tlanez was also the first-place winner of the 2022 Pilsen Christmas Window Walk.

*ESDC is still running the pop-up shop program. Interested parties may reach out to Jaime Garza: 312-733-2287.

By Salvador Cerna

According to the World History Encyclopedia, “A mandala (Sanskrit for “circle”) is an artistic representation of higher thought and deeper meaning given to a geometric symbol used in spiritual, emotional, or psychological work to focus one’s attention.” The encyclopedia also states that mandalas can be traced to Hindu texts from 1500 to 500 BCE. However, they are not unique to Hinduism since they are found in cultures worldwide. 

The artistic inspiration of the mandala is drawn from the circle, which represents the individual. The complex patterns, various colors, intricate designs, and symbols of each mandala symbolize the complexities of each individual and their differences. As such, no two mandalas are alike, just as no two individuals are alike. These forms of artistic expression are found in Hindu, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious cultures.  

Mandala is also the name of a local cafe that recently opened along Pilsen’s main commercial corridor. Its public grand opening took place in mid-August, with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by ESDC on September 7th. Evelin Maroldt and Nhedia Arocha are the proud owners of the new cafe, located at 1641 W. 18th Street. Ask the owners why they chose that name, and they will tell you, “We loved the name and its mystic meaning of inner peace. When people come to the coffee shop, we want them to feel positive vibes, unity, equilibrium, and harmony. We want their visit to be a therapeutic experience.”  

 Approximately four years ago, Evelyn and Nhedia immigrated from Venezuela to Chicago for political and economic reasons. They were also business owners in their home country and dreamed about opening a business in the neighborhood: “We always knew that we wanted to open our own business here in Pilsen. It is where we settled when we first arrived from Venezuela.” They added, “We knew it would take some time since we needed to gather the capital to invest.”

If you ask them whether they consider their cafe to be a women-owned-business, they will affirm– “Absolutely! But we are also a family business, because we depend on the support and contribution of our close family members. Our children, spouses, parents, and in-laws have all supported us at every level.”

Both owners will tell you that their high-quality South-American coffee makes Mandala unique and different. “As soon as you enter our doors, you will be dazzled by the aromas of the best coffee from Brazil, Costa Rica, and Colombia. Our customers can attest to it,” they added, “But there are also our Venezuelan handmade baked goods, like our cachitos made with bacon and ham, and our mini-sandwiches.”

These two local business owners took advantage of the programs and services offered by their local economic development organization: “Most recently, we have received accounting and marketing support from ESDC/SBDC. They helped us with our official grand opening and connected us with other small businesses in the area. Our relationship with ESDC/SBDC has saved us time and money.” When asked what the future of Mandala is, they both agreed that it is expansion. “We want the Mandala coffee brand to be well known.”

Their recommendation to new entrepreneurs is to be resilient: “Don’t be defeated by negativity. Yes, opening a new business is challenging work. It takes time, and it demands that you stay focused. It requires capital for investment, seeking the right resources, and obtaining trustful advice.” They add, “It is important to look for the support of a non-profit organization like ESDC/SBDC and take advantage of the services they offer. If you do, you will save time and money at the end of the day.”

Their recommendation to new entrepreneurs is to be resilient: “Don’t be defeated by negativity. Yes, opening a new business is challenging work. It takes time, and it demands that you stay focused. It requires capital for investing, seeking the right resources, and obtaining trustful advice.” They add, “It is important to look for the support of a non-profit organization like ESDC/SBDC and take advantage of the services they offer. If you do, you will save time and money at the end of the day.”

References: Mark, Joshua J. 2020. “Mandala.” World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/mandala/.

By Salvador Cerna

Most immigrants leave friends, loved ones and their community behind as they set off in search of the American dream. Once they arrive in the United States, their economic, social, and cultural contributions can help strengthen our economic infrastructure, enrich our cultural framework, and make the U.S. a more dynamic nation. This has been the case for every group of immigrants, whether they arrived recently or 100 years ago.  Oscar Colorado Vazquez, owner of Rockit Barber Shop, located at 1650 W. 18th Street, has an immigrant story of his own. 

Oscar is from a small village in the Municipality of Chiconquiaco in the center of Veracruz, Mexico. “I was born and raised in an impoverished community atop of La Sierra Madre.” He stresses, “There are no roads to get to and from my village: no electricity or street lights, no local school, no health care for young people, and no running water. As you can see, we lacked every basic service. My community is impoverished!” 

He recalls coming to the United States at a very young age to work and help support himself and his family back home, “I was only 15 years old when I decided to go to the U.S. and leave my friends and family behind. I am the middle child of ten siblings, and we were very close. But I also knew that if I stayed, my options and opportunities were going to be limited.” 

With a smile on his face, as if remembering fond memories of a time gone by, he tells how he learned his trade, “I was either nine or ten when I started cutting hair. You see, there were no barbers in my town, so I was responsible for cutting my little brothers’ hair.” He continues, “because there was no electricity, I never used an electrical clipper. Instead, I used a manually- operated hair clipper similar to a pair of scissors, but they have a special wide head for cutting hair.”  

After many years in the restaurant and entertainment industry, he says he started his own business to spend more time with his family, “I worked at restaurants, I was a bartender at nightclubs, and a dishwasher. I decided to quit these night jobs when my daughter was born because they took away precious time I could spend with my family. So, I decided to open up my own business as a barber, and that is how Rockit Barber Shop was born here in Pilsen over seven years ago.” 

Oscar explains that to succeed in a business like his, you always need to put your clients first, “every client that comes into my shop will feel welcomed and respected. I strongly believe in treating people like I would like for people to treat me. First impressions are crucial, and clients will return if they receive good service and have a positive experience.” He adds, “At the end of a hard day’s work, as I am closing the doors of my barbershop, I leave with the satisfaction that I provided my customers with the best possible service I could offer.” 

Oscar painfully recounts how the pandemic impacted him at the beginning of 2020, “Covid-19 forced me to close for three months. Clients stopped coming, and bills began to pile up.” He describes how challenging it was to keep the business open, “On the third month of the pandemic, City officials informed us that we would remain closed. So I went to the shop, picked everything up, gathered chairs, mirrors, and equipment, and placed it in the middle of the shop, and I made the painful decision to close. However, I had a heart-to-heart conversation with my wife and co-worker, who convinced me to stay open; if things did not change, we would close by the end of the month.

Rockit Barber Shop, 1650 W. 18th St., (312) 877-5277

By Salvador Cerna

How many fond memories come to mind when you step into an ice cream parlor? Perhaps it’s the first date with a special someone from your past or the smile of delight of children enjoying the satisfying, sweet and creamy nectar. Or it’s reminiscent of time ‘you truly care’ with your significant other, who holds a cone with one hand and your arm with the other. A good ice cream cone has the power of awakening all of your senses. Its flavor will transport us to joyful places of our past, and it will forever engrave the experience in your memory. This will be the same experience you will have as you step into “Los Mangos,” a family-run business owned by Jose and Laura Ochoa. Los Mangos is at 3859 W. 26th St. in the heart of the Little Village community.

As soon as you walk into the shop, you enter a family-friendly atmosphere. Shelves filled with snacks and chicharrones. Stands filled with a selection of fresh fruits; and, of course, a large variety of cream-based and ice-based ice cream, and paletas, ice cream bars. But that is not all. You will also have a choice of yogurts, sandwiches, tamales, atole, aguas frescas and so much more.

As Jose explains, “When you come to Los Mangos, you will always find something for everyone.” He enthusiastically says, “In the summer, our fresh and cold treats, aguas frescas, ice creams, and ice bars are our most popular items. In the winter, our champurrado, hot chocolate, and tamales are most in demand.” He emphasizes, “And everything is homemade.”

Jose describes how they became the proud owners of Los Mangos. “My wife worked for the previous owner, Eladio Montoya, as the manager for all of his stores. He offered her the opportunity to own this store.” He adds, “It was scary in the beginning, but we figured it would be nothing different from what she was doing already. Now we have been the owners for the past three years.”

After only one year with the store, Jose goes into explaining how the pandemic affected them. “We were doing well until COVID-19 hit.” He explains that a business like Los Mangos relies on people coming into the shop, making themselves comfortable, and ordering as they please. “You might come into the store to buy ice cream, but once in, you might get a craving for something else.” He states, “When things changed, people could no longer sit in the store. We had to cut hours; instead of closing at 10:00 p.m., it forced us to close at 7:00 p.m. Some of our employees quit because we were forced to reduce their work hours; my wife and I had to work from opening to closing.” He explains that production and profits suffered as a result, and they were just barely making it. “We kept our doors open mostly so that we could keep the few employees left. Losing them would mean retraining. So we cut hours and keep as many of our employees as possible.”

The couple also knew that cutting hours and keeping their key employees was just a temporary solution, and sought help. Hilario, the brand-name owner, told them about the work of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at ESDC, who connected them to Javier Haro. “Javier began advising us and helping us apply for COVID-19 related grants and loans, and we qualified for some, which were a lot of help.” He continues, “Javier later referred us to Diana Hinojosa, who continues to assist us by informing and advising us on other grant opportunities like the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. She reminds us of upcoming webinars to help us improve my business and now is helping me to expand my business.” He adds, “My wife and I are planning on getting another store, but this time we want to own the building and Diana is helping us navigate through the process.”

Jose highlights that since his experience working with Javier and Diana, he has referred several small business owners. For those individuals who do not seek help, he has this to say, “As a business owner, I know how much time and money I have invested in my store. Don’t lose all that you have invested because you do not look for help. You can trust the advisors of IL SBDC at ESDC; they are only a phone call away.”

Los Mangos 3859 W. 26th St. (773) 277-8944