From a "Lost Girl" to the USHCC National Stage: Rebecca Contreras Keynotes the USHCC Women's Luncheon

Sep 26

2 min read

There are moments that remind you exactly why the story matters as much as the success. For Rebecca Contreras, that moment came on September 15, standing before 1,200 Hispanic business leaders, CEOs, and chamber executives at the 47th Annual United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) National Conference, held at the Fort Worth Convention Center — invited as the keynote speaker for the

conference's Women's Luncheon.

The theme of her keynote, "The Force Behind the Numbers," was a fitting one for a room representing a community that drives more than $4 trillion a year in U.S. GDP. But Rebecca didn't come to talk numbers. She came to remind the room what sits behind them: Behind every number is a story. Behind every business is a dream. Behind every success is sacrifice.

And behind every legacy is someone who chose to pay it forward.

To make that point, Rebecca shared her own story — the one behind Lost Girl. Growing up in poverty. Facing circumstances that could have written a very different ending. And finding her way, against the odds, to serve in the White House before building AvantGarde into the company it is today.

But as she told the room, that's not really the story. The story is what you do with where you land. Success, she reminded the audience, isn't the finish line — it's an assignment. An assignment to open doors. Reach back. Create opportunity. Mentor the next generation. Leave the ladder down.

It's the same assignment that led Rebecca to found Girls of Legacy — a mentorship and scholarship program built on the belief that someone opened a door for her once, and now it's her turn to open one for someone else.

Following the luncheon, Rebecca hosted a book signing for Lost Girl, giving attendees a chance to connect the story they'd just heard on stage to the one on the page.

A heartfelt thank you to USHCC Chair Jackie Puente and the entire USHCC team for the invitation, and to every Hispanic business leader in that room carrying their own story forward. Si se puede.

To learn more about the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, click here.