Hispanic Heritage Month: Never Let Where You Started Determine Where You Can Go

Sep 22

7 min read

By Rebecca Contreras

As we prepare to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, I find myself reflecting on how deeply my heritage is woven into my story. It is part of how I lead, how I work, how I love my family, how I serve others and how I respond when life does not go according to plan. When I think about the values that have carried me from where I started to where I am today, I think about faith, family, hard work, resilience, service and a whole lot of grit.

Rebecca with her grandma Keta — *Rebecca with her grandm*a Keta

My story did not begin with privilege, stability or a clear pathway to success. My upbringing, fully depicted in my bestselling memoir Lost Girl, was highly dysfunctional, and circumstances in my childhood could have easily determined the negative direction of my life. But God placed my shero, my grandmother Keta, in my life. She raised me and instilled in me a deep respect for family, hard work, resilience and service to others. Through the hardship, my faith became foundational to my transformation and to believing that the circumstances I was born into did not have to become the circumstances I remained in.

*Rebecca and David with mentor Clay Johnson*

Along the way, people like Donna Reynolds and Clay Johnson became game-changing mentors in my career journey. They saw something in me, believed in me and opened doors. Their investment changed the trajectory of my life and shaped something I still believe deeply today: when we are given an opportunity, we have a responsibility to create opportunities and pay it forward for others.

Finding My Place at the Table

Growing up in a disadvantaged, low-income Hispanic community and then building my career as a Hispanic woman, there were many moments when I felt I had to work harder, prove myself differently or create an opportunity that simply was not there. As my career and knowledge expanded, I entered rooms where there were few women and even fewer Hispanic women at the highest levels of leadership. When I served at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, I was one of only two top Hispanic executives serving across the entire department on the Secretary’s management team.

Yet internally, I was still carrying insecurities from where I had come from.

One of the biggest was not having a formal college degree. I also had a difficult time reading or writing. For years, that created an imposter syndrome in me that I had to work very hard to overcome. I could walk into a room with experience, results and relationships behind me and still focus on the credential I did not have. Eventually, I had to stop defining my value by what I was missing and recognize what I had built through years of experience, continuous learning, hard work and a proven reputation for delivering results.

Before founding AvantGarde, I was part of the leadership team of a company in D.C., traveling back and forth from my hometown of Austin, Texas. I was bringing in millions of dollars a year in revenue and doing much of the sweat-equity work to build and grow the federal practice, but I wasn't an owner or partner. I wanted skin in the game.

The owner was a gracious man who had taken me under his wing and taught me valuable lessons about the private sector after I had spent much of my career in government. But as I learned the consulting business and grew the practice, a mentor of mine for over a decade challenged me: “Rebecca, what you are doing to grow his business you could do for yourself. Have you ever thought about asking him for partnership status or starting your own business?”

I hadn't thought about it until then.

When I approached the owner about ownership or partnership, he told me there was none to give, primarily because of the other partners involved. Ultimately, he understood it was not fair to hold me back and released me from my noncompete agreement so I could build something of my own.

That decision to leave a high-paying salary with a 401(k) and health benefits for zero salary to build something from the ground up changed the course of my life and, today, the lives of more than 120 people I have the opportunity and privilege to employ. It reinforced something my journey had already been teaching me: leadership is not about waiting for permission. Sometimes a door opens for you, and sometimes someone believes in you before you fully believe in yourself. But sometimes the opportunity you are looking for simply does not exist.

In those moments, you have to have the courage to build your own pathway.

That is what I did with AvantGarde.

What I See in Hispanic Entrepreneurs

When I look at the extraordinary growth of Hispanic entrepreneurship in America today, it is deeply personal because I recognize so much of that journey. I know firsthand the sacrifices, risks and determination required to build something from the ground up. We work hard. We have skin in the game. When we do not have a skill, we acquire it and learn it. When resources are limited, we learn to become resourceful.

The numbers reinforce what I see every day. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau demographic business-owner data available, approximately 496,000 Hispanic-owned employer firms operate in the United States and generate about $730.3 billion in annual receipts. Research released in January 2026 also found that Latinos accounted for 38.8% of overall U.S. business growth from 2007 to 2023.

Hispanic entrepreneurs are not simply a future opportunity for America. We are a present-day economic force helping shape America's growth and competitiveness. We are a force to be reckoned with!

What We Leave Behind

Hispanic Heritage Month is also a reminder to me that representation matters. I know what it feels like to walk into a room feeling underprepared or underqualified and wonder whether you belong there. When a young Hispanic woman sees someone who shares part of her story sitting at that table, leading an organization or building a business, the boundaries of what she believes is possible begin to change.

But representation has to become opportunity. It is not enough for us to make it into the room. We have to think about two crucial actions: first, who we are bringing with us, and second, taking our seat at the table of decision-making. I have been thankful and blessed to have earned my way to key tables making crucial-level decisions. With that seat comes a keen responsibility: paying it forward.

Someone invested in me. Someone mentored me. Someone opened a door. Someone believed I was capable of more. I know firsthand the transformative power of being seen, believed in and given an opportunity, and I believe those of us who have been blessed with success have a responsibility to do the same for others.

That belief is at the heart of Girls of Legacy, the signature Texas initiative I founded through the 501(c)(3) I co-own with my husband, David, LaunchPad. Girls of Legacy invests in young women from underserved communities through scholarships, mentorship and opportunities designed to help them build confidence, pursue their education and prepare for their futures. In year five of Girls of Legacy, our impact is clear: over $200,000 in scholarships granted to sixteen girls from inner-city Title I schools in Texas. Four of those girls have graduated from TX universities and are moving into their master’s programs, with several of the girls moving into careers to begin their industry journey. More than 60% of our girls are Latinas from my beloved community. I am honored to have championed their cause. Why? Because they are worth it!

Learn more about Girls of Legacy → RebeccaContreras.com/girlsoflegacy

I want the next generation of Hispanic and Latina leaders to know they do not have to change who they are to succeed. Their backgrounds are not liabilities. Their stories, experiences, faith, families and even the challenges they have overcome can become sources of strength when they learn to lead with confidence and purpose.

Never Let Where You Started Determine Where You Can Go

If there is one message I would want a young Hispanic professional or entrepreneur coming from humble beginnings to take from my story, it is this: never let where you started determine where you can go.

Invest in yourself before asking others to invest in you. Make learning a lifelong commitment. Seek mentors, education, experiences and relationships that expand what you are capable of doing. Do not wait for permission to lead when you see an opportunity to solve a problem or create value. Develop resilience before you need it, because there will be seasons that test you.

When I look back at my own life, I see a journey I never could have mapped out for myself. From a Lost Girl growing up in incredibly difficult circumstances, to serving in the White House and at the highest levels of our federal government, to becoming an entrepreneur and building AvantGarde, one lesson has repeated itself throughout every chapter:

Your beginning does not get to write your ending.

My faith grounded me. My family gave me something worth fighting for. Hardship taught me resilience. Opportunity changed my life. And the people who believed in me showed me why it matters to believe in someone else.

That is what Hispanic Heritage Month means to me. It is a celebration of where we come from, but it is also a reminder of where we can go, and of our responsibility to make the pathway wider for those coming behind us.

Dream beyond your circumstances. Bet on yourself. Lead with courage. Invest in people. And when you rise, absolutely don’t lose sight of your power to bring others with you.