Pueblo Leader Joins Mi Casa Board

Mi Casa is pleased to announce that Betty Martinez, small-business owner and community leader from Pueblo, has joined the board of directors. Betty was appointed to the Denver-based Mi Casa board of directors to represent the interests of Pueblo and the small business development programs Mi Casa offers to residents of southern Colorado.

In addition to her involvement with Mi Casa, Betty has served in various capacities for nearly a dozen community groups and charitable organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of Pueblo, the Pueblo Child Advocacy Center, the Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce, YWCA, and Girl Scouts. Betty is a Colorado Lottery Commissioner and the current president of the Pueblo chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, better known by its acronym LULAC.

Betty owns a real estate company in Pueblo, and as a Latina entrepreneur herself, Betty was attracted to Mi Casa’s mission to empower underserved entrepreneurs to start their own small businesses. “The programs at Mi Casa really struck a chord with me because I understand the struggles in developing a business,” Betty says. “I became involved with Mi Casa to help open doors for women, people of color and veterans to be successful with their businesses.”

Betty joined Mi Casa’s advisory council to assist with the entrepreneurial training and technical assistance programs offered in Pueblo. Betty frequently serves as a guest presenter to the classes, sharing her insight and encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams of self-employment and business ownership. “I tell them that they can do this and that they should ask for advice along the way because people are more willing offer counsel than they realize.”

Betty will be the voice of southern Colorado on Mi Casa’s 12-member board of directors that has traditionally been comprised of only Denver residents. Betty believes that Mi Casa’s southern Colorado programs are vital resources for small business development and local economic growth, and she wants to ensure the sustainability of Mi Casa’s presence in Pueblo. “It’s a different community environment here in Pueblo,” Betty says. “We might not have all the resources that are available in the bigger cities, but we are a close-knit community committed to economic success and empowerment through business, and I want the Denver board members have a better understanding of southern Colorado so that we can be involved in the decisions that affect us.”