UTA College of Business Office of Access and Achievement and Hispanic Serving Institutions Initiatives Department host Latinas in Business event
The UTA Office of Access and Achievement partnered with the Hispanic Serving Institutions Initiatives Department to host a Latinas in Business event on March 24, 2025, to celebrate Women’s History Month. Held in conjunction with the College of Business’s Spring 2025 Business Week, the event provided business students with the opportunity to meet and learn from prominent Latina business owners and a distinguished faculty member from UTA.
The event opened with remarks from Jewel Washington, UTA Vice president of Talent, Culture, and Engagement, and featured a panel of faculty members and business owners including Dr. Lesley Regalado, Program Director for the UTA College of Business Master of Science in Human Resources Management Program and Clinical Associate Professor, Nancy Reza, Co-founder of Taqueria El Arquito, and Brittney Garcia-Dumas, Owner of BGD Digital Marketing.
During the panel, the panelists were asked a variety questions ranging from what motivated them to how their cultural experiences shaped their professional development.
Panelists for the UTA College of Business Latinas in Business event, Brittney Garcia-Dumas, Owner of BGD Marketing (Left), Dr. Lesley Regalado, Program Director for the UTA College of Business Master of Science in Human Resources and Clinical Associate Professor (Center), and Nancy Reza, Co-founder of Taqueria El Arquito (Right) answer questions during the event. (Photo by Jalen Larry)
The speakers also told their inspiring stories and gave the attendees words of affirmation to achieve their dreams.
“When I was in my first classroom, I knew it was the reason I was on this planet. I told myself that I wasn’t going to lose, and that I was going to make a difference. I feel like every night of my life, when I think back, I feel like I’ve lived up to that," said Dr. Lesley Regalado. “I’m so proud of all of my students. You’re here in college no matter your background, you’re here because you want to live a life of purpose and contribution.”
The event allowed for attendees to learn about these prominent women, their outlook on culture and business, and gain valuable information for starting their own businesses and finding success in the future.
“This event would not be possible without all of our internal partnerships and the Hispanic Serving Institutions Initiatives Department. Events like this are how we grow and build relationships together. We’re dedicated to creating spaces where everyone’s stories are not only heard, but celebrated,” said Philisa Stanford, UTA College of Business Director of Access and Achievement.
Events such as this allow UTA College of Business students to see themselves in positions of success and peek behind the curtain into the world of business ownership. Highlighting Latinas in business helps students see what is possible for their futures, including many first-generation college students.
Members of the Latinas in Business panel, The UTA College of Business Office of Access and Achievement, and Hispanic Serving Institutions Initiatives Department pose for a photo during the Latinas in Business event at the University of Texas at Arlington on March 24, 2025. (Photo by Jalen Larry)
