CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — What started off as an idea to bring several women entrepreneurs together has now turned into a non-profit organization aimed at supporting one another in the region.
“A lot of them only had one or two people on their staff and they wanted to work together and collaborate and start to learn from one another,” Nikki Riojas, the founder of theWomen’s Entrepreneur Society, said.
The idea started back in 2017, when Riojas moved to the area wanting to connect with other women who were in the same position as her.
"I did what normal people do and stalked people on Instagram, to try to find them and from there we started connecting and then eventually it moved into an in-person group gathering,” she said.
The Women’s Entrepreneur Society of Corpus Christi also known as WES, has over one-hundred members.
Pam Chavez, the owner and operator of Sam and Louie’s Pizzeria on South Staples Street – is one of WES’s newest members.
“Navigating new waters and having a business is really scary,” Chavez said.
Chavez, a retired Army combat medic and certified holistic nutritionist, moved to Corpus Christi with her family two years ago.
“There is a lot of obstacles you have to overcome and it’s really nice to have people to open up too and talk to about that,” Chavez said.
The pizza parlor is a perfect fit for Chavez’s family and her long-term goals.
“I have three young boys and we eat a lot of pizza in our house at least once a week,” Chavez said.
Sam and Louie’s offering a variety of New York style pizza, including gluten free, dairy free and even vegan.
“I just decided it was time to take a leap and make my dreams start to come true and a pizzeria was what I landed on,” Chavez said.
WES will be hosting their second annual Women’s Leadership Conference on Wednesday Oct. 18 at the Ortiz Center.
The conference is open to all types of business professionals, which Chavez said will be the most exciting part for her.
“I think that is what’s the best part about it, you get to meet women at different stages of their business,” Chavez said.
To register for the conference, click here.
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