Alyssa Rizo
Vice President, Development Officer with Commercial Bank of California, where she focuses on client acquisition and retention. Through her work, she is dedicated to securing the financial foundations for businesses to scale. She is also President of the National Latina Business Women Association and is involved with various other nonprofits. Alyssa received her B.A. at UCLA and her M.A. from USC.
Q: Tell us about your role in NLBWA? “I am serving as current President of the Board of Directors. Our mission is to promote the rapid growth of Latina entrepreneurs and corporate professionals. Latinas serve a vital role in our economy by opening businesses at a faster rate than any demographic and our purchasing power is over $1.4 billion, yet we have not reached parity with our non-Latina counterparts in terms of revenues per business and senior leadership roles. As an organization, it is our mission to accelerate closing these gaps.”
Q: What has been your biggest success story? “I was a part of a board initiative turned key growth strategy to build the Latino market for a Fortune 100 company. At the time we knew the importance of the Latino consumer but had no idea the power we had. Fast forward 10 years later, the Latino consumer encompassed over 30% of new business for the organization. It was incredibly powerful to be part of a team that blew away misconceptions about our community and brought to light our power.”
Q: What was your biggest obstacle to overcome? “Professionally, overcoming the barriers for entry and navigating my career was difficult. I am fortunate that my parents instilled the importance of education. As a first-generation graduate and professional, I did not have the initial resources. I had to learn to be nimble and take on stretch projects.”
Q: How can women become more empowered? “Don’t wait for someone to empower you, rather own your power. Next, find your advocates. People are willing to help, but you need to be bold for the ask and follow through!”
