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Our Team

Administrative

Direct Community Investments Program

Small Business Programs

Housing Programs

Administrative

Marla Bilonick
Marla Bilonick
Executive Director and CEO

Marla Bilonick was named LEDC's Executive Director in 2014. As Executive Director, she leads LEDC's regional efforts to drive the economic and social advancement of low- to moderate-income Latinos and other D.C. and Baltimore area residents by equipping them with the skills and tools to achieve financial independence.

Prior, she worked for Seedco with businesses in Lower Manhattan affected by the 2001 attacks of 9/11 so that they could be retained and grow. As director of the Upper Manhattan Business Solutions Center, her team worked with entrepreneurs in Harlem to launch and expand businesses. With DAI, she worked on microfinance projects in Bolivia, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and her native Panama. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received her MA from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies-SAIS.

Marla is a former Aspen Institute Emerging Leaders in Microbusiness Fellow and is a graduate of the Citi/Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)'s Leadership Program for Opportunity Finance at Wharton. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the following organizations: National Association of Community Asset Builders-NALCAB; National Housing Trust’s ICE-Institute for Community Economics; League of Minority Voters; and the Opportunity Finance Network-OFN.

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David Bonilla
David Bonilla
Executive Assistant

David Bonilla is the Executive Assistant at LEDC. In that role, he manages the executive director's schedule, serves as a liaison to the board of directors, and facilitates board, leadership, and staff meetings. David comes to LEDC with vast experience in the nonprofit world, including fundraising, quality assurance, data entry, and facilities/operations. He is currently enrolled at the University of the District of Columbia. David was born in La Union, El Salvador, and currently resides in the Brightwood neighborhood of Washington, DC. When he's not working, David is advocating for the rights of tenants as the vice president of his tenant association.

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Isis Salmeron
Isis Salmeron
Director of Finance 

Isis Salmeron is LEDC’s Director of Finance. She is responsible for maximizing the return on financial assets by establishing financial policies, procedures, controls and reporting systems. Isis oversees cost and general accounting, accounts receivable/collection and payroll and risk management and ensures legal and regulatory compliance for all accounting and financial reporting functions. Isis has held different positions throughout her tenure at LEDC, having served as LEDC’s Lending Operations Manager and Senior Loan Officer, respectively. Isis holds a BA in Finance and Business Administration from the University of New Orleans, and a Master of Science in Finance from Johns Hopkins University. Originally from El Salvador, Isis has more than nine years of experience working with small businesses and low-income populations in the DC Metropolitan area.

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Sonia Castro-Maya
Sonia Castro-Maya
Accounting Manager

Sonia Castro is LEDC’s Accounting Manager with over 28 years of experience in accounting and finance, including 16 years of experience in her native Colombia where she was Director of Finance for Contactar, a leading economic development and microfinance organization. Sonia comes to LEDC with a strong background in finance and accounting. Working closely with the Director of Finance, Sonia is responsible for all areas relating to financial reporting and accounting. Prior to joining LEDC, Sonia worked for nine years as Accounting Manager at Centronia and DC Bilingual Public Charter School. Sonia received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Public Accounting from Marian University in Colombia and holds a certificate in Management and Administration.

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Eduwiges Arciniega
Eduwiges Arciniega
Senior Staff Accountant

Eduwiges Arciniega is LEDC’s Senior Staff Accountant. As part of the finance team, she is responsible for managing all financial and accounting transactions for the organization, including reporting, assisting in annual budget preparations, and managing grant resources. She brings over nine years of experience working with non-profit organizations in the areas of accounting and finance. Eduwiges holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) and a Master of Science in Accounting. Eduwiges enjoys listening to all types of music, traveling, doing outdoor activities, and meeting people from around the world.

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Emi Reyes
Emi Reyes
Chief of Operations, Risk, & Investments

A native of the Brightwood neighborhood in DC, Emi Reyes has years of involvement in the restaurant industry. Born into a family of Salvadoran immigrants who became restaurant owners, she has experienced firsthand the difficulties of owning and operating a small business. Prior to joining LEDC, she worked with restaurants in New England as well as the DC area. She has also worked throughout Central America with farmers and organizations looking to establish an eco-tourism co-op. Emi graduated from Bennington College in Vermont with a concentration in political science and foreign languages. After two years in the Small Business Lending Department, Emi joined the administrative team at LEDC as Chief of Operations, Risk, and Investments. Emi also serves as a member of the Mayor’s DC Food Policy Council.

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Majorie Nemes-Galarza
Marjorie Nemes-Galarza
Chief of Development & Strategy

Ms. Nemes comes to LEDC with over 17 years of experience in the community development field. As LEDC’s Chief of Development & Strategy, in partnership with the Executive Director/CEO, she oversees the sustainability and growth of the organization. Ms. Nemes is responsible for building and executing the organization’s development, communications, and evaluation plans; implementing information technology systems to support development, evaluation, and communications functions; managing funder relationships; monitoring government, foundation, and corporate reporting; and organizing special events. Prior to joining LEDC, Ms. Nemes’ work focused on assessing the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities and the programs designed to minimize the social inequities these communities face. She has directed, consulted, and supported research and evaluation projects related to immigrant and refugee integration, public health, community change processes (policy change, race, and ethnic relations, organizing, advocacy), and economic development. Ms. Nemes is bilingual and has extensive experience conducting field work with ethnic communities- gaining access and recruiting community members in the research process, and designing and administering culturally and linguistically appropriate data collection instruments. Having served as a research consultant to foundations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, Ms. Nemes is well versed in the program development and organizational capacity building. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland College Park in Psychology and a Master of Science in Cross-Cultural Psychology from Brunel University in London, England.

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Janmarie Pena
Janmarie Peña
Grants and Evaluation Manager

Janmarie is LEDC’s Grants and Evaluation Manager, where she supports efforts to strengthen funding for LEDC’s programs and evaluate their impact. Janmarie joins LEDC with a background developing and leading economic empowerment programs for underserved communities. Prior to joining LEDC, Janmarie led a financial coaching program in Arlington, VA for families impacted by homelessness and domestic violence. She also led an entrepreneurship program in New Haven and Bridgeport, CT, which focused on training, technical assistance, and microlending for family child care providers. Throughout her career, Janmarie has leveraged her knowledge of data analysis and evaluation to understand and strengthen direct service programs. Janmarie received her undergraduate and graduate degree in economics from the University of South Florida.

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Monica Martinez
Monica Martinez
Communications Manager

Monica is LEDC's Communications Manager. In that role, Monica manages the organization's communications and marketing efforts, including producing the organization's newsletter, assisting in the production of annual reports, writing press releases, managing the organization’s social media platforms, and overseeing department-wide marketing and advertisement efforts. She joined LEDC in 2018 as a Communications Associate. Prior, Monica worked as a Congressional Intern for the office of the late U.S. Congressman Elijah E. Cummings. Monica is a magna cum laude graduate of Bowie State University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Communication. There, she worked with other students to launch WOKE Magazine, which delivers social justice news and views to HBCU students. In May 2019, Monica received a Master of Arts in Communication from Johns Hopkins University.   

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Brittany Jackson
Brittany Jackson
Human Resources Manager

Brittany is LEDC’s Human Resources Manager with over a decade of experience in employer branding, employee engagement, and benefits administration. Brittany manages LEDC’s day-to-day HR functions, including onboarding and policy implementation and improvement. Brittany previously lived in Atlanta, Georgia where she obtained vast experience and knowledge in HR while studying at Clark Atlanta University. She is an advocate for radical justice, ending homelessness, and supporting small businesses owned by minorities. When she is not on the clock, she is either on a plane to somewhere new, back to Atlanta or screaming at the top of her lungs on 400-foot drop rollercoasters. An avid book lover and writer, her interests include critiquing movie angles, water sports, creative writing for television and traveling. She plans to see 10 new countries before 2023.

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Direct Community Investments Program

Laura Bentley
Laura Bentley
Direct Community Investments Program Manager

As Manager of the Direct Community Investments Program, Laura coordinates various privately and publicly funded grant programs, facilitating the processing and disbursement of grant awards. Prior to the creation of the Program, Laura supported business owners as a Coach with LEDC's Small Business Development department.

Passionate about entrepreneurship as a catalyst for social change, she was previously involved with organizations such as the Barcelona-based AFAEMME and the Boston-based Center for Women & Enterprise, which assist women in business to grow their companies and realize their full potential. She is excited to support the LEDC community through financial assistance initiatives with the Direct Community Investments Program. A Boston native, Laura holds a B.A. from Connecticut College in Economics and Hispanic Studies.

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Ellie Owen
Helen (Ellie) Owen
Direct Community Investments Clerk

Ellie is the Direct Community Investments Clerk at LEDC. In this role, she collects and processes documentation to facilitate the disbursement of grants to small businesses. Passionate about resource access as a tool for empowerment, Ellie has previously worked as an intern with Ayuda’s Language Access Program as well as with the Scholars’ Latino Initiative in Richmond, VA. She has prior experience serving small businesses with Think Local First DC. Born in Atlanta, GA, Ellie graduated summa cum laude from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and a concentration in Development. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, journaling, and painting.

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Small Business Programs

Omar Velasco
Omar Velasco
Director of Small Business Development and Lending

As LEDC’s Director or Small Business Development and Lending, Omar brings over a decade of experience in business development and entrepreneurship, and over three years of experience in consumer and small business loans, to the organization. As a business advisor, he has provided business consultancy and technical assistance to more than 200 entrepreneurs and business owners. His main areas of expertise are financial analysis, business modeling, and digital marketing. Throughout his career at LEDC, he has helped small businesses in all stages of growth, including providing small business advice, pre-loan technical assistance, underwriting, and credit analysis. Omar is an Industrial Engineer with a master’s in process optimization from the Industrial University of Santander.

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Lending

Susana Gómez Portugal Monroy
Susana Gómez Portugal Monroy
Loan Portfolio Manager

Susana is LEDC’s Loan Portfolio Manager. She oversees the liquidity of LEDC’s loan funds, supervises the lending program financial operations, and manages relationships with banks and clients. Before becoming the Loan Portfolio Manager, Susana worked as a Loan Officer and Underwriter for LEDC. Susana is a professional with international experience and exposure in Forbes 500 Companies (Mattel and Johnson & Johnson) who has transitioned to the nonprofit sector. She loves to work in diverse cultures contributing to empowering communities to create sustainable, positive feedback loops. Prior to joining LEDC, she worked at Conexion, a small non-profit organization based in Boston focused on empowering Latino professionals in corporate positions, while also working as a Microfinance and Fintech collaborator at Accion East. Susana holds a BA in Accounting with a Specialization in Taxes. She also holds an MBA and a master's in International Marketing from Hult International Business School, as well as a Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate from Georgetown University. Susana speaks Spanish, English, and French. She enjoys learning, traveling and meeting people from different cultures.

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Daniel Friedman
Daniel Friedman
Loan Operations Manager

Daniel was born in Takoma Park, MD, and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in Spanish Language, Literatures, and Cultures. At LEDC, Daniel has worked in both the Small Business Development and Small Business Lending Programs. In his current role as Loan Operations Manager, his responsibilities include supervising loan officers, implementing underwriting policies, developing new loan products, and more. On the weekend, you can find Daniel working for Twin Springs Fruit Farm at local farm markets, a part-time job he has held since high school.

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Zara Cabrera
Zara Cabrera
Senior Loan Portfolio Supervisor

Ms. Cabrera is currently the Portfolio & Data Administrator for LEDC. As Portfolio & Data Administrator, Zara performs functions of sending invoices, collecting and processing payments, perfecting collateral, calling clients, organizing and maintaining client files, and tracking and reporting key performance indicators. Zara manages LEDC’s loan tracking software and provides regular reports to the manager of our lending program on the performance of the portfolio. Zara started with LEDC as an Administrative Assistant and was soon promoted to her position as Portfolio & Data Administrator in August 2014. Zara's previous work experience includes working as an administrative assistant at H&R Block and Rosemount Center.

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Ana Guzman
Ana Guzman
Loan Portfolio Clerk & Customer Representative

Ana was born and raised in DC. Her parents are from El Salvador. Before joining LEDC as the Loan Portfolio Clerk & Customer Representative for the lending team, Ana worked for a telecommunications company where she provided tech support to small businesses and individuals. She graduated from Bell Multicultural High School in the Columbia Heights neighborhood and attended the University of the District of Columbia.

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Carlos Brown
Carlos Brown
Loan Officer and Underwriter, DC

Carlos is a Loan Officer and Underwriter for the DC market. His role is to help generate leads and build relationships with new and existing clients, as well as to help small businesses with the loan application process. He also supports the lending team with outreach initiatives in the DMV area. Carlos has worked in the interpreter, casino, recruiting, and aerospace industries. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in International Studies. Carlos was born in Mexico but moved to Florida at a young age.

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Oscar Guillen
Oscar Guillen
Loan Officer and Underwriter, DC

Oscar Guillen is a Loan Officer and Underwriter with LEDC in Washington, DC. He is originally from Nicaragua and has lived in the Silver Spring area for most of his life. He has experience in banking, hospitality, retail, and telecommunications. Before joining LEDC, he worked at AT&T for over 12 years as a Senior Sales/Business Consultant managing client accounts. Oscar graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. His interests include sports, music, art, technology, and spending time with his family.

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Carlos Garcia Rada
Carlos Garcia Rada
Senior Loan Officer and Underwriter, MD

Carlos Garcia is a Small Business Lending Officer with LEDC. He has developed a solid reputation for excellent client service and customized financing solutions. He works out of LEDC’s Montgomery County hub in Wheaton, Maryland. Prior to working at LEDC, Carlos cultivated a career in financial service providers in the private sector, working for entities including SunTrust Bank where he served as a Business Relationship Manager. He also worked for banks in his native Peru, including Banco Santander and Banco Solventa in the areas of marketing and sales. There he developed, launched, and grew critical brands and products for those respective banks. Carlos holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Lima in Lima, Peru.

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Rene Llanes
Rene Llanes
Loan Officer and Underwriter, MD

Rene Llanes is a Small Business Loan Officer and Underwriter with LEDC in Wheaton, Maryland. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Miami, Florida, where he worked in retail at Florsheim for over 15 years. He also has experience in the hospitality industry, specifically in food service where he was a restaurant manager. In 2017, Rene relocated to Maryland where he worked as a banker for Bank of America in Washington, DC. He is a graduate of Grand Canyon University, with a B.S. in Business Management. His interests include sports, music, cooking, working out, and family time.

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Antonio Tabora
Antonio Tabora
Senior Loan Officer and SBA Specialist, Baltimore

Antonio Tabora is a Senior Loan Officer and SBA Specialist with LEDC in the Baltimore area. Born and raised in Honduras, he graduated from the University of San Pedro Sula with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and recently completed an MBA in Finance at Loyola University Maryland. Antonio has accrued seven years of management experience across several industries including air transportation, corporate banking, and most recently electronics retailing. As a lending officer for FICOHSA Honduras, he sourced, developed, and materialized leads to sell financial products and online banking services for prospective clients in the middle market and corporate business communities. As a country manager for Samsung Electronics LATAM, he was responsible for increasing country revenue by developing sales and marketing/retail strategies, which included business development, retailer and vendor relationship management, and team leadership. Antonio has always had a passion for helping and empowering underserved communities outside of work. As a teenager, he was an active church youth leader and supported several charities and volunteering initiatives. Most recently, he was involved in volunteering through Notre Dame of Maryland University by supporting charities like My Sister’s Place Women’s Center, Earl’s Place Transitional Housing, and Habitat for Humanity Restore. His interests include technology, securities and investment research, family and fitness.

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Juan Zabala
Juan Zabala
Small Business Coach and Loan Officer, Arlington

Juan is the Small Business Coach and Loan Officer in the Arlington, Virginia market. In his role, he works with small business owners to advise them on growth strategies and assist them in accessing capital. Juan was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania. Having grown up in his family's bodega, he is familiar with small businesses. He credits his passion for giving back to the Latinx community to a Latina woman who assisted with his father's first business plan, which got him funding to open his first business. He hopes to do for others what was done for his family. He attended Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics. After college, he opened up a family restaurant and worked as a real estate agent and entrepreneur. He served on multiple boards and authorities in his hometown. He was the Vice- Chairman of the Reading Redevelopment Authority, Treasurer of the Berks County Latino Chamber of Commerce, and a board member of Neighborhood Housing Services. He is currently pursuing his master's in real estate from Georgetown University.

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Ellie Owen
Brian Rivera Santana
Senior Loan Officer and Underwriter, PR

As a Senior Small Business Loan Officer and Underwriter in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Brian generates a constant inflow of new lending clients and underwrites small business loan transactions. Before joining the team, Brian worked as an Attorney Advisor for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), authorizing deeds for disaster survivor secured loans. Brian holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree with a concentration in Finance from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and a Juris Doctor from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law. In his free time, Brian enjoys watching movies, going mountain biking, exploring new local restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

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Small Business Development

Karla Posada
Karla Posada
Program Manager, Small Business Development

Karla Posada joined LEDC as Small Business Coach for Washington, DC. Now, in her current role as Program Manager for the Small Business Development program, she leads a team of coaches in planning and implementing program activities in DC, Arlington, VA, and Baltimore, MD. This includes support for business registration and licensing, obtaining qualifying certifications, marketing, and sales strategies, operations improvements, and facilitating access to capital. Prior to joining LEDC, Karla was a Senior Operations Manager of a chain of retail hardware stores, as well as a small business owner herself. With more than 15 years of experience in the private-sector retail, apparel and fuel industries, she has insight into many of the common challenges faced by business owners. Karla has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Matias Delgado University in San Salvador and a master’s degree in International Commerce from the University of Alicante, Spain. Karla is bilingual in English and Spanish.

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Sergio Von Horoch
Sergio Von Horoch
Small Business Intake Coordinator

Sergio is LEDC’s Small Business Intake Coordinator. Sergio graduated from the University of Maryland with a master's in Applied Economics with a specialization in developmental economics. Before joining LEDC, Sergio worked as an intern at the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and as a Global Meeting Services Analyst at the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). Having moved to the DMV area at a young age, Sergio is passionate about helping the underserved communities in the region. As a member of LEDC, he is eager to keep working towards a better future for our community.

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J.B. Behrens
J.B. Behrens
Senior Small Business Coach & Liaison, DC

J.B. joined LEDC in 2020 after 14+ years of managing operations for a furniture manufacturer based in Fairfax, VA. J.B. is excited to be part of the LEDC team to help entrepreneurs in DC reach their goals. Prior to his years in furniture, J.B. worked in restaurants and law firms in DC and software marketing in Scotland. J.B.’s undergraduate studies were done at the University of Pittsburgh and the Universidad Laica Vincente Roca Fuerte (Guayaquil, Ecuador). J.B. next studied International Business at the University of Stirling in Scotland. J.B. enjoys organic gardening, cooking, and traveling.

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Natalia Arbelaez
Natalia Arbelaez
Senior Small Business Coach, DC

Natalia joined the LEDC Team in the summer of 2020 as a Senior Small Business Coach. Originally from Colombia, Natalia has been living in the US for 12 years creating opportunities for herself as an entrepreneur. From baking services to a group of indoor playgrounds in the DC area, she has lived the ins and outs of the entrepreneurial life. She is excited to support the Small Business team by helping small business owners bring their business ideas from plan to action. Natalia is a business major from the CESA college in Bogota Colombia and her experience includes working for the Coca-Cola Company’s marketing department in Colombia, and as a terrorism reinsurance broker for Willis Towers Watson in London prior to moving to the US.

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Javier Sanchez
Javier Sanchez
Small Business Coach & Liaison, DC 

Javier plays a key role in LEDC’s Resilient Business Corridor project in Wards 7&8 in Washington, DC. He works with small business owners in the field to evaluate their business needs and long-term goals and connects them with expert consultants in areas such as bookkeeping and marketing. In this capacity, he’s also able to assist small businesses in accessing DC government incentives and assistance through programs including the DMPED Great Streets grant and CBE certification offered by DSLBD. Javi Sanchez has an extensive range of talents and experience from a variety of positions in the fashion and eCommerce world in New York City serving multiple hats from fashion marketing to logistical roles. He was instrumental in helping launch the first-ever online men’s brand for 5’8” and below; Peter Manning NYC as an early operator on the ground floor of this successful men’s brand serving an underserved niche in the retail space. Javi served in the United States Navy from 2000 to 2007 onboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and on the 4-star general’s staff of US Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, VA. He also runs a boutique consultancy experienced in the branding, communications, marketing, and the business development for e-commerce fashion & lifestyle brands.

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Richard Kanegusuku
Richard Kanegusuku
Small Business Coach, DC

Peru native, Richard Kanegusuku, is a small business coach at LEDC. Richard comes from a family of entrepreneurs that date back to his Japanese grandparents. After moving on from the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)—his previous employer—he decided to help his family expand their restaurant business. As a previous small business owner, Richard can understand the challenges that business owners face with their daily operations. For this reason, he is honored to help all the entrepreneurs who walk through LEDC’s doors achieve their visions for their businesses. He hopes that through his role at LEDC he can have a positive impact on the communities that rely on these small businesses. Richard recently graduated from the MBA program at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. When not working, you can find him catching up with family and friends, cooking, playing soccer, or participating in spontaneous karaoke sessions.

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Maria Godoy
Maria Godoy
Senior Small Business Coach & Trainer, MD

Maria Godoy joined the team in November 2010. As a small business coach, Maria helps entrepreneurs start or expand their businesses in the Washington metropolitan area by providing them with the tools and resources to address their business needs. Maria served in other capacities focused on economic development within the organization prior to transitioning to the small business team. The skills and operational knowledge she has gained throughout the years in economic development have built her professional experience. Now more than ever, she is able to help minority-owned small businesses and women-owned businesses reach their overall operational goals.

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Maria Martinez
Maria Martinez
Senior Small Business Coach & Liaison, Baltimore

Maria Martinez is a Senior Small Business Coach at LEDC. She provides one-on-one advising to existing and aspiring small businesses, conducts training sessions, and does community outreach. She is passionate about providing information to underserved populations. Maria graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in Liberal Arts and Criminal Justice. Prior to joining LEDC, she gained non-profit experience from working as an associate broker, at Homewise Inc. in Santa Fe, NM. There, she was responsible for conducting trainings for successful homeownership, and guiding clients through the process of purchasing a home. She has extensive managerial, marketing/community outreach, event planning, instructional, and financial/regulatory experience in financial and public sector organizations. When Maria is not working, she enjoys hiking, horseback riding, motorcycle riding, traveling, and going out to eat.

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Carlos Velasquez
Carlos Velasquez
Small Business Coach, Baltimore

Carlos is a Small Business Coach for the Baltimore County and Baltimore City market at LEDC. As a business coach, he assists business owners, and individuals that want to start a business, with financial planning, business development, licensing and registration, or other areas of improvement and opportunity. Prior to joining LEDC, he worked in operations for La Clinica Del Pueblo, a non-profit in DC. With a degree in Business Management and Administration, he has worked as a controller and financial analyst in the private sector. He joined LEDC so he could follow his passion of serving the Latinx community across the area. In his free time, he enjoys biking, camping, running, and spending time outdoors with his wife, baby Matias, and his dog Sullivan. An interesting hobby of Carlos' is he also brews his own kombucha.

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Resilient Business Corridors

Javier Rivas
Javier Rivas
Program Manager, MD

Javier Rivas joined LEDC in February 2019. Having owned and operated two businesses in Washington, DC, he comes to the Business Resilience Program with a wealth of entrepreneurship experience, ready to bring support to business owners facing challenges resulting from the rapid development and growth in the greater DMV area. As a self-taught owner of two coffee shops, he enjoyed the process of learning a craft, tackling problems and constantly finding more efficient ways of achieving his goals. More than anything, he is proud of having been able to serve his community, making long-lasting connections, and helping his employees gain confidence, vocational training, and personal growth. He spent his childhood in El Salvador and has been a resident of the DMV area since 1989. Javier holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Virginia.

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Alexandra Samaniego
Alexandra Samaniego
Small Business Coach & Liaison, MD

Alexandra Samaniego brings several years of experience in business and economic development to LEDC from her work in Ecuador, where she is originally from. There, she founded and managed a handcrafts store helping indigenous communities sell their work. Alexandra also worked with the Bank of Ecuador, helping small businesses improve their finances and access low-interest loans. Alexandra is inspired to work with entrepreneurs to help them to achieve their goals. She holds a certificate in Project Management from UMUC and a BA in International Business from Ecuador. She lives in the DC metro area with her husband and 2 boys.

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Melissa Romero
Melissa Romero
Small Business Coach & Liaison, MD

Melissa joined the LEDC team and took on the role of Small Business Coach & Liaison in 2019 with the mission to make a greater positive impact in her community. Melissa grew up in the small historic town of Takoma Park, MD. She is a business graduate from the University of Maryland where she earned her degree in Supply Chain Management. Since graduating, Melissa has taken on roles in various areas of business including marketing and sales, business development, and accounting. She is passionate about helping her community and chose LEDC because it allowed her to fulfill her self-imposed civic duty while also allowing her to continue building on her business knowledge and experience. When she is not tending to her professional and civic duties, she likes to play sports, dance bachata, and hike.

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Empowered Women International (EWI)

Alexandra Boycheck
Alexandra Boycheck
Regional Program Manager

Originally from Romania, Alexandra came to the United States in 2012 to pursue her dream since childhood, to live and study in the big apple, New York. She studied at the Spanish American Institute in New York City and after moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandra has been an integral part of Empowered Women International’s growth and development over the past five years. From volunteer to intern to student to Program Manager to her latest role as Regional Program Manager of Women's Empowerment Programs with the Latino Economic Development Center. Her experience in these various positions gives her a deep understanding of the nuances of EWI programs and allows her to respond to the needs of our clients with agility and grace. As a manager, Alexandra cares deeply about her staff and works hard to provide a good balance of direction and freedom to innovate.

Alexandra is a graduate of Babes- Bolyai University in Cluj- Napoca, Romania, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and later her Master of Arts degree in Advertising. Her passion for being engaged in the work of a non-profit organization started when she was in college. She managed the Strategic Planning Department of her student marketing organization, ASM (Association of Marketing Students), which included training and team building. Her experience with the organization left a strong impression on her and developed her leadership skills.

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Nicole Andonie
Nicole Andonie
Regional Program Coordinator

Nicole Andonie is a bilingual professional with more than 10 years of experience in U.S. & Latin American Markets. Having lived and worked abroad in Honduras for 6 years, Nicole is excited to leverage that experience and help Latina/o/x small business owners in the DC Metro Area. She holds an MBA from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Spain and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Johnson & Wales University. Nicole considers herself a lifetime learner and is passionate about personal growth, Latinx and women’s issues.

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Housing

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Walda Yon
Walda Yon
Chief Housing Programs Officer

Walda Yon has 13 years of experience working at the Latino Economic Development Center. Prior to working with LEDC, Walda worked with various nonprofit organizations in the DC area such as Carlos Rosario International Career Center & Public Charter School. Originally from Guatemala, Walda came to the U.S. in 2000 with solid work experience in procurement at one of the leading sugar refineries in the country. Walda started her career at LEDC as a housing counselor focusing on foreclosure, pre-purchase, and financial education. After 8 years of working in this position, she was promoted to Housing Counseling Manager overseeing all of these programs. She holds multiple certifications from NeighborWorks and NCLR in topics related to Housing Counseling, Foreclosure Prevention, and Financial Capability. Walda attended the Business Administration School at the Mariano Galvez University in Guatemala. Her most recent accomplishment at LEDC was her promotion to Chief Housing Programs Officer in 2018.

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Housing Counseling

Katherine Canales
Katherine Canales
Housing Education & Financial Empowerment Manager

Katherine joined LEDC in September 2014. She is of Ecuadorian and Salvadorian descent. A recent graduate of Trinity Washington University, Katherine majored in International Affairs, concentrating on global migration, and minoring in Spanish and Latin American Studies. Having demonstrated academic excellence by graduating with several honors she was inducted into three honor society chapters: Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Alpha Theta, and Sigma Iota Rho. Katherine believes that her customer service work experience and education has helped her develop outstanding interpersonal communication skills and cultural sensitivity, which aids her in helping create financial independence for LEDC's clients.

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Angelica Rufino
Angelica Rufino
Housing Counseling Program Manager, DC

Angelica Rufino comes to LEDC with almost 7 years of nonprofit experience, having spent the last 5 years working in the housing counseling industry in Washington DC. She is a native Washingtonian of Dominican heritage. She is a certified housing counselor with experience in homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention, and credit counseling. Before becoming a housing counselor, she was an intake specialist helping the public know about the various programs available for the community in DC. She was also a former member of the LEDC family as a receptionist, where she was introduced to the housing counseling field and all the housing programs in DC.

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Maria Rosa
Maria Rosa Jimenez
Housing Counselor, DC

Maria has 15 years of experience working in the nonprofit area in Washington, DC. Her experience includes outreach, housing, and tenant organizing. She holds a Bachelor's in Communications and Photography from the Ibero University in Puebla, Mexico. Maria is very excited to be part of LEDC and to support immigrant families to live in decent and safe housing.

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Fernando Martinez
Fernando Martinez
Housing Counseling Coordinator, MD

Fernando Martínez was born and raised in Colombia and is now a resident of DC. He graduated from Javeriana University in Colombia and received an MBA from Strayer University in DC. He has three years of experience in property management and 11 years in the banking sector working as a personal banker at Citibank. During these years he has been very involved with the Hispanic community and other minorities by helping them with their basic personal financial planning, covering aspects such as starting credit history in the US, budgeting, and savings, guiding them to avoid bad debt and use good debt to create wealth for them and their families. He is enthusiastic about helping the community with educational initiatives that will end up improving their quality of life.

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Karen Torrico
Karen Torrico
Bilingual Housing Counselor, MD

A first-generation native of the District, Karen has spent the last 6 years providing Housing and Financial Counseling to low-to-moderate income individuals in the metro area. She joined LEDC in March 2019 to contribute to the Housing Team and continue working to empower people and communities. Karen brings over 15 years of nonprofit and government contract experience, where her roles allowed her to wear many hats in credit-building loan development, graphics and web design, communications, marketing, and outreach. She also established her own events production businesses and produced festivals that promoted culture, music, sports, and community. Her dedication to the community runs in the family, and she finds inspiration from her parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Bolivia and were able to establish successful careers while teaching a dedication to help others along the way. Her Housing Counseling certifications include Pre-Purchase, Post-Purchase, and Financial Capability Counseling from NCHEC - NeighborWorks America. An origami enthusiast, seeker of nature, travel, and adventures, she also converses in 3 languages and hopes to add to the list.

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Glenda Schulz
Glenda Schulz
Senior Housing Counselor, Baltimore

Glenda Schulz is the Senior Housing Counselor at LEDC. Originally from Honduras, she immigrated to the United States almost 20 years ago. Prior to joining the housing counseling team, she worked in a variety of industries including healthcare administration, Hispanic AIDS education, and real estate. While working as a real estate agent, she found her true calling of helping others achieve their American dream through homeownership. This brought her to LEDC, where, as the Certified Housing Counselor, she has assisted many clients in successfully achieving their goal of becoming homeowners. In addition, Glenda has counseled many homeowners who have faced financial challenges such as foreclosure and has guided them through rebuilding their finances. In her free time, she can be found spending time with her husband and two daughters, working as a certified event designer and planner, and enjoying anything that is arts and crafts related.

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AHOME

Karen Serfis
Karen Serfis
Program Manager, VA

For over twenty years, Karen Serfis has worked to increase homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate- income households who wish to purchase their first home in Arlington and our surrounding communities. She teaches Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) homebuyer education classes and provides pre-purchase, post-purchase and foreclosure prevention counseling.

Karen is a member of VHDA’s Homeownership Advisory Board and a co-chair of Arlington County’s Homeownership Working Group. In 2007 and 2008 she served on Governor Kaine’s Virginia Foreclosure Prevention Task Force. In May 2004 she received an Award of Excellence from the Virginia Association of Housing Counselors. Karen is a graduate of James Madison University where she received a BBA in International Business. Karen is a certified housing counselor and has earned NeighborWorks NCHEC certifications in Homeownership Education and Counseling, Pre-Purchase Homeownership Education, Post-Purchase Homeownership Education, Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling, Financial Capability, and Homeownership Counseling for Program Managers and Executive Directors. Prior to working with first time home buyers, Karen worked in the banking industry for eight years.

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Affordable Housing Preservation

Veronica Mosqueda
Veronica Mosqueda
Senior Organizer and Program Oversight Lead, DC

Veronica joined LEDC as a Bilingual Tenant Organizer in 2018. She has five years of related professional experience and a lifelong passion for justice and public service. Her experience ranges from advocating for and working with children, at-risk youth in the foster care system, immigrant and bilingual communities, and teen parents. She has served as case manager for young adults in homeless and housing services, educated and advocated for suicide prevention organizations, developed support groups in high schools in Austin Independent School District, fought for immigrant rights and against anti-sanctuary practices in Austin, TX, and collaborated in implementing a drop-in center for survivors of human trafficking.

Veronica is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico and grew up in Texas. She is a graduate of the University of North Texas where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, English Literature, and Spanish.

As an immigrant and someone with lived experience navigating the challenges the community faces, she is aware of the power of representation in building trust and rapport, and most importantly, in understanding the specific needs of a population. She is proud to be part of a team that advocates for city-wide policies that reflect the needs of the community and empowers tenant associations to exercise their rights to preserve and improve their affordable housing.

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Citali Velasquez
Citlalli Velasquez
Senior Organizer and Organizing Lead, DC

Citlalli Velasquez joined LEDC as a VISTA bilingual tenant organizer in 2017. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2017 studying Arabic and Philosophy and has since stayed in DC. While at Georgetown she organized with students to make Georgetown a “sanctuary” campus and establish an affinity space for Latinx students. Citlalli’s upbringing in East Los Angeles and exchange years in Egypt and Jordan fueled her to fight for justice through an anti-imperial lense as she realized that the current and historical state of people of color in the U.S. is parallel to those in historically colonized countries. Citlalli strongly believes justice should be sought through a racialized lens because imperial and colonial violence is and has been racialized. She looks forward to building power with Section 8 tenants to challenge our institutions and ourselves by demanding better housing conditions in order to live and thrive in healthier communities.

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Victoria Goncalve
Victoria Gonçalves
Senior Organizer and Campaigns Lead, DC

Victoria Gonçalves was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Miami, Florida where she became engaged in local politics from an early age. She has lived in DC for the last 6 years where she graduated from George Washington University as a political science major in 2017. In her undergraduate career, she was heavily involved in the Latinx and queer communities which she helped organize around political and campus issues. She is passionate about organizing for justice, most recently organizing in solidarity with farmworkers through the Student/Farmworker Alliance. Victoria Joined the Affordable Housing Preservation team in March of 2018 and is excited to continue to help tenants exercise their rights, take collective action and advocate for affordable housing.

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Lauren Taylor
Lauren Taylor
Bilingual Tenant Organizer, DC

Lauren Taylor (LT) joined the affordable housing team in May 2020 as a bilingual tenant organizer. Originally from Indianapolis, LT has over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including harm reduction, reentry support and advocacy, and gender violence prevention. Outside of paid work, they are active in movements to end mass incarceration, detention and deportation. LT studied history and political science at Indiana University, Bloomington. When they’re not in a meeting, they enjoy listening to podcasts, cooking, walking their dogs, or catching up with friends.

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