You chose to provide a short written description (up to 300 words) explaining how your organization makes an impact in the community.Empowering Latina Leaders in Arizona (ELLA) is a Phoenix-based nonprofit organization building economic opportunity for Latina entrepreneurs and their families across Arizona. Founded in 2018, ELLA has grown from a single pop-up market into an integrated ecosystem of three programs: Mujeres Mercado, Amor Collective, and Amor Amigas, that move women from first exposure to entrepreneurship all the way through to sustainable business ownership.
Amor Collective, ELLA's business incubator, gives Latina entrepreneurs a physical storefront, one-on-one coaching, and curriculum-based education on financing, legal compliance, and marketing. Since launching in August 2023, the program has supported over 165 businesses, delivered over 2,000 hours of coaching, and generated more than $841,900 in direct retail sales for its participants. Mujeres Mercado, ELLA's flagship marketplace program, runs monthly events that have driven over $1 million in documented economic impact for businesses since inception. Amor Amigas rounds out the model with community-building events that include dedicated financial literacy programming, helping women build knowledge and confidence to grow personal and business wealth.
Together, these programs have helped ELLA raise more than $400,000 to invest directly back into Latina-owned businesses and community programming. ELLA's work directly advances economic self-sufficiency and generational wealth-building in Arizona's Latina community, a population historically underserved by traditional financial and business-development institutions.
A partnership with Arizona Financial Credit Union’s Local Causes Grant Program would help ELLA deepen its financial education programming and expand access to capital for the entrepreneurs it serves, aligning directly with the credit union's commitment to community economic empowerment. This investment would strengthen a proven, locally rooted pipeline that turns first-time market vendors into sustainable, wealth-building business owners.
Social media handles@azellaorg
@mujeresmercado
@amorcollectiveaz
@amoramigas
@the_stephanie_vasquez