PHOENIX —
A Phoenix woman has inspired other Latina women to reach for their professional and personal goals and find success.
Linda Mazon Gutierrez was destined to be a leader from the start, inspired by the strong women in her family before her.
"It was my great-grandmother who had no formal education whatsoever who, was the leader of this huge Portillo Family and said this is what we're going to do," Gutierrez said.
It was Gutierrez’s great-grandmother who made the decision to pack the family up, leave Mexico and head to the United States for a better life and opportunities.
Those opportunities started for Gutierrez her junior year at St. Mary's Catholic High School. She was one of only three asked to participate in the City of Phoenix’s Mayor’s Youth Commission, an opportunity for young people to work with city leaders.
"I thought to myself, 'Oh my goodness, I'm here playing with the big boys and big girls and they want to hear what we have to say',” Gutierrez said.
And those opportunities kept coming. And little did she know an invitation she received in her 20s would flourish into one of her biggest opportunities.
She was offered a chance to work with the Hispanic Women's Corporation by then-president and founder Nancy Jordan.
"As the years went on Nancy said 'You know what? Now it's your turn. We will support you, but it's your turn to take the reins and to carry through the leadership'," Gutierrez said.
From 1998 until just recently Gutierrez served as president of the Hispanic Women's Corporation.
The organization helps bring thousands of young women together, educating them on leadership roles, business and providing scholarships. They even hold conferences.
"The leadership of the organization had to demonstrate to Latina women they indeed have the power to rule the world," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez said it was not an easy task. She said she remembers one of her most challenging moments was during 9/11.
The conference was set to take place two weeks later and she had to figure out the right way to proceed, eventually deciding the conference had to happen.
"You think to yourself, 'where can you be of service? what serves the greater good?' And that was the intent of being able to go forward and bring people together to discuss it, to see how they can help out and it was the largest sense of community, I have to tell you, that I have ever felt to date,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez is the definition of a changemaker, helping many other Latina women in the Valley find their own success stories by lending a helping hand through her work at Hispanic Women's Corporation.
She said she believes women have great power and influence, just like her great-grandmother.
“Sometimes when I question myself her nickname, we call her mama Lena, Mama Lena did that, so if she can do that, I can do this which is nothing in comparison,” Gutierrez said.