Jennifer Lopez returned to her hometown of the Bronx, New York, to visit 20 female Latina entrepreneurs who have benefited from a partnership between Lopez and Grameen America, a charity focused on providing loan capital to low-income Latina business owners. The partnership aims to deploy $14 billion in loan capital to 600,000 such entrepreneurs in the United States by 2030.

During her visit, Lopez met with business owners like Lissette Mims, who received loan capital from Grameen America and fulfilled her dream of becoming an esthetician. Mims, now 54, owns Bella Shique Spa, where Lopez held her event. She expressed her passion for her business and emphasized that dreams are worthy at any age.

Latino-owned businesses often face challenges in obtaining loans from national banks, as highlighted by the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative’s 2022 State of Latino Entrepreneurship Report. Grameen America, founded by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus in 2008, is making a significant impact by providing financing, training, and education to women in poverty. The organization is projected to disburse an unprecedented $1 billion in loans to Latina women in a single year.

Lopez spoke to the women about the challenges they face in securing capital for their businesses, highlighting the importance of supporting Latina entrepreneurs. She also shared personal stories about her own family’s entrepreneurial spirit.

The women who have been supported through the program include owners of businesses ranging from florists to tire shops. Lopez’s mentorship and support have inspired them to keep pushing forward and not give up on their dreams.

In her message to the women, Lopez encouraged them to persevere and emphasized that success is achievable through determination and resilience. She urged them to keep putting one foot in front of the other and stay committed to their goals.