The Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project
Minority entrepreneurs always have played an integral role in El Paso’s business and economic growth. Often rising from humble beginnings, these passionate entrepreneurs relied on hard work and integrity to reach what some told them were unattainable heights.
The Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project, funded by the Kaufmann Foundation, identifies some of these prominent owners of minority-owned businesses and tells their stories of overcoming expectations to become successful role models. Project organizers hope the testimonials of the entrepreneurs listed below, including more than ten UTEP graduates, will inspire future business leaders.
Graduate and undergraduate students from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) are working with the University’s Institute of Oral History to seek out first-generation entrepreneurs who have had a minority-owned business for at least five years. In one-on-one interviews, the businessmen and women talk about growing up – often in poverty – to become business owners and community leaders.
The University of Texas at El Paso, The Kauffman Campus Initiative, the Cyber-ShARE Center of Excellence, and the Institute of Oral History invite you to listen to the personal accounts of successful entrepreneurs of the Paso del Norte region included in this collection. You can listen to the interviews by selecting an interviewee from the list below and using the player on the interview page. Alternatively you can download the mp3 file of the interview and listen to it using your favorite mp3 player.
Select Interviewee
- Alvarez, Armando
- Barcena, Juan
- Barragan, Hector
- Beltran, Moe
- Berg, Tanny
- Borrego, Alfredo
- Candelaria, Leroy
- Casillas, Carlos
- Castro, Richard
- Chavez, Alejandra
- Dorado, Fermin
- Gandara, Carlos
- Gandara, Teresa
- Guerra, Miguel
- Guerra, Ruben
- Guerra, Susan
- Guzman, Carlos
- Hernandez, Rick
- Hernando, Ray
- Holguin, Hector
- Holland-Brach, Patricia
- Kersh, Leigh
- Loya, Fred
- Martinez, Sylvia
- Miles, Rudolph
- Montes, Mario
- Morales, Edith
- Mulvihill, Cecilia
- Najera, Richard
- Napier, Nan
- Orrantia, Maria Antonietta
- Palacios, Raymond
- Peinado, Arnold
- Porras, Gary
- Rico, Antonio
- Rodriguez, Elma
- Rodriguez, Gustavo
- Romero, John
- Rosales, Joe Sr.
- Saenz, George
- Salazar-Harper, Mamie
- Santana, Rosa
- Silva, Basilio Jr.
- Torres, Robert
- Venegas, Oscar
- Vielledent, Jorge
- Villarreal, Rick
- Viramontes, Cesar
- Wardy, Lorainne
- Zacour, Paul
