Rosy Aburto McDonough last week was named director of Colorado’s Minority Business Office. She will be responsible for promoting the interests of minority- and women-owned business statewide and will promote opportunities for small business and create strategic alliances with organizations that support the minority-business community.
McDonough is a native Spanish speaker who is fluent in English and able to speak some French and Mandarin. (Her children also speak Mandarin.) Her new job starts Aug. 3.
Q:
Why was it important for you to take this job?
A: My passion is to assist businesses and help them take their business to the next level. I have been working with small-business owners for years with the Small Business Development Center Network. With this (new) position, it will be more strategic, creating programs that will assist a wider variety of businesses. We can impact a higher number of businesses to obtain success, grow in their industry and become more visible within the mainstream economy.
Q: What are some of your key accomplishments that will help you in your new role?
A: I am an entrepreneur. I have had several businesses in the past. My main accomplishment as a financial entrepreneur was taking my business international and creating opportunities aboard. While working with the SBDC Network, I have seen many of my clients grow and go to the next level. That is an accomplishment that is done through hard work and strategic planning. Lately, I have been working a part of the Disaster Recovering Program for the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. We have successfully qualified and delivered grants (Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery) to businesses that were affected by disasters. That’s a great feeling to know that we are helping business become more sustainable and stronger after a great disaster.
Q: Why are you concerned with and dedicated to the success of minority-owned businesses?
A: I am a minority myself. I believe that sometimes you need to find the right guidance to navigate through the opportunities, and then businesses are able to act more on them. Basically that’s what I would to create: programs that would provide access for minority business into the mainstream economy.
Q: How has the Minority Business Center fared in its work so far?
A: Right now, (minority and women-owned businesses) are a part of the Colorado economy. But I believe there are a lot more opportunities.
Q: How will the experiences with owning your own business help you in your new role?
A: Tremendously. I understand and lived through the challenges of being a minority-business owner. I understand all of the different hats that an owner has to wear and the difficulties we face in different stages of the business. I am going to be using all of that experience to assist businesses to obtain more opportunities.
Q: Will being multilingual assist you?
A: Not always, but sometimes you find minority-owned businesses are owned by people that come from different cultural backgrounds. Just knowing the cultural background of a person allows you to assist them in a better way.
Tierra Smith: 303-954-1046, tsmith@denverpost.com or
