By Karlha Velásquez Rivas
Alejandra Jiménez works with the Greater Omaha Chamber, where she helps entrepreneurs find training, support, and new ways to grow their businesses.
Alejandra Jiménez knows that starting a business takes more than a good idea. For many people, especially in the Latino community, the hard part is also learning how permits, contracts, taxes, business plans, and other steps actually work.
Jiménez is the Director of Small and Emerging Business Development at the Greater Omaha Chamber. She is also part of REACH, a program that supports small and emerging businesses in Omaha, especially in construction and professional services.
REACH offers education, technical assistance, mentoring, and community connections. The goal is to help entrepreneurs grow their capacity, build stronger teams, and get ready to compete for contracts. According to the Greater Omaha Chamber, the program has supported more than 700 businesses since 2015.
For Jiménez, the work is personal too. When she moved to Omaha from California, she remembers feeling alone. That experience stayed with her. Now, part of what drives her is helping other people find guidance while they are trying to build something of their own.
Her leadership is warm, but direct. Jiménez believes in walking with entrepreneurs, not doing the work for them. Her message is simple: get informed, prepare yourself, learn when to say no, and keep going, even when it feels scary.
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Alejandra Jiménez’s full story is part of JEFAS Magazine, a project dedicated to Latina women who lead, build businesses, and open doors in their communities.
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Read the full story by clicking here
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