October 16th, the Positively Powerful Woman Entrepreneur Leadership Award will be presented to Stephanie Vasquez, owner of Fair Trade Café.
Arizona is seeing a growth in women entrepreneurs… The number of women-owned firms in the state has climbed by 15.9 percent in the past five years, and revenue from these businesses has grown by 10.5 percent. As of the beginning of 2019, more than 220,000 firms in Arizona are owned by women.
Geri Stengel, Research Adviser for American Express
Travel, life experiences and passion for being socially conscious, have brought Stephanie Vasquez, owner of Fair Trade Café, to this exact moment in her life. She is one of the women entrepreneurs who is growing her business in Arizona.
Stephanie Vasquez is an Arizonan native who graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in education and began her professional career as a middle school science teacher, Stephanie was always inclined and passionate about helping her community.
In 2006, after a life-changing trip to Costa Rica, Stephanie experienced an “a-ha” moment. Moved by the culture, love, and respect that Costa Ricans displayed for their coffee fields and land, she returned to Arizona knowing she would one day own her own socially-conscious coffee shop. Stephanie had the concept and vision in mind, now her focus was on making it a reality.
It wasn’t until 2007, in a moment Stephanie calls destiny, she was presented with the opportunity to take over the operations of Fair Trade Café. Since then, Fair Trade Café has become a staple of Roosevelt Row and a gathering place for ASU students, local organizations, business leaders and politicians.
Fair Trade Cafe, Phoenix, AZ
She has been recognized as Stylos 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year, 2014 Cox Latina Entrepreneur of the Year, 40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40, and most recently a recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award by Phoenix Business Journal. Aside from Ms. Vasquez’s professional accolades, she is deeply rooted in her community and is the first to do what she can to help advance causes near and dear to her. From being a Hispanic Leadership Institute alumna to a board member of AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute, serving in multiple advisory boards and volunteering for Justice that Works where she assists in transitioning recently incarcerated women into the workforce and community. Stephanie is engaged in making her community a better place to live, which is one of the reasons she created #WomenofPhoenix, a group of women in the Phoenix area whose endeavor is to empower other women in their life’s journey
Her belief that embracing socially conscious business practices creates a fruitful outcome for all and has guided her professionally and personally. As a mother of three, she is working not only to continue her success through her love of coffee but also to make the world a brighter place for her children and her community.
This is an open invitation to all who know about Fair Trade Cafe and those who would like to acknowledge Stephanie Vasquez for her success. Join us. Learn, connect, and design your future at the Positively Powerful Conference, Friday, October 16th at ASU Community Union, Sun Devil Stadium, 500 East Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ. The Education Summit breakfast and registration begin at 7:30 a.m. Speakers program from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Following the Summit, we host the Positively Powerful Woman Awards in celebration of the accomplishments of the 12th Annual Positively Powerful Woman Award recipients. Sponsorship Information and Registrations are available online.