Sonia Alvarado
Producer/Director
PHONE: 818.681.8932
EMAIL: AcesTV@yahoo.com
Through struggle and with perseverance Los Angeles-based Entrepreneurs Sonia Alvarado and Sandra Alvarado win the Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund award.
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 16 -- Recognizing the continued economic growth and influence of Latina small business owners, Wells Fargo and LATINAStyle Magazine, presented 10 Latina-owned businesses with the prestigious Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund Awards. Among the winners were sisters Sonia and Sandra Alvarado, of Aces TV, a video production business in Los Angeles. The awards ceremony was attended by over 1,000 people at this year’s 25th annual United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) national conference. Anna Maria Arias was one of the foremost champions of Latina entrepreneurship and professional development.
“When Valley Economic Development Center suggested that we submit an application, we were flattered. We didn’t think our small business, which didn’t even make money during the first three years, could be considered a big success like the impressive companies that won the award in the previous two years,” said Sonia Alvarado.
Organizers of the fund were looking beyond net sales to define entrepreneurial success stories. As Tim Rios, Vice President, Community Development and National Spokesperson for Wells Fargo's Latino Business Services program, stated: "We received close to 100 applications this year, each with incredible stories of courage, strength, perseverance, and a sense of community loyalty. This year's winners truly embody the ideals championed by Anna Maria Arias, and serve as role models to all aspiring entrepreneurs." Rios added: "This year's recipients are genuine representatives of today's Latina entrepreneurs, and have overcome significant obstacles, characteristic of every true entrepreneur. Each has become a successful business owner who places extreme importance on giving back to their communities and serving as role models for the next generation. This is the essence of this award."
In 2001, With $200 for stationery and a cell phone, Sonia and Sandra Alvarado started their video production company, Aces TV, from Sonia’s bedroom. They enthusiastically designed a website, mailed announcements, and made hundreds of phone calls. But the work didn’t come. They refused to give up, it just wasn’t an option. They kept repeating the words of writer, Napoleon Hill, “A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.” They used credit cards to purchase video equipment and pay their bills. It was a scary situation, but the sisters had faced challenges before. They emigrated from Chile with their family, went on to earn Bachelor’s degrees in television and film production and started at the bottom working their way up in the competitive television industry in Hollywood. Sonia became a TV producer and Sandra, a director. Together, they won four Emmy Awards and a Golden Mike award.
Sandra and Sonia Alvarado’s entrepreneurial dream was to produce videos that impact people and the community in a positive way. After a slow start, they are doing just that. They now feel successful, not because of big sales, but because they are helping to make a difference in the community through powerful videos. The videos have highlighted companies like: Women’s Economic Development Corporation, Valley Economic Development Center, Filipino American Service Group, and Project Cuddle – a non-profit corporation that helps to prevent baby abandonment. “Creating something that has the power to change people’s lives for the better, makes us richer than doing any other job,” say the sisters, who have also worked on projects that feature the minority business initiatives and goals of some of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world.
Sandra and Sonia produced an educational video about the importance of Folic Acid as a preventive measure for certain birth defects. They also joined forces with their sister Monica, a genetic counselor, to produce a video (in English and Spanish) to educate patients about Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that is the biggest genetic killer of children and young adults in the United States. These videos have been ordered by doctors and hospitals around the United States and as far away as Australia.
The future looks bright for the Alvarado sisters. 2004 will mark the year when they can finally pay off their business debt. “We’ve heard that- ‘if you do something you love, the money will follow.’ We truly believe that, because it’s working for us,” says Sonia. Aces TV is already putting its cash award to work by producing a video for Buenanueva Foundation. The organization helps to prevent teen pregnancy and assists young mothers to continue their education so that they can become self-sufficient.
Sandra and Sonia hope to honor Anna Maria Arias’ memory by becoming role models for other Latinas. They want them to know that hard work, and perseverance can make dreams come true.
