El Paso conference empowers Latinas to shape the future

EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, El Paso’s In Her Element Foundation is inspiring Latinas to embrace their potential and become leaders in our community. The “¡Si Se Puede!" conference is happening tomorrow, September 18 at El Paso Community College Administrative Services Center (9050 Viscount Blvd). 

The conference will celebrate Latina entrepreneurs who have overcome obstacles to pave the way for others. This year’s theme is “Latinas Shaping the Future,” the event will feature a key note speaker, workshops and networking opportunities.

ABC-7 spoke to founder and president of In Her Element Foundation, Cynthia Boyar-Trejo, who has a financial services background and says she decided to use it to help women who were holding back. “I started researching on how to help women, through training and development, leadership training and development, mentoring, coaching,” she said. 

“It's important that we support each other that we, have a network of other women supporting other women,” said Boyar-Trejo. “Just even seeing someone who represents the Hispanic community in El Paso, it's a little bit different because we are predominantly Hispanic, but it doesn't mean that we don't face those challenges.”

The event’s key note speaker is Elise Som, co-founder and Chief Sustainability Officer of Mijenta Tequila. She will be there to coach and train attendees, while sharing her inspiring story.

Sylvia Sundermann, owner of Fierce Intensity Gym, also spoke to ABC-7 ahead of the conference. Sharing her story, she highlighted the importance of the mentors and leadership programs during her career, including the support from Elise Som. “Just that little call that I had with her and her talking about certain things and pinpointing certain things that I can do for my business and how to, not fix it, but like grow it in different ways,” she shared. 

Sundermann initially pursued a career in education and later shifted her focus to follow her passion for fitness and business ownership. Now, her gym serves as a supportive space for women to connect and inspire one another. 

“I want to grow to be able to, have big groups of women inspiring each other, in some kind of way,” said Sundermann. “ I want to be able to inspire lots of women to be empowered, physically, mentally, spiritually.”

She says being a Latina, mom and business owner in El Paso is an honor, ”With a knot in my throat right now. It feels, very humbling, but empowering. It feels that you are someone of, that people can look up to. For younger women that are trying to do so much more, and even older women that think that they're done and that's all they can do, you can do something in your life and completely reroute it,” she said.

For tickets and registration for the ¡Si Se Puede! Conference 2024, you can click here or call (915) 304-4003. 

Boyar-Trejo encourages everyone to head out, “El Paso. Get out there. There are so many opportunities here that many times we're not aware of the resources that are available to you. And this is an opportunity to have those resources available to you. So I hope to see you all there.”