Wells Fargo Press Release
September 16, 2004
New Mexico Release

WELLS FARGO PAYS TRIBUTE TO EL PRADO LATINA ENTREPENEUR WITH 3rd ANNUAL ANNA MARIA ARIAS AWARD

Latina-owned small businesses continue thriving across the country

EL PRADO, N.M.– September 16, 2004 –Recognizing the continued economic growth and influence of Latina small business owners, Wells Fargo & Company and LATINAStyle Magazine, today will present Agnes Chavez, proprietor of Logic Dream Productions, Inc., the El Prado-based developer of bilingual multi-sensory educational materials, with the third annual Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund Award.

The presentation will be made at this year’s United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) national conference in Austin, Texas.  Ms. Chavez is one of 10 winners nationwide who each receives a $5,000 cash grant and an award in the name of Anna Maria Arias, one of the foremost champions of Latina entrepreneurship and professional development. 

“This year’s winners prove that even in uncertain economic times, innovation and commitment lead to business success,” said Tim Rios, Vice President, Community Development and National Spokesperson for Wells Fargo’s Latino Business Services program.

“We received close to 100 applications this year, each with incredible stories of courage, strength, perseverance, and a sense of community loyalty,” said Rios.  “Agnes Chavez truly embodies the ideals championed by Anna Maria Arias, and serves as a role model to all aspiring entrepreneurs.”

Ms. Chavez founded Logic Dream Productions, Inc. in 1995 to integrate her talents as an artist and teacher, and to pass on the Spanish language to her son, Silviano.  It began as an after school program, with a multi-sensory approach revolved around art and game playing. This led to the creation of the company’s core product, the SUBE kit, an interactive game that teaches Spanish to children from preschool through the fifth grade. A second version that teaches English as a second language was developed this year. Additional initiatives are SubeConnects.org, an internet exchange program connecting U.S. and Latin American classrooms together through videoconferencing, and Digital Storytelling, which provides a forum to share personal and cultural life experiences using state-of-the-art technology.

Recognizing the tremendous growth among Latino small business owners, in 1997 Wells Fargo created the Latino Business Services program, becoming the first major financial services provider to develop a program dedicated to Latino business owners. To help launch the program, Wells Fargo established a public goal to lend $3 billion over 10 years to Latino-owned small businesses.  Since the goal’s inception, Wells Fargo has lent $2.5 billion to Latino-owned small businesses nationwide, lending at a rate of 126% of our original objective. 

Rios, who is presenting this year’s awards, added: “This year’s recipients are true 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 true essence of this award.”

This year’s winners:

• Sonia and Sandra Alvarado – Aces TV, Studio City, Calif. – a family-run, full service video production company specializing in bilingual corporate videos.
• Amanda Rojas – Amanda’s Flower Shop, Brighton, Mass. – a full service flower shop and catering business.
• Anita Ron – BriteWorks, Inc., West Covina, Calif. – a full janitorial service provider offering 24-hour cleaning services.
• Narce Esparza – Esparza Immigration Service, Bell, Calif.  – provides assistance with immigration forms, translations and notaries for the Latino community.
• Griselda Barajas – Griselda’s Ventures, Sacramento, Calif. – owns businesses in the restaurant/food services industry - specializing in Mexican food.
• Cynthia and Lidia Perez – Las Manitas, Inc., Austin, Texas  – operates a Mexican restaurant and La Peña, a performing arts/art gallery profiling emerging Latino/a artists.
• Agnes Chavez – Logic Dream Productions, Inc., El Prado, N.M. – develops bilingual, multi-sensory educational materials about the Latino culture.
• Yolanda Garcia – Mundo Latino Newspaper, South Sioux City, Neb. – a free weekly Spanish publication that educates, entertains, and helps immigrants adjust to the American culture.
• Sarah Hernandez – Saludos Para Ti, Minneapolis, Minn. – designs and produces bilingual greeting cards that reflect the Latino culture (values, traditions, skin tones and language).
• Sara Cohen – Worldwide Language Services, Summit, N.J. – provides interpreting and translation services to government agencies, private enterprises and individuals.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $420 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance to more than 23 million customers from more than 6,000 stores and the internet (wellsfargo.com) across North America and elsewhere internationally. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is the only “Aaa”- rated bank in the United States.

Providing financial products and services to more than one million businesses with annual sales up to $20 million in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, Wells Fargo is the #1 lender to small businesses in the United States in total dollar volume according to 2002 CRA data.

The second largest national SBA lender in dollars, and third largest in loans, Wells Fargo is an SBA Preferred Lender in 28 states, and originated 3,181 loans for $473 million in 2003.  Wells Fargo has also been ranked the number one SBA 504 lender nationally for the last two years. Speer & Associates rated Wells Fargo's online services #1 for small business and for consumers (2003). Its targeted business services programs provide outreach and education to women,

African American, Latino, and Asian business owners about financial services. Since 1995, Wells Fargo has loaned more than $20 billion to women and minority business owners.