Latino Business Speakers Bureau: Mario Ramirez
story by: David Gomez
Students at the Miami Dade College passing by the escalator of the school president saw a poster with the face and the name of a Hispanic business executive of the name of Mario Ramirez. The significance of this welcoming poster would later be revealed to Mario by Dr. Eduardo Padron, the School president at that time. After Mario thanked Dr. Padron for the warm welcome and the displays around the campus that highlighted his accomplishments, Dr. Padron provided full disclosure, “I do it mostly for the students than for the leaders we highlight. It is a powerful motivator for those students to see someone who looks like them and with a familiar last name achieving success in the business world. They can see that success for themselves. That is one of the main reasons we put so much effort in highlighting our leaders.” Mario felt that this new understanding gave him a new vision of the importance of his work. He realized he was a role model to other Hispanic students and his accomplishments became their own.
Growing up, Mario had role models who either inspired him or challenged him to pursue his dreams and goals. Mario’s family has a history of entrepreneurs that spans for almost a century. His great-grandmother, Maria Luna, is considered the first Hispanic businesswoman in Dallas in what was known as the “Little Mexico” village. However, not everyone in the family shared the same goals. Mario’s dad was one of the first to diverge from the business tradition of the family. He pursued academic goals and obtained a law degree. Mario’s role models helped him to excel in academic endeavors and gave him a path to pursue his own entrepreneurial goals. Mario completed his academic studies at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and is the founder and president of MRamirez Group, as well as managing director for Avalon Net Worth and Cambridge Wilkinson. He sees the importance of role models and believes that sharing his story can inspire and motivate Hispanic students to be the first in their family to complete a college education or to start their own business.