Latino entrepreneurs bring plenty to the community, says Silvia Castro Bennett.
“Not only are they an incredible economic power, an economic engine to the state every day, but also … the positive values of family, community that they bring should also never be forgotten,” she said.
As head of Suazo Business Center, a nonprofit organization that helps mentor would-be Latino entrepreneurs, Castro Bennett should know. But she plays a key role in assisting those up-and-coming business operators, and she along with three other local leaders were recognized Tuesday for their efforts in aiding the Latino community as 2025 recipients of the annual Tonahuac Awards.
“They’ve made a difference in our community. They have given to our community, and they have helped our community,” said Salvador Lazalde, president of the Federation of United Mexicans in Utah, the nonprofit organization behind the annual award program. The Tonahuac Awards are meant to recognize leaders and organizations that aid Utah’s Hispanic community.
Aside from Castro Bennett, the other award recipients this year are Eli Madrigal, founder and CEO of Rancho Markets; Lucy Cárdenas, owner of Red Iguana restaurant; and Carlos Báez, community relations manager for WCF Insurance. They were recognized at a ceremony at the Mexican Consulate of Utah in Salt Lake City, led by Consul General Eduardo Baca.
“As consul of Mexico, I will always be interested in initiatives that seem to connect the migrant community with their places of origin, and the Tonahuac Awards reflect our rich culture of solidarity,” Baca said. He stressed the importance of cooperative efforts “to preserve our ties and values, to build bridges between us and to continue to strengthen our community.”
Salvador Lazalde of the Federation of United Mexicans in Utah honored the four Tonahuac Award recipients Tuesday at a ceremony at the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City. | Tim Vandenack, KSL.com
Suazo Business Center, which is based in Salt Lake City with an office in Ogden as well, provides business education programming to members of “economically disadvantaged communities” pursuing business development. It has historically aided a largely Latino clientele, though it assists all comers seeking help launching or expanding a business.
“We walk alongside them as part of their journey, and it is an honor for us to be part of their journey, to walk alongside them as they learn to be an entrepreneur,” Castro Bennett said.
Rancho Markets, launched by Madrigal in 2006, operates nine supermarkets geared to the Latino community along the Wasatch Front as well as a distribution center. It employs around 700 people. “We’re going to continue supporting our community any way we can so they can get ahead, day by day,” Madrigal said.
The origins of Red Iguana, a Mexican restaurant in Salt Lake City, date to 1965. WCF, based in Sandy, also has offices in California, Idaho and Colorado. Neither Cárdenas nor Báez, the honored representatives from the businesses, took part in Tuesday’s ceremony.
Aside from recognizing the efforts of the individual award recipients, Baca said this year’s batch of awards sends a message to the Latino community “that there are paths to success and to fulfillment.”
