National Hispanic Heritage Month: We Keep Thinking
Cecilia Burgos of We Keep Thinking

National Hispanic Heritage Month: We Keep Thinking

National Hispanic Heritage Month (Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana) is a period from 15 September to 15 October in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. VA OSDBU wants to honor a few Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and celebrate their Hispanic heritage and start conversations with disadvantaged businesses.

Born in Honduras and raised in New Jersey, Cecilia knew she needed to work hard and make connections in order to succeed. An 8-year U.S. Navy Veteran, Cecilia Burgos, is no stranger to the importance of sharing stories. Serving as a Navy photographer, she spent her days documenting missions, training and activities on base. After returning home, Cecilia started up “We Keep Thinking,” a full-service creative agency based out of New York. "[We Keep Thinking] was conceived to elevate minority-, women- and Veteran-owned businesses. My agency focuses on bringing lesser-known minorities into the media,” Burgos states. She recalled a course she took in college, where she realized that the attention that minorities were getting was not positive. When she started a career in public relations specializing in food and restaurants, she noticed that it was never a Latinx in front of the screen, but it was commonly the Latinxs in the kitchens performing the essential activities.

“I think the biggest barriers minority-owned businesses face, especially Latinxs, is the language and culture…Businesses are run differently in our countries than here.” While many minority-owned restaurants have excellent dishes and plates, Cecilia mentions that they may not realize how much they need to market and advocate for themselves. “You need to know all the little pieces to make a business successful.” That’s where Cecilia comes in. Using her extensive public relations and marketing background, she is able to assist her clients in networking, research, and getting into the public eye.

"I know that I want to make a difference. Many of my clients remind me of my parents; they immigrated to the United States for a better life. That’s why I’m setting out to help these businesses, to help these minorities succeed, especially now in a challenging economy.”

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Cecilia recommends that individuals support small, minority-owned businesses. She also encourages people to explore Hispanic culture: “try our foods, read about our history!” Cecilia believes that the community should be doing this not just for Hispanic Heritage Month, but year-round.  

Grant Fox

DZYNE Technologies | Strategy, Finance, Operations, Innovation

3y

We're proud to have Cecilia as part of the Veterans Future Lab community! Great that she's getting well-deserved attention. 👏 👏 👏 #VFL #vetrepreneur

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