Discover our mission & history

Sonia is a native Peruvian with 25+ years of experience as the Vice President of Montano Wood Care. She is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the business, as well as developing and maintaining partnerships in various local organizations. Prior to establishing Montano Wood Care, Sonia was the owner and publisher of Nuestro Mundo newspaper. A monthly Spanish language newspaper that covered the New York Metro area, focusing on the local, regional and international news which related to Latin America.

Before, creating Nuestro Mundo, Sonia worked as an Account Executive for two well renowned Hispanic newspapers, El Diario La Prensa and Noticias Del Mundo. These newspapers communicated national and international news to the Hispanic community. Sonia was born and raised in Lima, Peru and was the youngest of 10 siblings. Always looking to excel, Sonia studied Business as well as the French and English language.

These studies helped her when she migrated to the United States as young women in her early 20s. Sonia’s ambition to succeed pushed her to continue studies in the United States and successfully obtain a Business degree. With the support of her husband and two boys, Sonia has had the opportunity to become a successful Chief Executive Officer (CEO) operating Montano Wood Care alongside her husband and joint owner.

Aleida Frederico is Senior Relationship Manager, Vice President, Westchester NY, Commercial Banking at TD Bank. In this role, she provides customized banking solutions for commercial, municipal, small business, education and not-for-profit institutions in New York. Alé joined TD Bank in 2005 and has 25 years of banking experience working in varied capacities with public sector customers, not-for-profits, commercial, small businesses and CRA/community development.

She has held various roles within TD Bank as a Senior Vice President – Team Leader, Government Banking and Business Development Officer. She has been a recipient of TD Bank’s CEO WOW! Leadership Award.

Appointed by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo she serves on the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council and is a Board member of the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency (IDA). She is the Corporate Secretary of the Westchester County Association. Alé is a Board Member of White Plains Hospital Center and a Westchester Community College Foundation Board of Director.

She is Chair and a past President of the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and a founding Board Member of 100 Hispanic Women Leaders – Westchester Chapter. She is a Board member of the United Way of Westchester & Putnam and a member of the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council. She was born in Placetas, Las Villas, Cuba.

Monica Martinez-Hess was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she received her B.A. in Marketing from the University of Guadalajara. She moved to the United States in 2009, where she began her career as a Financial Professional with New York Life in March 2010. Mrs. Martinez-Hess achieved several awards in the company and in June 2012 was promoted to be part of NYL Latino as a Recruiting and Marketing Manager in the Westchester area. She was responsible for attracting, hiring, and retaining top sales talent to serve the financial needs of the Latino community.

Currently, she is a Financial Professional at the Manhattan General Office with New York Life. She is licensed in NY, NJ, CT, MA, TX, FL, NC, CA, MA, and ME, where she serves and educates families and business owners about financial products and services. Also, Monica is an Executive Council agent and since 2020 has been a member of the Million Dollar Round Table, the Premier Association of Financial Professionals.

Mrs. Martinez-Hess has been recognized by the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at Growing with Heels, Celebrating the Power of Women. In 2017, she was named Top Latino Insurance Agent by Latino Leaders magazine and received a business award from the Yonkers Hispanic Federation Chamber of Commerce. She is an avid volunteer at the Ossining School district, whether at school functions or conducting seminars about Financial Wellness. Monica also serves on the Communication Committee, BELL Equity Fund, and Proyecto ALCANCE within the school district. Mrs. Martinez-Hess’s goal is to keep empowering people, especially women, and being an example for young Latinas.

Ms. Martinez-Hess currently resides in Ossining, NY, with her husband Phil and their 2 children, Mateo and Elena. In her free time, she enjoys CrossFit, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Nelson Rivera is the Director of Insurance Services at Clarfeld, specializing in asset protection strategies and insurance analysis for clients. A Certified Public Accountant, he is a member of the NY State Society of CPAs and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Nelson has been with Clarfeld since 2003 and also serves as Treasurer of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Fluent in Spanish, he enjoys salsa dancing with his wife and lives in Rockland County, NY, with their three sons.

Eddie Monroy is the Director of Consulting at Strategy Leaders and a member of the company’s Executive Committee, helping business owners drive growth and sustainability. A SUNY New Paltz graduate with a Master’s in Business, he has won multiple business plan competitions and received county, state, and national recognition for his contributions. Eddie chairs the Education Committee for the Hudson Valley Young Professionals and is an active member of the American Marketing Association. Passionate about mentorship and community impact, he supports SUNY New Paltz students, United Way programs, and serves on the advisory board for Educate2Envision, helping expand educational opportunities in Central America.

Veronica Bazan is WEDC’s Program Director for WEDC en Espanol, and Loan and M/WBE certification Counselor, joined WEDC in 2013. She has a background in small business, teaching, and micro lending. Prior to joining WEDC, Ms. Bazan worked as a bilingual analyst at Accion East and Online, a microfinance organization, where she helped small business owners prepare and procure loans. Ms. Bazan earned her BA in Business Administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University. She also has a degree in education from the Instituto Superior de Formacion Docente in her home country of Argentina.

Maura Daroczy has been a leader in Westchester’s hospitality industry for over 25 years, holding key sales and marketing roles at Marriott, Hilton, Radisson, and most recently, as the Opening Director of Sales for SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Tuckahoe. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she moved to Yonkers in 1991 and built her career from an internship to executive leadership. Beyond hospitality, Maura is deeply involved in public service and community engagement. She served two terms as a Village Trustee in Dobbs Ferry and continues to contribute to local committees. She is also active in charitable organizations, including The Business Council of Westchester and The Westchester Multicultural Chamber.

Camelia Peña-Rivera is an accomplished Associate Broker with 16 years of sales experience, including a decade in corporate media sales with Telemundo TV and Univision Radio before transitioning to real estate. Known for her strong negotiation skills, attention to detail, and client-first approach, she is dedicated to making the buying and selling process seamless. Camelia’s deep industry knowledge, strategic marketing expertise, and commitment to exemplary customer service have earned her a stellar reputation, with many clients coming through referrals. Passionate about mentorship, she also works to inspire and collaborate with fellow real estate professionals to strengthen the industry.

Jose serves as the VP, Market Manager at Valley Bank of Yonkers. He leads by example while managing a team of professionals who support and provide customer service to personal and business clients. With a team based approach, which includes internal and external partners, Jose’s team manages, grows and collaborates for the good of Valley Bank’s clients and the community.

Elena Rivera-Cheek, MBA, is the Founder of C&A Digital, a certified woman- and minority-owned enterprise in NY. Established in 2011, C&A Digital provides creative and strategic communications services to a diverse clientele, ranging from global pharmaceutical companies to nonprofits. Elena’s expertise lies in understanding clients’ unique communication needs and delivering tailored solutions. Elena is a board member of Mercy University School for Business, The Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Yo Digo No Mas (I Say No More). She received her BA in English, her MBA in Media Management, and continues to learn earning her Certificate of Completion from MIT in Digital Business Strategy.