ABOUT US
Welcome to our site:
For many Latinas work outside the house is still an uphill battle. Despite the common belief in the Hispanic culture that women are destined to primarily work at home and take care of the family, many Latinas work full-time, but there are some industries where culture doesn’t “allow” them to work, one of them is construction. In the mind of too many people, this has been and will be, a men-only territory.
Encouraging and training Latinas to work in the construction industry feels, on many occasions, as a violation of the rules and norms, as some may say, “a direct attack to the culture”, but we are not here to attack anyone. We just want to open doors to women in construction by providing them the skills and knowledge to obtain a license or to find a job, so they can fulfill their dreams and potential. We pledge to support as many women as we possibly can and connect them with work opportunities, because we believe that when a woman succeeds, we all succeed.
And that’s the reason we have created Latinas in Construction, an initiative to support Latinas in their path to the construction industry.
Who we are:
We are professional women of Hispanic origin, working in the construction industry in the Washington DC metropolitan area. We have created the Latinas in Construction initiative to inspire, encourage, and train Hispanic women, so they can enter and prosper in the construction industry nationwide by:
- Online educational programs in Spanish
- Technical training in different construction trades
- Business creation
- Obtaining licenses and certifications
- Mentor Programs for entrepreneurs
- Create awareness of Latinas’ challenges and obstacles at work
Our Mission:
- To create and develop real opportunities for Hispanic women; for entrepreneurs and for those who work, so they can prosper in construction.
- To foster the growth and development of Latinas in construction,
- To change the stereotypes that Hispanics lack the formality to work with large companies,
- To raise awareness about the daily challenges of Latinas at work,
- To expand horizons, break down barriers and generate changes for this and future generations.
Our Vision:
To build a place where Latinas live, work, face their problems, and overcome their challenges TOGETHER, UNITED. A place where we can provide our children with that better future, which we came looking for.
We want to be a source of inspiration for other women, no matter where they are from or the field in which they work. May our effort resonate around the world, where there is a woman who was told "useless", she will look up and see that, in another part of the planet, other women heard the same, but they joined together and are achieving great things.
What we believe in:
We believe in the infinite potential of women, those who work during the day and do not sleep at night, thinking, dreaming, and mapping their future.We believe in the woman who strives, the one who works outside the house and the ones who want to do it.We believe in the woman who wants to learn, the one who acknowledges her shortcomings and seeks to improve.We believe in the woman who secretly dries her tears and takes courage, even when she feels she can’t take it any longer.We believe in the woman who struggles, the one who falls and overcome again and again.We believe in the indefatigable woman, who multitasks and struggles to balance work and family.
What we know:
We know that there is an unmet need of qualified workers in the construction industry and that this may be an opportunity for Latinas.We know that Latinas want a better life, a better future, and financial stability.We know that Latinas want to learn the tools necessary to work in construction.We know that Latinas want and can work in construction.We know that Latinas can be up to the task.We know that Latinas can count on the support of our American friends, men and women in construction.
We are Latinas. We want to work, succeed, and prosper in the construction industry.
Tatiana Ahlborn, Project Executive of Absolute Builders Inc., a carpentry company in the Metro Area with more than 20 years of experience in the construction industry.
Former President of the DC Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, NAWIC and currently on the Board of Directors of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Metro Washington.
Tatiana has been actively involved in the industry for the past 10 years, informing about the opportunities the industry provides to women.
Edith Yanez is a business consultant and licensed construction contractor. She is the owner of Heidelberg Design and Build, Inc. a Maryland based construction company serving the Metro DC area since 2016.
Edith loves to teach. Since 2010 she has collaborated with many Non-Profit organizations educating the Hispanic Community in business and Marketing. In 2019, she founded Hispanics in Construction, an online initiative, where Spanish-speakers learn construction technical skills, English, and prepare the exams to obtain General Contractor’s licenses in MD and VA. Edith also helps to obtain the DC General Contractor’s license and the CBE certification.
In 2020, after seeing the devasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Hispanic families, Edith expanded her efforts and founded Latinas in Construction, an educational initiative that became a Non-Profit organization in 2022. What began as online trainings for women, is now also a source of guidance, inspiration, and support for hundreds of Latinas across the US.
Edith joined NAWIC in 2021 to support the work of women in construction and to discover all opportunities the industry has to offer to women.