Erica Vazquez

I was born in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and at the age of three, I immigrated to the U.S. with my mother to reunite with my father, who was working in the fields of Virginia Beach. As the eldest of four, I learned resilience and determination early on—qualities that continue to guide me today. Now, I’m a proud mother of two, Analia and Emiliano, and a grateful wife to my husband, Egadiel. My family is my foundation and motivation. Professionally, I spent nine years in banking, most recently as a Financial Inclusion Leader at Truist, where I focused on expanding access to financial services in underserved communities. My passion for this work actually started much earlier—when I was a cashier at Piggly Wiggly in Broadway during my teenage years. Local farmers would ask me to translate their mail, and helping them sparked the purpose I still carry: empowering others through education and access. Today, I serve as the Executive Director of the Women’s Business Center of North Carolina. This past June marked my one year anniversary in the role, and what started as a leap of faith has become one of the best decisions of my career. Every day, I have the privilege of supporting women and minority entrepreneurs alongside my amazing team, helping them start and grow their businesses while building more inclusive, thriving communities.