As a young girl, Claudia Rivas remembers helping her grandmother make fresh tortillas at home. Her grandma would wake up early everyday to make them for the family to enjoy fresh every morning and for her grandfather to sell in the streets of Mexico. Today, Claudia continues to make fresh tortillas and opened Señorita Vegerita in Oakland, CA to share Mexico’s rich food heritage.
There’s guacamole, corn and quinoa enchiladas, sweet and spicy mole negro, soyrizo and tempe tacos, among many other delicious food that Señorita Vegerita cooks for her clients. Claudia has been a vegetarian for 15 years and is passionate about bringing awareness to the negative environmental impact that meat and meat production has on our planet. She also loves to cook traditional Mexican dishes with a health conscious flair that feeds and nourishes her clients’ soul with love, passion and CULTURE.
In 2018, Claudia needed better direction in how to continue to grow her small business. Claudia started Centro’s Basic Entrepreneurship Program and improved her understanding of operational processes, accounting, marketing and customer acquisition. Centro’s unique Business Planning App assisted her in building the foundation her business had been lacking. Claudia collaborated with her fellow classmates and developed her business plan and presentation deck. As the program progressed, Claudia was also able to identify her business’s strengths and weaknesses.
The combination between Claudia’s passion for food and her culture, and her learned knowledge from Centro’s program has launched her to become the successful entrepreneur she is today. Claudia has hired 3 part-time employees to work at Señorita Vegerita since her graduation and continues to strive for new goals. Within the next year, Claudia hopes to scale her business to the next level by participating at Oakland’s Farmer’s Market & 3 other Oakland festivals.
Join us in congratulating Claudia Rivas, one of many Centro’s stars. Follow @SenoritaVegeritas next steps and keep an eye out for her at the next Oakland Farmers Market. To learn more about Señorita Vegerita, click below.