Season 7. Ep.4: How to be a Successful Chingona Entrepreneur | Diana Diaz, Founder of The Goddess Mercado & The Queer Mercado Founder

Chicana and Latina Moms Podcast

Diana Diaz- The Goddess Mercado & The Queer Mercado Founder

Diana Diaz is a single mother born and raised in East Los Angeles, and she is the daughter of Mexican immigrants that introduced her to the world of street vending. These intersectionalities inspired her to create Mexichic Crafts, the first chicana luxury leather brand from East Los Angeles. This fashionista activista pays homage to her cultura with exclusive and colorful designs that inspire alegria. Diana has been interviewed and showcased in Telemundo-Un Nuevo Dia and by Megan Telles KTLA Unscripted.

Moreover, in 2021, Diana dared to dream big when she founded The Goddess Mercado and The Queer Mercado Nonprofit Collectives. It’s mission is to create safe market spaces for youth to express themselves creatively, gain lucratively, and with the support of the local community and schools. In addition, her organization promotes entrepreneurship to help redress the inequities that underrepresented Latin women, youth, and the LGBTQ community face by assisting the market vendors with branding, logo, graphic design, mobile boutique presentation, marketing, etc. The Queer Mercado was featured in the Los Angeles Times, LA TACO, The LAist, The Eastsider, and was highlighted in Fred Segal’s Guide to LA for pride month.

Diana lives In El Sereno and works in East Los Angeles as a school counselor. She also sits on the board of the East Los Angeles Artwalk and In The Making Nonprofit.

Mexichic Crafts products are available at MOLAA, La Plaza de Cultura y Arte, Casita del pueblo in Uptown Whittier, Mercadito Monarda in Pasadena, and Adelitas Revenge- Long Beach, The Plus Bus- Highland Park

In 2010 Diana Diaz was awarded Counselor of the year by Mayor Villaraigosa’s Partnerships of Los Angeles Schools for her work as a school counselor at Roosevelt high school. Her work with the Goddess Mercado has been recognized by councilwoman Hilda Solis and councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, and the county board of supervisors. And on May 30, 2022, Diana was invited by Hilda Solis to be the keynote at the Breakfast Power Hour for women’s history month to speak about her entrepreneurial journey at the Breakfast Power Hour. Diana has also been the keynote speaker at the New Economics for Women, and Central City neighborhood partners

Follow her on her Instagram pages:

IG @thegoddessmercado @thequeermercado @mexichiccrafts

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Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN0NUXASKe6xQaz1uo28zPQ