As I say at the beginning of Moxielicious® episode 309, Ericka Aviles is an expert on community partnerships, and she’s one of the most masterful relationship builders I know.

A dynamic and passionate leader in the Las Vegas community, Ericka is the Founder of Ericka Aviles Consulting LLC, is a boutique consulting firm focused on digital communications, marketing, and community relations. Established in 2016 as a multilingual and multicultural Latina owned business, Ericka Aviles Consulting focuses on bridging gaps of language and culture between her clients and the audiences they serve. Ericka has helped clients with statewide and regional education and health campaigns, sports marketing, civic engagement and infrastructure projects by developing strategic plans, partnerships, and authentic and effective marketing and outreach tactics tailored to unique communities.

Ericka is also the founder of Latinas in Power, a professional network of Latinas. She currently serves as a member of the International Women’s Forum Nevada Chapter, she’s a board member of the Vegas Chamber Executive Women’s Council, and she sits on the Discovery Children’s Museum’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board.

Ericka immigrated with her family from El Salvador to Las Vegas when she was six years old. An English language learning student, she was the first in her family to graduate high school and go on to college. She’s had the opportunity to travel the world representing Las Vegas as a world class destination, and she has worked at major hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.

During our conversation, Ericka and I cover a lot of territory at the intersections of community partnerships, attracting sponsorship dollars, and engaging communities of color. For example, what chat about:

• How to create mutually beneficial community partnerships (and corporate-community partnerships) by leading from a place of curiosity and with an open mind, managing expectations, letting relationships deepen over time, and focusing on providing measurable value to partners
• Specific, actionable steps to take when courting corporate sponsors – from what should go into a sponsorship pitch deck to how Ericka successfully tapped into local sponsorship dollars for her group, Latinas in Power, during Covid (at a time when Las Vegas companies were tightening their spending)
• Leveling-up from being a solopreneur to growing a team – and how Ericka utilizes her personal Board of Advisors for feedback and championship
• Boundaries Ericka has created for philanthropic and professional association leadership so she doesn’t overcommit

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Apply to the Moxielicious® Mastermind.
• Learn more Ericka Aviles Consulting here.
• Learn more about Latinas in Power here.
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