The invisible wall facing LA’s entrepreneurs—and the JPMorganChase programs helping them break through

JPMorganChase client was told in advance that they would be featured in advertising.

Nayomie Mendoza closed her first business deal at the age of eight. Bored in math class—she had already learned the material at her previous school—she was sent to the principal's office. There, she overheard administrators lamenting that their caterer for the imminent school science fair had just canceled. "I pulled out a flyer," Mendoza recalls. "I said, 'Hey, we have a restaurant, and we cater.'" The school needed to feed up to a thousand people. Her family had catered events for maybe two hundred. They didn't even own a grill. But Mendoza's father, Marcos, rallied the family.

Two decades later, that same entrepreneurial instinct—and that same family kitchen—would help feed thousands of firefighters battling the worst wildfires in Los Angeles history, with JPMorganChase playing a key role. Mendoza’s is one of 1.3 million small business stories in Los Angeles—a city where Latino-owned businesses grew by 39 percent between 2017 and 2022, accounting for nearly half of all business growth in the region.

A family's American dream

Marcos and Maria Mendoza immigrated from Mexico in 1995. After managing a catering operation out of their home, they opened Cuernavaca's Grill in 2005. Mendoza remembers those early years vividly: falling asleep on sacks of flour in the kitchen on slow nights; watching her parents greet the same customers, week after week; and then the lines that began curling around the block.

In her early twenties, after working at an accounting firm, Mendoza returned to take over operations. Within a year, COVID-19 shut down commerce in Los Angeles. She didn't qualify for federal relief—she hadn't been an owner long enough. So, she turned to a tool that was close at hand: her phone.

"I sat with my family and was like, 'We're gonna do social media.' They're like, 'Absolutely not.'" She did it anyway. A video of a single chile relleno—the batter rising perfectly, just like her grandmother’s—went viral. The Food Network called. The Drew Barrymore Show followed. Suddenly, Cuernavaca's was a symbol of immigrant entrepreneurial resilience.

“Let me show you”

JPMorganChase’s Alejandra Corona Fennell grew up in East LA, in a primarily Spanish-speaking, low-income community. Over 26 years in banking, she'd seen what happens when small business owners rule themselves out of opportunities before even asking.

"They're already saying, 'I won't ever qualify for financing,'” she says. “And I tell them, 'No, no, no! Let's sit down, and I’ll walk you through it.'"

As a Senior Business Consultant with the Chase for Business Coaching for Impact program, Corona Fennell works with business owners who have operated for at least two years and generate at least $100,000 in annual revenue. The program is complimentary and open to anyone, Chase customers and non-customers alike. Through in-depth analyses and ongoing discussions of access to capital, cash flow, operations, and business development, she helps entrepreneurs identify what's holding them back.

Nearly 800 Los Angeles small-business owners have completed the program since its 2020 launch.

When Corona Fennell met Mendoza, she saw grit, passion, and a story that could move people. But Cuernavaca's had no business certifications, wasn't registered on procurement portals, and had never applied for grants.

"I felt like it was really important to tell her how amazing she was," Corona Fennell says. "When she was telling me about her dad and the chile relleno, I said, 'Nayomie, have you shared this? If you tell people on social what you just told me, your business is just going to grow.'"

Stay ready

Together, they focused on certifications—Minority Business Enterprise, Women’s Business Enterprise—and created a capability statement listing credentials and past clients. They registered on procurement portals and ensured all financial documentation was ready to submit instantly.

The mantra Corona Fennell kept repeating: Stay ready.

In January 2025, wildfires tore through Los Angeles. The Palisades and Eaton fires became the most destructive in the city's history. On a Friday night, Mendoza got a call: The city needed a caterer to feed first responders. Multiple restaurants had been contacted, but most couldn't move fast enough.

By 4 a.m. Saturday, the contract was signed. Its scope grew to 2,500 meals per day—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a midnight meal—across five sites.

"They reached out to 15 restaurants," Mendoza says. "We were one of the only ones who had everything in order." The contract totaled nearly $900,000.

“Somebody believed in me”

At a recent Coaching for Impact graduation, Corona Fennell listened as business owners reflected on their experiences. Again and again, they returned to the same theme: Somebody believed in me.

"Sometimes you just need that person pushing you," Mendoza says. "Not only professionally, but emotionally."

Today, Mendoza is exploring retail distribution and eyeing expansion to Florida or Texas. She hosts résumé-building workshops at the restaurant and speaks on procurement panels, paying forward what she's learned. She calls Corona Fennell her "fairy godmother."

"These owners are already amazing," Corona Fennell says. "They have grit and perseverance. All it took was somebody making them realize: I am amazing. I can do this."

Participation in the Chase for Business Coaching for Impact® program is subject to availability. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions as a result of this program and consult the appropriate professional(s). The testimonials are the sole opinions or experiences of those featured and not those of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or any of its affiliates. These opinions or experiences may not be representative of what all may achieve. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or any of its affiliates are not liable for decisions made or actions taken in reliance on any of the testimonial information provided. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.