Testify as a Proponent for SB105 — Workforce and Development Committee

Summary

Rosie Rosario Galaz, Chef/Owner/Founder of The Tomato Guys LTD and PachaMama Kitchen and Garden, gives proponent testimony on SB105, addressed to Chairman Edwards, Vice Chairman Powell and Ranking Members of the Workforce and Development Committee. The testimony tells a personal story that begins in 1991 on an avocado, lemon and fig farm in Buin, a town near Santiago Chile, and continues with a move to America and studies in culinary arts. It states that, as a Latina woman business entrepreneur, doors are sometimes not open. It says the Minority Business Enterprise legislation would help minority small businesses gain access to local contracts, government contracts and multi-million dollar corporations.

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Full text

Good morning

Thank You for your consideration Chairman Edwards, Vice Chairman Powell and
Ranking Members of The Workforce and Development Committee for having me here
today to Testify as a Proponent for SB105.

My name is Rosie Rosario Galaz a I am the owner of the Tomato guys LTD and
Founder of PachaMama Kitchen and Garden. It’s an honor to be here today
representing the Business Leaders in the Latino Community thank you for having me

I want to date back to Santiago Chile.

when? specifically 1991.

Little girl with lighter brown hair walks and runs through the hills and through the acres
of an avocado, lemon and Fig Farm in Buin a town 30 minutes from the Capitol
Santiago Chile joined by cousins, grandparents crisp air, lots of sunshine a and a wood
bearing wheel that creates electricity and runs into the river. By far the best memories of
my childhood.

I remember the smell of burning wood the smell of "asado" cooking on a charcoal grill,
advice of the elders telling us to collect dry wood dry leaves Rosemary and rocks, to
make the fire stronger for a good sear on that meat. I never forgot that. I Remember my
grandfather saying, "All you need it's a good fire good smoke for Great taste". I
remember my grandmother in the rocking chair, reading the paper pouring herself a
glass or two of red wine, I remember our parents giving us direction to gather avocado
lemons and figs for many different dishes that I hold today so dear to my heart and carry
a big part of my business. Because to me food is love. I am privileged to be able to do
what I love for a living.

 I Remember aunts and uncles gathered inside of the Parcela's house showing us all of
indigenous acquired treasures that they have gotten throughout their travels and their
discoveries in the by the people of Buin, a tiny City by the forest and into the trees why
that's special crisp air, that it's only native to that town.

       I know now that the first time that I fell in love I was 7 years old. As the family
       gathers, mingles together, kids are running, avocados are being cut in the
       kitchen and off course as in good Latino fashion, always awaiting for the last
       family member, that one uncle to join us to see more cousins and finally eat and
       even create more havoc for the adults at the Parcela!

I think I was about 10 or 11 years old when I realized that I will be in the hospitality
industry one way or another. I knew that I loved food I loved the smell of family and
friendship I loved to entertain I love seeing people smile when they ate, I love to see
people dancing people gathering together eating drinking being loud dancing to music
Happy just Joy.
Fast forwarding a little bit later, and probably more than a decade or so, this little girl,
myself, would not just light brown hair but a few greys here and there from Santiago
Chile comes to America with her family, she joins University she studies culinary arts,
and she decides that because America is the best country in the world, she is going to
stay by herself and give a try at a dream, an aspiration. A dream filled with ambition
flavor and color. I dream filled with hard work, tears and troubling times ahead. A dream
that sometimes seemed very hard to come to fruition, but without perseverance I
wouldn't be here. My father always told me nothing in the world, not talent not,
absolutely nothing will ever replace hard work. "Rosie nothing replaces hard
consistency absolutely nothing. “With this dream in my pocket a legacy and a fight,

       Coming from a long line of doers, and fighters a pair of not so happy parents,
       about this dream lol Rosie in the big world, I went out there. There ... Here ...

       Today more than ever I understand these concerns especially now that our child
       is taking after our footsteps loving the culinary world. resiliency, pain, survival
       and consistency are some of the ingredients, wanting them or not, that will be
       necessary for this thing called Entrepreneurship. No, it's not for everybody. Not
       for the faint of heart, and it takes a certain kind of crazy. As Mr. LaRose
       mentioned to me the other day in our call, the word is courage. It takes a lot of
       courage. I am standing in front of you today for the Minority business Enterprise
       legislation, to tell you my story and to tell you why this is important to be
       considered passed into Congress they're sooner than later.

As a Latina woman business entrepreneur sometimes, the doors are not open they are
not friendly and to make it happen we have to kick them open.

It t will be helpful if we don't have to kick them open If we can just see a little peephole
and push them open. I know that as a Minority owned Business and a Woman, many of
the times, it is harder for us to get direction, get information not just to keep the dream in
our pocket, but to make it a reality. I know what it's like to be a small business owner
and not have as many opportunities as other business owners, not have access to the
right information, the right channels, to go through many loopholes, and sometimes be
able to watch other businesses from the sidelines wondering why? if I am putting in the
hard work. Asking myself how can I get there? Why I'm not able to expand my business
or have those opportunities I know how that feels, I've been there. I'm there.

The Minority business Enterprise Legislation will be of help and encouragement to so
many minority business women, make their dreams attain their aspirations by helping
us to have a seat at the table.

With local government programs and special initiatives, a seat at the table,
creating State connections with those local minority owned business, that are working
hard not just to represent their Heritage but to represent hard work dedication and in
essence the American dream.
Small, Minority, Disadvantage, Women owned businesses, help shape the community
and the color of the economy in the United States, we create countless jobs, lift the
voices of our community and yes we have a big stake in voting numbers! We are more
than the flavor of Hispanic Heritage Month. We are resilient, hardworking and we hold
7.2% the pie in business in the state of Ohio where continuously growing by around
2.9% yearly.

We need your help, before the pandemic and more so now- we all know that the
devastation covid-19 We all know that it hit the hospitality food industry and the minority
and small business community extremely hard. So let's turn it around and give the
pandemic a different face for a minute, and see a failure as an opportunity, and let me
give you an example- with the unforeseen circumstances of the pandemic the minority
business Enterprise legislation would help so many minority small businesses to gain
access to local contracts government contracts and multi-million dollar
corporations, not just to stay afloat not just able to conduct business as usual, but to
thrive ,encourage and motivate other members to follow footsteps and continue to
contribute to the growth of our economy.

       Especially now when we need it the most.

Ladies and gentlemen of the committee I can stand here and talk about talk about
MB'Es WBE SW and all the details OF those certifications , and legislation that I have
taken my time to learn with a lot of help of my community leader friends, but I am I am
here to tell you my story I’m here as a Chef, Mother small business owner minority
business owner woman, wife ,friend and lately called Business Leader, I have a
responsibility towards my community ,for my community in my community.

I'm here to give you my testimony I am here to give you heart blood sweat and tears
AND my experience in growing my business.

We're looking for a seat at the table ladies and gentlemen, we're looking for a fair
opportunity, it's like everybody else to make our dreams come feed our families and
uplift our communities and encourage the ones that are coming behind us, BECAUSE
we only have a limited time here and we need to make the best of it make a difference,
that is my belief and also my legacy. I am here as an example and a vessel to relay the
message of hundreds of thousands of 7-year-old little girls from Santiago Chile and
around the world today, with a dream in their pocket. By passing legislature you will
make the road a little less Rocky for the ones that are trying to make their own way not
just into the small minority business community but as a business leader in the world.
This is my American dream. Thank you very much for listening to my story because I
represent the story of many.

Rosario Galaz-Rosie

Chef/Owner /Founder The Tomato Guys LTD -Pachamama Kitchen and Garden


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