Yolo López DeMarco – Latino Business Expo

López DeMarco’s Work Brings Communities Together

“For a lot of business owners, being involved in the Latino Business Expo is a transformational experience,” says Yolo López DeMarco, whose business—Yolo Vox—hosts Elkhart’s annual Latino Business Expo (LBE).

“There’s nothing wrong with a basic pop-up market, but the purpose of the Latino Business Expo is specifically to give Latino business owners in Elkhart County the experience of a professionally organized event, with a formal pipe-and-drape layout, so that they can grow confidence in their business, learn how to network, and see themselves in a different light. The spirit of the Latino Business Expo is one of helping; we want to help business owners take themselves more seriously and understand what they can do to grow their businesses and expand their reach.

It’s inspiring for a lot of the business owners to be involved in such a professional event, and the expo also gives business owners a chance to get critical feedback and to connect with local business experts. The Hispanic community is not the easiest to convince that something like this is worth the time and money, but once business owners have been a part of this event they realize it’s a worthy investment; they realize how much networking and making new connections can improve their businesses, and their lives.

A local business owner, leading by example

I came to Elkhart County with my mom, from Mexico, when I was six. I went to Concord High School; I didn’t get Honor Roll grades but I was able to tap into some of my natural leadership skills. I was involved in sports and dance, and during my senior year of high school my mom encouraged me to apply for a leadership scholarship at Goshen College. I am one of the first in my family to go to college and finish with a degree; I majored in Broadcasting at Goshen College and I got a minor in youth ministry.

I never really saw myself as a business owner. I spent a lot of time in the broadcasting field—I was a journalist for Fox 28 News and I was news director for WFRN Radio in Elkhart. Then one day I thought of starting my own business, and I told myself I can do this. I had my Broadcasting degree and a lot of experience both in front of the camera, and behind it, and in my mind I envisioned starting my own business where I could put my best skills into play; helping people and organizations with important, bilingual communication services.

In 2020 I started my business, Yolo Vox. We offer advertising services, translation, voice-overs, and Spanish services for corporations, government entities, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. When I started it, we were mainly doing voice-overs for radio and TV. During the pandemic there was an uptick in need for translation services; the opportunities kept coming in and the business has grown steadily since then into what it is today.

The underlying theme of what we do at Yolo Vox is to help companies overcome language and cultural barriers for the sake of bringing communities together. That’s something that’s always been important to me, and that’s also the underlying mission of the LBE. I think my own experience as a business owner makes the LBE even more important to me.

Helping people, organizations tap into potential

Online registration for the 2024 Latino Business Expo will begin in March of 2024. As it is every year, the point of the event will be to bring Latino-owned businesses together to connect and network with each other and with the broader business community of Elkhart County. We’ll have bilingual business workshops, there will be a luncheon with a keynote speaker, and an array of networking opportunities.

While a big part of the event is to create a sense of belonging and support for Latino-owned businesses, the LBE is an all-bilingual event and we also invite non-Hispanic companies to have a space at the expo. The Hispanic market is growing more and more, and so many local companies are looking for ways to connect more deeply. Last year we had close to 100 businesses at the expo wanting to learn how to better reach the Hispanic market.

There is so much potential within our local Hispanic community, but we have to make sure to provide access to the resources Latino-owned businesses need to create lasting success. It’s pretty amazing to be a part of the Latino Business Expo; there is so much energy and enthusiasm surrounding this event.

Hard work, access amount to success

I remember at one point, when I was a senior at Goshen College—I’d go into Fox 28 at 10 p.m. to do writing and reporting, then at 2 a.m. I’d go into WFRN. I’d leave WFRN and immediately head to my first class at Goshen College at 7 a.m. Hard work is always the surest path to success, but as a community it’s important that we make sure we are giving small business owners and Latino- and minority-owned businesses in Elkhart County all the resources and tools needed for success. That’s what the Latino Business Expo is all about; showing people that, no matter what, their dreams are within reach.

That’s something I learned firsthand, and I’m glad to be able to help others achieve their goals.”