Doral SVP plays up Hispanic community empowerment
Lucienne Gigante, senior vice president of marketing, public relations and community at Doral
Lucienne Gigante, senior vice president of Doral Bank, recently discussed the importance of community empowerment and its multiplier effects on society, during the 34th annual convention of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
āAt Doral, we take great pride in being a leading community bank. To us, that means making a difference in the lives of our clients and community. Our strategy is simple ā substitute advertising dollars for corporate social responsibility dollars,ā she said.
āWe believe in creating long-term community programs that empower, educate and provide opportunity. We also believe that driving womenās economic development has a multiplier effect on the economy and is a solution out of fiscal problems,ā she said in her address to the group, during the luncheon at which Michelle Herrera Mulligan, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan for Latinas, was awarded the USHCCās āWomen in Business and Leadership Award.ā
Gigante, with the support of Doralās CEO, Glen Wakeman, and the bankās executive leadership team, has been instrumental in formulating dynamic entrepreneurial and community programs across Puerto Rico, reflecting Doralās commitment to the communities which it serves.
Wakemanās vision for community initiatives centers on providing economic and financial support to those who often do not receive it. The āMujeres de Exitoā (Women of Success) program, a cornerstone of Doralās local outreach, is a community program committed to supporting the entrepreneurial and professional pursuits of women in Puerto Rico.
āThe number of highly educated women ā women with the potential to start scalable ventures ā has reached record levels in Puerto Rico and the U.S.,ā Gigante said.
āYet not enough women are being encouraged to take entrepreneurial steps, or exposed to appropriate opportunities because, among other conditions, their support structures and networks continue to be limited. We want to change this reality,ā she said.
Over the past two years Doral has invested nearly $3 million in Puerto Rico communities through āMujeres de Exito,ā which provides capital for women to start or grow a business, while making education, mentoring and networking opportunities available to help them succeed.
āIn the last year alone, Doral has enabled the creation of 30 women-owned businesses. In fact, just two weeks ago, we injected approximately $1 million into 20 additional high-growth, women-owned businesses,ā she concluded.
