ALBUQUERQUE MBDA BUSINESS CENTER
About Us
The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises.
ABOUT THE MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (MBEs)
MBEs are fast-growing, innovative, and represented in every industry sector in the United States. Minority-owned firms directly contribute to the U.S. economy and account for the creation of millions of U.S. jobs.
11 million
There are nearly 11 million minority-owned businesses in the United States
6.3 million
Employing more than 6.3 million people
$1.8 trillion
Generating more than $1.8 trillion in revenue annually
Who We Are
The New Mexico Minority Business Development Agency Business Center (MBDA Business Center) is part of a national network of business centers funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The Center is operated by the City of Albuquerque Economic Development Department, which is strategically focused on filling equity gaps in our small business community, with an emphasis on taking minority business enterprises to the next level of success.
What We Do
We work with minority-owned businesses looking to expand into new markets, both domestic and international. Whether you need help acquiring finance, competing for contracts, discovering a strategic partner, or becoming export-ready, we can assist you.
Who We Serve
We support businesses that are pursuing growth throughout New Mexico and across the United States. Our clients are U.S.-based minority business enterprises (MBEs) as defined in the MBDA Act. This includes businesses owned and operated by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals. For more information, please see the Business Center Client Engagement Form, available at the Center. The Center will maximize its impact by focusing on high-growth sectors in which New Mexico excels: biosciences, aerospace and drone technology, energy, defense, construction, health care, optics and photonics, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and film and television.
Meet the Team
Gabriela Marques, Director
Gabriela is a passionate champion for disadvantaged, small, and minority businesses. She brings her expertise in business development, program implementation, and commercial lending throughout New Mexico to her role as Director of the Albuquerque MBDA Business Center. Gabriela previously worked for seven years at DreamSpring, an award-winning microfinance organization. As market manager and senior loan officer, she led the lending team in New Mexico and Nevada, removing barriers to access to capital and developing strategic partnerships. Born and raised in Brazil, she moved to California to pursue her university studies and then fell in love with New Mexico close to a decade ago. Gabriela received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and has a master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego.
Direct contact: 505.376.7823 - gmarques@nmmbda.com
Sofia Bajana, Project Manager
Sofia is a firm believer in local talent and minority businesses, bringing experience developing and implementing business strategic plans for small and medium-sized organizations. She has an MBA from Anderson School of Management and experience in the E-commerce Marketing arena overseeing product optimization, customer experience analytics, and recommendations on increasing sales and new customer acquisition. Her previous experience in Ecuador gave her the ability to connect with people and help them succeed. She helped small companies to introduce their products to the marketplace, improve their production processes, complying with all the required public policies.
Direct contact: 505.397.0674 - sbajana@nmmbda.com
Michael Silva, Business Advisor
Mike Silva began working with the NM Minority Business Development Agency in January of 2021. He is CEO of his own consulting company EnFrente LLC. His previous work history includes working as a Senior Project Manager for the New Mexico Small Business Development Center, Director of Public Works for the Pueblo of Jemez, President of his own consulting company, EnFrente Inc. and served as president of the Rio Grande Educational Collaborative 2000-2012, a non-profit educational services organization that he founded. He retired from Public Service Company of NM as Director of Corporate Quality in 2002 after 30 years’ service at PNM. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico with a major in business.
Direct contact: 505.376.7824 - msilva@nmmbda.com
Daniel Martinez, Business Advisor
Daniel, an Albuquerque native, has a diverse business background: sales & marketing, business development, operations, financial management, and Business Consultant. Much of his career was spent developing international markets in Latin America – building infrastructures from raw markets to support global strategies. His entrepreneurial insights and operations experience were leveraged for several projects by The Coca-Cola Company. Since returning to Albuquerque in 2006, he has mentored (General Manager) an energy technology startup (JV with Sealed Air, Inc.) and now manages his consulting firm, Puye Analytical LLC. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor’s in Chemistry and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering.
Direct contact: 505.356.3788 – dmartinez@nmmbda.com
WHAT OUR PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“MBDA has exceeded all expectations. Through their services and support, they have helped bridge connections with many contacts otherwise out of our network.”
- Mike Ely, Chief Development Officer from Nube Group