Alejandra Garza, ’92, shares what she’s learned from straddling three cultures, founding her own business, and serving her community.
“I thought, it doesn’t matter if you’re not born a millionaire. What matters is holding onto what you have and investing wisely,” Garza shared with Chicago Booth students at a recent event in the school’s Leaders of Color series. “The first investment is in yourself. You think about it and you say, I can do almost anything.”
For Garza, that meant founding her own business, AGG Consulting, in Chicago. As president, she provides strategic marketing, leadership development, and business consulting for health insurance companies, educational institutions, nonprofits, and other organizations she’s passionate about.
Garza spent her young life in three different cultures. She was born in Mexico and grew up in the United States. She returned to Mexico for a few years to study at the Tech of Monterrey before moving to England. Though challenging at the time, continually adapting to a new culture proved to be a career asset, she said.
“Individuals who have lived in other places can go from one culture to another and understand what the signposts are or speak other languages,” she said. “It gives you an opportunity to look at problem-solving in different ways.”
