When your first language isn’t English, it can be difficult to understand how to secure a business loan. Rafael Quintero, a bilingual business banker at U.S. Bank, plays the critical role of helping Latino entrepreneurs and other minorities obtain financing. Teaming with the city of Minneapolis and a variety of nonprofits that reach out to minorities, he provides U.S. Bank micro-loans and other forms of financing that launch start-ups, provide funds for equipment or other expenses, or allow a business to purchase its building.
“The way I add value is in being able to explain—in their own language—the banking system in the United States,” says Quintero. “Then they understand that there are resources for them to start their own business or keep their business going.”
Quintero first came to Minnesota as a high school exchange student from Venezuela. He returned years later to attend college at Metropolitan State University where he acquired a degree in management and economics, and a master’s in organizational management from Concordia. While in college, Quintero juggled a job at Medtronic, working his way up from the warehouse, to customer service, and ultimately becoming a diversity facilitator.
Quintero continually asks his bosses for more responsibility and opportunities to develop his skills. “You cannot just sit there waiting for people to hand things to you and wait for things to happen in your life,” he says. “You have to think bigger for yourself and set goals for what you really want to do.”
