Meet Our Give Guide Business Partner: ¿Por Qué No? Taqueria
Right now, Adelante Mujeres has a goal of raising $60,000 on The Willamette Week’s Give Guide in order to support our programs in the coming year. The owners at ¿Por Qué No? Taqueria are helping us make it happen. This year, they are matching donations of $150 or more up to $5,000! But what is Por Qué No? Why do they want to support this work? Why is philanthropy important to them? Let’s find out.
In a hip neighborhood on Mississippi Avenue in Portland sits a small, vibrantly pink taqueria. It’s lunch time, and a line of people wait outside to order their tacos. It seems to always be packed, and for good reason.
The food is mouth-watering good, the ambiance is dark and cozy, and the staff is lively. How do you top that? Well, the owners are giving back to their community in a BIG way.
Por Qué No started investing in Adelante Mujeres’s work back in 2009. The business is run by Bryan Steelman and Marcos Lopez Dominguez, who are both dedicated to making our community a better place — for everyone.
“Just seeing what Adelante Mujeres was doing and the goals for helping marginalized Latina women through education, enterprise, and business — it really kind of clicked,” says Bryan.
Marcos grew up in Mexico and moved to the U.S. when he was 15 years old. “I didn’t have that much. I came from a big family. My mom always encouraged me saying that what you give, you receive,” says Marcos.
“I started working at 14,” says Bryan. “If I wanted to play soccer and needed to pay for my jerseys, then I worked and payed for those jerseys. I grew up in a way that I did have a lot, but there was a struggle around money.”
“Then, as I grew up, I realized there was a lot of opportunity that I didn’t know that I had just by being a white male.”
“So those things mixed with having a business that is doing well and is able to create really good jobs and a good living, and there’s still an abundance. Giving just seems necessary. Especially wanting to focus on equity and education, it just feels right. It just feels important.”
Por Qué No began by giving to organizations in small ways, such as giving them gift certificates or small in-kind donations. But over the years, they have gradually increased their investments. Now, they aren’t just supporting Adelante Mujeres, but also Latino Network, Causa, many of the public schools in Portland, and more.
The first time Por Qué No gave a cash donation to Adelante Mujeres, it was through the Give Guide, an online platform where 150 of Portland’s most impactful nonprofits are under one digital roof, making holiday giving fun and exciting with raffle prizes and additional grants for the organizations.
“I feel like the Give Guide has been a resource to really get the word out about the amazing local organizations we have, and to inspire giving in a way that just feels really normalized instead of special,” says Bryan.
“I think the normalization about giving is what I like about the Give Guide.” — Bryan Steelman, Por Qué No co-owner
For the guys at Por Qué No, giving to their community in a big way is normal. It has become who they are as a business. And they have bright visions for the world they hope to see in the future.
“One hope, just coming off of the elections we just had, is that we get so far past having to worry about things like Measure 105 passing,” says Bryan. “I want us to have a society that someday feels fair and equitable and that there’s a level playing field. And I understand that that’s pie in the sky considering where we are, but that’s what we’re aiming for, right?
I just hope that organizations like Adelante Mujeres and Causa and others are going to keep growing and getting bigger budgets to do more work and expand it to touch more and more people. And that, through the education and empowerment, we just keep heading on that arc to a better place.”
Right now, you can donate to Adelante Mujeres on the Give Guide to help us reach our $60,000 goal before December 31st. Collectively, these gifts, no matter the size, are transforming lives. With your help, we can build a more just society by empowering Latinas to lead.
A huge thank you to Por Qué No and every single person who has donated to our Give Guide campaign so far. You make our work of empowering Latina women through education, enterprise, and leadership training possible.
Thank you! Muchas gracias!
Adelante!
