Hispanic descent, Selene Cruz feels that diversity comes in various shapes and sizes, it is not just limited to ethnicity, religion, or culture but can be seen in the little things like where one went for school, etc. As a young child growing up in the saw, Cruz knew she was different from her peers, she was not white.
Coming from a low-income family of immigrants who came from Argentina to settle in Florida, their condition was fairly poor and did not have enough money to make ends meet. After coming to Florida she went to a community and then applied and got accepted to the University of Pennsylvania.
Pursuing this path wasn’t something Cruz had in mind because her first priority was to support her father and started by paying off her students while she was receiving her education. However she soon realized that working part-time jobs did not mean a steady income, she needed to reevaluate and think of long-term benefits.
After much thought and several attempts, Cruz finally decided to trust her instincts and let go of her fears choosing to start her very own business. In 2014, Selene introduced Archer Brighton, a label that produced stylish bags and accessories for its customers.
Back then it was easy to use online marketing techniques like search engine optimization and social media to promote and advertise.
To grow and expand she started exploring new ideas and in 2016 came up with the idea of “Re: store”, a retail as a service platform that connects buyers and retailers, building a community making it easier to buy and sell merchandise and purchase a variety of items.
Soon her start-up began to grow and flourish. It managed to make millions of dollars and garner huge profits. Selene says that she was very hesitant but is sharing her story to lead by example and motivate others that all it takes is determination, dedication, hard work, and a gentle push, the rest just follows.