A trio of female entrepreneurs who operate primarily out of the central valley, talked to students on March 11, 2024, at the “Women in Business Panel Discussion” in the Old Administration Building.

Liset Garcia, Devoya Mayo and Marjorie Carlet-Edmonds were the guests of honor, and they spoke on their personal histories, challenges and philosophies for a whole hour. The three women come from very different backgrounds, but they were connected through their core principles and hard-working natures.

Garcia is the founder of the Sweet Girl Farms company, a year-round fruit and flower stand located in Reedley, CA. While her parents had been farming for years, Garcia initially planned to become a healthcare professional in Los Angeles. But after a terrible injury that left her hands stitched and immoble, she moved back to Reedley where she transformed her parents farm into a profitable start-up. Garcia’s mother was actually in attendance of the panel discussion, recording every answer her daughter gave.

“I’d notice when I was starting out is that a lot of people would ask, ‘Where’s the owner of the business?’ And they were always in disbelief when I told them it was me… I don’t look like any other farmer in the agricultural industry, so I became a pioneer and I stand by that,” Garcia said as applause began to rain down upon her.

Mayo is an artist of many platforms who got her start in poetry. After hosting poetry readings in the Tower District for three years, she was offered a job at the KFCF radio station where she would eventually host the show, “Move On Up” for five years. The show became very popular in Fresno, but she left the station in 2008 to pursue more creative endeavors.

Since then, she has hosted a webshow with Jason Merle called the “Sucka Free Sunday Podcast.” There, the two hosts invite weekly guests to discuss all kinds of things, but with a focus on music that the guests recommend. In addition to the podcast, Mayo cultivates new monthly “Stay Sucka Free” playlists designed to encourage and empower listeners.

“I have no idea what the opposite sex feels in this regard, but more often than not it’s the women who lift me up, even if they have no idea that the importance of what I’m saying affects them also,” Mayo said.

Finally, Carlet-Edmonds was a Fresno City photography professor before the pandemic, where she found a new calling in real estate. Now she is known as “The Flipper Queen,” a successful house renovator and furnish artist who has worked tirelessly to fit that bill.

“97% of the flippers are men. And when I used to meet these men, some of them billionaires, I would get so nervous and tell myself that I probably don’t belong here. The hardest part was the look, their judgment. But I don’t need your love, I just need you to know that my hard work is what got me here,” Carlet-Edmonds said.

All three women highlighted the importance of being around people who support you and will help cultivate a successful, creative environment. Garcia really leaned into this sentiment, mentioning how hard yet important it can be to stray away from loved ones that don’t have your back.

“You are who you hang out with,” Garcia began. “Have the courage to overcome the uncomfortable and jump the barriers of what you think is possible. But most importantly, don’t ever, ever compare yourself to what you think you have to be.”