Breaking Barriers and Building Dreams

Compared to the overall workforce, the construction industry has long faced a disparity when it comes to diversity. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022 only 10.9% of construction professionals were women, 34% were Latino and 2% identify as LGBTQIA+. Municipalities are making progress in this area, like Los Angeles County’s Community Business Enterprise (CBE) program, which is a step in the right direction. People of diverse backgrounds bring experiences, perspectives, and ideas that transform communities both economically and through improved quality of life.

Roxana Brito, founder of Diamond General Construction, Inc. is breaking barriers as an immigrant, queer Latina in the construction industry. With support from her wife, she turned her dream of starting a business into reality and plans to continue building her legacy. 

Roxana Brito (far right), founder of Diamond General Construction, Inc.

Diamond General Construction, Inc. is a full-service general construction company that offers services to property management companies that own or maintain multi-family apartment buildings, providing high-volume interior and exterior unit renovations. 

Getting started wasn’t easy. As a woman in a predominantly White male industry, Roxana has been turned away or overlooked for contracts due to her gender. She worked late nights and early mornings, knocking door-to-door on property managers' offices. Without a formal business education, Roxana learned as she went, relying on her instincts and the support from her wife to keep going. Eight years later, Roxana has scaled the business from interior and exterior renovations to also building new dwelling units to help the housing shortage.

A trailblazer in the construction industry, Roxana wishes to empower women – starting with her daughter – to keep pursuing their dreams. She hopes that her story inspires young women to believe in themselves, even in the face of doubt and adversity. 

Roxana is participating in LISC LA’s Ascend LA program, a training program that prepares diverse entrepreneurs to accelerate their growth through corporate and government contracts. Participants gain the tools and resources to elevate their business with sessions focused on marketing and sales, management and leadership, financials, project management, certifications, and contract acquisition. They also participate in strategy sessions with business development experts and join the nationwide alumni community with access to contract matchmaking events. 

Through Ascend LA, Roxana gained the knowledge and tools to grow and scale her business. Roxana says that participating in Ascend LA provided her with confidence in her business decisions thus far. She also feels prepared to bid on larger contracts to expand her business. Roxana is excited about new opportunities and looks forward to continuing to break barriers in the field.  

Roxana (far right) with her family

For Roxana, Pride Month is not just a month– it’s a daily celebration of love. “I celebrate Pride Month every day because there is nothing that I am more proud of than my family– my wife and two kids. For me, the best way to celebrate Pride is by showing my kids to be proud of their family,” said Roxana. 

During Pride month – and year-round – LISC LA is proud to support LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and help them reach their dreams. 

Developed by the University of Washington Foster School of Business and powered by JPMorgan Chase, Ascend LA is led by LISC LA in partnership with Loyola Marymount University, and CMG Alliance.

Learn more at https://www.ascendla.org/.