CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — La Carreta and A&A Concrete Owner Alfonso Medina of Marshalltown, right, poses for a photo with Vice President Kamala Harris, center, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, left, during an October event celebrating Hispanic business owners and entrepreneurs at the VP’s residence in Washington, D.C.

La Carreta Owner Alfonso Medina got a taste of the spotlight a few years ago when his “No Love, No Tacos” campaign went viral, but even that exposure couldn’t have prepared him for the opportunity to meet with some of the highest-ranking officials in the country and talk about the success of the small business he runs right here in Marshalltown.

In early October, Medina was invited to Vice President Kamala Harris’s Washington, D.C. residence to attend a summit of Hispanic business owners in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month, and he got to pose for a photo with the VP herself along with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. He credited “No Love, No Tacos” with putting La Carreta on the national radar.

“That’s one of the reasons they reached out to us. We were kind of making good noise and getting into good trouble here in Iowa,” Medina said.

Through a friendship with Lilian Sanchez, a staffer for the Vice President who is originally from Des Moines, Medina had the right connection, and before long, he had received an official email inviting him to attend the event. It was his first time visiting the capital city, and, in his words, it was a great chance to see “where all our money goes to.”

In all, about 40 Hispanic entrepreneurs — Medina and his friend, El Fogon Mexican Grill Owner Blanca Plascencia of Des Moines, were the only two from Iowa — from around the country gathered at the VP’s home, and their lines of business ranged from food to oil and everything in between. Medina flew in on a Thursday morning, spent the day in D.C., went to the event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and was back to work at La Carreta the next day.

“We got to mingle a little bit with Kamala and her husband in the living room. We took an official picture, which was really cool,” he said. “You know, there’s very important leaders from different countries that were there. I know the president of Mexico was there just this summer, so it’s pretty cool for me to be like ‘Oh, the president of my parents’ country was just here where I’m standing in the same room.’ So it was pretty neat.”

The Vice President delivered remarks highlighting the importance of Hispanic business ownership and how these companies are becoming a “backbone” of the U.S. economy before encouraging the entrepreneurs to “keep doing what they’re doing” and making an impact in their communities.

“Hispanic-owned businesses are becoming major players in the overall U.S. economy, from employment to the tax-generating force they are, and slowly crossing into other industries, not just food. We can see it right here in Marshalltown. So many Hispanic-owned businesses are thriving, generating work, local, state and federal taxes and contributing to the wellbeing of the town,” Medina said. “We need more hardworking people to be able to compete in the international realm. That’s been our country’s strength. We need hardworking immigrants who want to call the U.S. home now more than ever.”

Medina also called the entire experience with the VP and fellow business owners “surreal.”

“I enjoyed it. I was thankful that they put something together, and it was very motivating for me to talk to other small business owners from across the country — Colorado, Ohio, just all over the country — and I got to connect with them,” he said. “Those connections I made, I started following what they do, following their business pages and how they do things and got inspired by what they do as well, and they followed us as well… Just going to Washington, D.C. for 24 hours was a great symbolic event for me.”

Wherever he goes, Medina does his best to represent his businesses — both La Carreta and A&A Concrete — but he’s also quick to mention the community where he grew up and graduated from high school before ultimately returning to reopen the family restaurant.

Medina isn’t the kind of guy who ever rests on his laurels for long, so he’s always planning something. After winning two T-R “Best of the Best” awards this year, he’s got his eyes set on more in the future, and he plans to continue to market and promote the business while recognizing the contributions of past and present employees who have helped to make it what it is today.

“It’s a tough industry to be in. It’s not for everybody, especially in Marshalltown. It’s very competitive in our industry. There’s a lot of options, so we definitely make sure that we are the first option for the people that live here and the people that come into town,” he said. “We’re gonna continue to think outside the box and find ways that we can impact the community — not just the normal ways of donations and stuff, but actually think of ways we can make a bigger impact and create bigger noise. The sole purpose of that is, yes, to help out the community, but to spark somebody else who is in a position to even help more to build that domino effect.”

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com