Highlighting Women in Business [] Rotary San Miguel de Allende -Midday

Midday Rotary has a triple surprise for our members and visitors on Tuesday, April 26. We are planning a panel discussion featuring three prominent women in our business community. The theme is “Women in Business.”

Paulina Gallardo, Francine Llano Lory & Cynthia Kulander are our featured speakers, each of whom will talk briefly about their business projects in San Miguel. They will follow up by dialoguing with each other as to how their work has empowered them as women.

Paulina Gallardo López is the oldest daughter of the well-known Gallardo family, the originators of the “San Miguel shoes.” After the loss of her mother and father during the Covid pandemic, Paulina and her siblings have continued to run the business.

She leads a very active life not just as a businesswoman, but as an elected member of the San Miguel Ayuntamiento (City Council). She is a mother of an 8-year-old daughter, an active sportsperson (Paulina works out in the gym 3-4 times per week) and has been an active member of the Spanish-speaking Rotary Club for 5 years.

Interestingly, Paprika Restaurant & Music House originally was opened only as a restaurant more than a decade ago. But after Fran Liano consulted with famed local jazz musician Bobby Kaplan, she knew that the entertainment aspect would be essential for her success. Over the years, Paprika has become associated with some of the finest musicians in town including Gabriel Hernandez, Rick Schlosser, Lady Zen, Hot Tamales, Doug Robinson, & so many others. Fran feels that a key ingredient of her success was the development of “an atmosphere of harmony and intimacy” between the audience and entertainers.

Cynthia Kulander, the third member of our women’s panel, has a somewhat different perspective. She was born in Detroit, Michigan, but split most of her time raising a family in Sonoma, California & working in business in SMA. Her mother opened the first Bed & Breakfast here in 1958, & beginning in 2010, she became a full-time owner of Casa Carmen. Cynthia is a dual citizen who always looks for new ways to help empower women.

The 40-minute session will be moderated by David Bossman who hopes to provide some insights into the struggles and successes that these women have faced along the way in a small, but very competitive Latin community.