We’re so excited to introduce our longstanding business member, The Valerin Group. Founded by President and CEO Valerie Ciudad-Real, this award-winning, full-service marketing and communications firm specializes in helping government agencies with community engagement. We sat down with Ciudad-Real to talk about her journey as an entrepreneur and how Grow played an important role in bringing her business to life.

 The Valerin Group Story

Ciudad-Real started Valerin 20 years ago when she saw a niche opportunity to help government agencies communicate their plans and projects to the public. As a self-proclaimed “calculated risk-taker” with an entrepreneurial spirit, she didn’t hesitate to go all in on her business. Two decades later, Valerin has grown from a small two-person company into a fully-fledged team of marketing specialists, creatives, engineers and more.

From concept to construction, Valerin plans and implements communication tactics for many city-ordained endeavors. When we asked about the importance of community in the work they do, Ciudad-Real explained that it’s a core part of the job. She considers her firm the connective tissue between these big government projects and the people dealing with  day-to-day effects of them. “When people are being impacted by construction or road widenings or flood relief projects, you have to be sensitive to that, give back to the community and promote the benefits [of the project] so they understand that it’s for the betterment of the community and for them.”

Out of all the phases of the work her firm performs, she finds the one-on-one conversations with the community to be the most rewarding — especially when Valerin has just finished a project and can see the positive impact it will have on everyone in the area. “I still get Christmas cards from community members,” she says. “You build a connection with them.”

As someone born and raised in Tampa Bay, Ciudad-Real values the opportunity to lead a company that supports the improvements being implemented by the city, county and local agencies.

The Valerin Group and Grow

When launching The Valerin Group, Ciudad-Real was looking for a trustworthy financial institution to partner with, one that could support her where she needed it most — with a business line of credit. She went to countless banks, but none of them offered the personalized customer service she was looking for, and none were willing to look beyond her bank account. “You have to have money to make money, and I didn’t have that,” she says.

Luckily, her parents were (and still are) dedicated Grow members. They put her in touch with a Relationship Manager, who assessed her situation holistically, found a solution and helped her open a line of credit. The rest, as Ciudad-Real says, is history.

Thank you, Valerie Ciudad-Real, for sharing your story and trusting us with your company’s banking and financing. As a credit union that puts people first, we love being able to support a business that emphasizes local community growth and empowerment.

Learn more about The Valerin Group at valerin-group.com.

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