Luna Nunez-Israel
If one thing characterizes Luna's story, it is that she is always looking for an opportunity to learn and an avenue to challenge herself. Luna is from Peru and immigrated to the United States of America in July 2012, where she immediately faced a new slew of challenges different from the ones she was used to, as she now had to carve out a living without her family in a foreign land, all while still developing herself and learning their language. Luna reminisces about her first job as a nail technician because this job taught her a great deal of conversational English. In this role, she realized her passion for service jobs, where she could see how much her customers appreciated her work.
When Luna moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota, she was determined to build a community for herself, and that she did. She began working at a restaurant, which not only helped with her ultimate goal of fully assimilating to this new country but also helped her to learn more about the restaurant industry in the United States because deep down, Luna had a lifelong dream to own a restaurant but this dream had only intensified the longer she was in the United States because now she wanted to introduce the community that had introduced her to so much of their culture to the detailed intricate cuisine that is Peruvian food, as Peru is considered the food capital of the world.
Luna knew that starting a business would not be an easy feat, and she wanted to ensure that she would be up to the task. She knew the next step in her self-improvement was going to college. Luna attended Northern State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Management. She describes the Northern state community as her family and is beyond grateful for the smaller communities she found in her professors, fellow Wolves, and the English Club. Luna's next challenge came when she was laid off from her job at the restaurant. Though others may describe this moment as a setback, Luna described it as a catalyst that finally pushed her to embark on her entrepreneurial journey. She created Bella HouseMaids, and she was able to put into practice all the business skills she learned in college. She knew the importance and returns of grassroots marketing in Aberdeen, and she knew her audience, so she walked corner to corner of Aberdeen and neighboring areas with flyers detailing her services. Just like Luna left no stone unturned in her past jobs, her education, and the marketing of her current business, she left no stone unturned in the way that she managed her business and very quickly testimonies of how thoroughly her services spread through the region.
Luna, at heart, is still a fierce Northern Wolf and loves to participate in every Northern event that she can. That was how she came across the Northern Startup and Innovation Center. Although she owns a successful business and has a bachelor's in Business Management, she is always looking for ways to improve herself and attended as many of these events as she could. She states that she is pleased to see that such a wealth of knowledge is offered entirely free of charge and that, once again, she can rub minds with people from different walks of life.
She just completed her 8-week idea-to-market program with the Innovation and Startup Center. And in her personal account details how insightful this program was for her, especially when she got insight on how she could improve her poster for her business. Luna's journey from Peru to the United States and her growth in her new country is a testament to the power of grit and a firm knowledge of your self-concept. In Luna's words, "a no should never be the reason you give up on your dreams." Luna still has her heart, and mind set on opening her Peruvian-themed restaurant Cuzco, in Aberdeen. Without a doubt, Luna, by sheer willpower, will succeed in this venture as she has been with every hurdle she has faced.
