In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, NASA Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) is spotlighting Contractor, Esther Veras whose role is to support the Small Business Office at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Esther started her journey with NASA in April 2014 and offers invaluable support to her customers. She is responsible for reviewing Small Business Subcontract Plans, to building metric reports, as well as the NASA Mentor-Protégé Program.
National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States. How do you feel being a part of this celebration, especially in the context of your work with NASA?
It’s an honor to celebrate and play a role in the contributions that Hispanics and Latinos continue to make in the U.S. I’m proud to be a Hispanic woman supporting NASA and I am appreciative of the opportunities to grow in this agency and put my skills to use for a greater purpose. I’m especially proud of participating in Small Business initiatives which endeavors to create opportunities for entities of all backgrounds including Hispanic/Latino small businesses. The fact that Hispanic & Latino-owned businesses in the U.S generate more than $800B for the economy on an annual basis, it shows that we can and do indeed make a difference. Now that’s something to celebrate!
Can you share an exciting project you recently worked on?
The most recent and ongoing project I’m most excited about now is NASA’s Mentor-Protégé Program. This program is intended to build and develop small businesses, with several socio-economic categories, as well as Historically Black Colleges & Universities/ Minority Serving Institutions to pursue contracting and subcontracting opportunities with NASA.
Who inspires you?
I’ve always been inspired by the “underdog”. They encourage me to push forward, reach higher, dig deeper and gracefully do so with nobility of character and a servant heart. I may have singlehandedly described by mom.
Do you have a favorite memory where you most strongly felt a sense of community?
My most recent and favorite memory was a “back to school” supply drive at a local elementary school. Support for this drive came all directions. My church family, my NASA customer, my employer (7th Sense Consulting) and co-workers all supported in different ways. It was such a beautiful display of community. We need more of that in the world, especially now.
