QUEEN OF CONSTRUCTION

RICHELLE MORENO was 5 years old when she began her construction career, building tree houses in her mother’s backyard. “To others it might’ve looked like pieces of wood from one branch to another but in my mind, I was building houses,” says Moreno, who now owns AXIOM Contractors LLC and is the founder of the Latino Contractors Association. “As a young adult, I was told I had to settle down and do ‘women stuff’ like getting married, having kids, and take care of a husband. But I always wanted to be more and do more so I rebelled against my Latin culture where women are limited to only do ‘women stuff’.” In 2012, she did two big things—became a business owner in the male dominated industry of construction, as well as the single mother of two boys. “It’s ironic because in my culture, if you are a single mom you are considered a failure,” Moreno adds. “But that’s how my success story began.” With just $6,000, she started her first construction company as well as an electrical company, ultimately selling both to establish AXIOM Contractors in 2018. In 2022, she married Emmanuel García, a CPA who has taken on the role of CFO for the family businesses and together, they invest in real estate and their community by helping contractors establish systems and structures, and obtain trainings they need to succeed.

Most rewarding part of what you do? Building homes and helping construction businesses is the most rewarding feeling in the world for me!

How should women support other women? I see women supporting each other though networks, collaboration, and working with eachother.

How do you inspire others? By sharing my story without embellishments and my experience on how I started from nothing. People can relate when I get invited to speak at events and on podcasts, and by reading my recent book, Latinas in Real Estate II.

For more information, visit axiomcontractors.net and follow @richellem.morey on Instagram, richellebuilds on LinkedIn, and Richelle Moreno on Facebook.