Rosa Herrera weaves community, culture, and entrepreneurship into the stories she writes from Albuquerque, New Mexico. A former MainStreet program director, she spent years helping local businesses navigate grant applications, marketing, and historic preservation regulations. Now she covers small business strategy, nonprofit development, and local commerce with a deep belief that independent shops are the heartbeat of a community. Rosa’s heritage she’s a twelfth-generation New Mexican anchors her understanding of place-based economic development. She holds a degree in community and regional planning from UNM and serves on the board of a local micro-lender. In her free time, Rosa practices traditional Pueblo pottery techniques and advocates for arts education funding.