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Meet Amber Tarrac

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Meet Amber Tarrac

June 19, 2025
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We were lucky to catch up with Amber Tarrac recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump into the story of starting your own firm – what should we know?

The Spark that Lit the Fire

FounderFuego was born from a moment of inspiration and breakthrough.

Three of us had just left the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, each inspired to launch our own firms and support entrepreneurs in more human, community-driven ways. I knew I didn’t want to do it alone. That same month, Richard and I were on a trip to Sequoia National Park. As we hiked, we smelled wildfires in the distance. At the visitor center, we learned something powerful: the sequoia tree cannot grow without fire. The flames open the pinecones, clear the brush, and make space for new growth.

That’s when the name hit us: “FounderFuego”.

“Founder” for who we serve.
“Fuego” for the fire every entrepreneur carries.
It’s not just a name, it’s our philosophy.

Fire is not destruction. It’s transformation.

From Idea to Action

We launched with a mission to disrupt the entrepreneurship ecosystem by creating a bilingual platform to support community, funding, and learning, so we built it! We launched with the FounderFuego newsletter, podcast, and bilingual digital community centered around coaching, workshops, funding, storytelling, and business growth tools accessible in both English and Spanish.

First, we started by:

Clarifying the mission — We centered our work on founders and CEOs who are often overlooked by traditional systems.

Building the team — A powerhouse of bilingual coaches, funding, branding and marketing experts, strategists, and community connectors.

Creating offerings — From our transformational workshops to the FounderFuego newsletter and podcast to the “In the Hot Seat” funding power hour webinars, our programs are built with cultural context and actionable support.

Structuring operations — Forming our for-profit and non-profit fiscal agent partnerships to serve both community members and institutional partners.

Early Challenges

Trust and credibility: Convincing founders we weren’t just another program that disappears.

Infrastructure: Balancing Spanish-English programming while scaling with integrity and inclusivity.

Capacity: As a small but mighty team, we wore many hats while staying deeply rooted in our mission.

What We Would Do Differently

Invest earlier in systems: Automation and backend processes would have saved hours.

Go deeper with anchor partners: Long-term collaborations with banks and chambers could have accelerated impact faster.

Advice for Emerging Founders

Sharing the social impact of your brand is a huge part of the storytelling that builds credibility, customer awareness, and loyalty – if the flame behind it lights you up, it will attract others.

Start small and stay loud – validate, share wins, and don’t be afraid to tell your story in real time. Don’t be afraid to share the metrics and areas for improvement as others can learn from your challenges, which can in turn support their own problem-solving efforts.

Design WITH community, not just for them.

Bilingual offerings are not an afterthought, they are market, leadership, and strategic advantages.

And most of all: lean into the fire. The pressure you feel now is often the exact force needed to open your next chapter.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Meet Amber Tarrac: The Spark Behind FounderFuego

I am Amber Tarrac, founder and CEO of FounderFuego, a bilingual resource hub helping business, nonprofit, and government leaders access capital, community, and clarity. I’ve spent over 20 years in public service, working in economic development, workforce training, and government funding, and leading a nonprofit. I’m a proud second-generation San Diegan, Latina, bilingual in Spanish, from a family of artists and entrepreneurs, and a longtime advocate for equity and culture in business.

How I Got Here

Before launching FounderFuego, I served in leadership roles at the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the California Employment Training Panel, California State Association of Counties Foundation, the City of Escondido, the City of Miami Beach, the County of San Diego, and the San Diego County Latino Association. I’ve managed over $37 million in grants and funding programs and have seen firsthand how many brilliant founders, especially BIPOC, Hispanic, women, veteran, and LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs continue to be left out of the traditional ecosystem.
I saw a pattern: passionate, visionary entrepreneurs were showing up for help but then getting lost in a fragmented system. Business development center advisors were doing incredible work but because of conflict-of-interest policies, they couldn’t provide direct or “done-for-you” services. That often left entrepreneurs to either start over with someone new who didn’t know their business or fall off altogether. And when services were free, no-shows were common. Without financial commitment, many founders didn’t follow through, not because they didn’t care but because there was no urgency built into the process.

At the same time, there was a significant gap in bilingual business coaching and access to tools in both English and Spanish. Many Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs were left navigating critical funding decisions, pitch decks, and business strategies in a language that didn’t reflect their lived experience.

That’s when the vision for FounderFuego took shape. We set out to build something that was not just available but effective. Not just translated but culturally built. We wanted to create a place where entrepreneurs felt seen, supported, and strategically equipped to grow.

What we do at FounderFuego

FounderFuego is designed to light the path forward for business, nonprofit, and government leaders.

We’re here for the bold, the burned-out, and the just-getting-started.

We don’t gatekeep funding. We teach it.

Our content is culture-forward, heart-centered, and strategy-backed.

We believe community is the business model.

And we’ll never ask you to dim your fire, only to focus it.

What makes FounderFuego different:

We’re not just another coaching firm, we’re a movement rooted in equity and story.
We’re bilingual by design, not as an afterthought.

Our coaches and collaborators reflect the communities we serve.

We combine government know-how with real-world startup experience.

We believe storytelling is as powerful as spreadsheets – and we use both.

We keep it real. If you’re overwhelmed or not sure where to begin, you’re our kind of founder.
Whether you’re “flailing around and could really use some guidance”, “tired of free webinars that don’t actually help”, “looking for deal flow that fits both mission and market”, or “tired of DEI panels with no follow-through”, FounderFuego was built for you.

What I’m Most Proud Of

I’m proud of the entrepreneurs we’ve helped go from stuck to scaling. Proud of the single moms who tripled their sales in three months and hired a team. The nonprofits that built stronger boards. The Spanish-speaking founders who finally felt seen.

I’m most proud of the community itself – we’re here for the bold, the burned-out, and the just-getting-started.

We don’t gatekeep funding. We teach it.

Our content is culture-forward, heart-centered, and strategy-backed.

We believe community is the business model.

And we’ll never ask you to dim your fire, only to focus it.

Whether you’re seeking funding, clarity, or simply someone who gets it, FounderFuego was built for you.

Want to go further? Join our FounderFuego Community Membership, where you’ll gain access to exclusive trainings, bilingual resources, grant and funding strategy sessions, and a network of entrepreneurs who support and uplift each other. It’s where real results happen.

¿Prefieres español? También ofrecemos recursos, talleres y entrenamientos completamente en español. Únete a nuestra comunidad para crecer con apoyo real.

We also offer customized trainings, workshops, and speaking engagements, online or in person, for businesses, nonprofits, schools, government teams, accelerators, and startup programs. From funding and grant readiness to toolkits, business resource guides, pitch decks, strategy, branding, marketing, and PR roadmaps, our team brings strategy with soul.
We invite you to schedule a call with us to explore how we may be of service.

FounderFuego is actively building partnerships and sponsorship opportunities.

We welcome aligned sponsors for our:
• Weekly FounderFuego newsletter
• FounderFuego Podcast
• Grants with AI Workshop on June 26
• Back in Business: From Fed to Founder™ program (currently accepting applications through June 24)
• In the Hot Seat: The Funding Power Hour webinar series

If your organization wants to fuel the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs and change-makers, we’d love to connect.

Because when community meets clarity? That’s when transformation happens.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Doing the work, consistently and in community.

I’ve spent over two decades in economic development, not just learning entrepreneurship and funding strategy, but applying those lessons to real-world systems. I hold both international and state economic development credentials, which reflect not only my expertise but also a commitment to continuous learning and staying connected to a global network of practitioners. That access allows me to bring tested strategies and best practices directly to the communities I serve.

But the real foundation of my reputation has been showing up, online and on the ground, with heart, consistency, and follow-through. I’ve built trust by being visible and doing the work with and for the people I serve. That’s why I’ve been honored with awards and recognition like:

• National Latina Business Women Association’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Latina Business Woman of the Year
• San Diego State University’s Rising Aztec
• La Revista Binacional Latino of Excellence
• Features in Univision, ABC Channel 10 News, NBC Palm Springs, and The Times of San Diego

I’m also proud of the programs we’ve created through FounderFuego that meet people where they are and help them move forward with confidence. We have collaborated through community partnerships with Chase Business Coaching for Impact, the Better Business Bureau, Village Up, Business for Good, Cause San Diego, the San Diego Tourism Authority, Tidal Pages (a BIPOC business directory), chambers of commerce, business associations, and more.

Two current examples I’m especially excited about:

Back in Business: From Fed to Founder™ is a program created by government workers for government workers affected by federal layoffs. It’s designed to help them transition into entrepreneurship with grant support, business coaching, and a full roadmap to launch. Applications close June 24. If you know someone in your network who was impacted, please share it with them.

The AI-Driven Grant Mastery Workshop on June 26 is where we’re hosting a powerful session that shows entrepreneurs how to use AI tools and our internal tech systems to find grants faster, write stronger applications, and streamline their process. If you know someone who’s stuck in the grant and funding grind, this workshop could be a game-changer. Please help spread the word.

At the end of the day, reputation isn’t built overnight, it’s built by listening, delivering, and lifting others up along the way. And that’s exactly what we’re here to do. Being visible, being accessible, and being authentic, that’s what builds reputation.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My social media presence didn’t grow because I chased trends, it grew because I built authentic connections with our community. I tabled all over Southern California, served as a speaker and pitch judge at conferences nationwide, started sharing what I was learning in real time, from grant strategies and funding wins to behind-the-scenes moments building FounderFuego (I’ll never forget the behind-the-scenes picture of our first podcast episode video production in our garage studio). I didn’t pretend to have it all figured out. I shared the messy middle. And that’s what resonated.

I also knew our audience, especially bilingual, underestimated founders, wasn’t hearing themselves reflected in most content. So, I started speaking directly to them, in both English and Spanish. Every post, webinar, and newsletter was crafted like a message to someone I already cared about. That built trust and trust builds community.

But let me be clear: this wasn’t a solo journey.
I’m surrounded by a dream team that made our online presence what it is today.

Richard Lopez, our branding strategist, is the creative force behind our epic graphics, videos, and visual storytelling.

Amber B., our marketing mastermind, leads our social media ads, sales funnels, and content messaging—her fingerprints are on every piece of scroll-stopping copy.

Dr. Tonia Burgess brings strategic clarity and expertise in government contracts, helping us align with public sector funding and drive institutional growth.

Together, we’ve not only grown FounderFuego, but also launched and scaled brands like Harvest Marketing Agency, Soul Sound Sanctuary, and Rich Lopez Consulting. What sets us apart is our shared commitment to community-rooted strategy, bilingual access, and real transformation.

We focused on content that was:

Useful (grant tips, business strategy, pitch deck breakdowns)

Relatable (burnout, founder fear, imposter syndrome)

Culturally grounded (Spanglish, street-smart, and soul-driven)

FounderFuego’s audience grew not just because of the content, but because we made people feel seen. We intentionally featured the Emmy-award winning Cassandra Schaeg, founder of Fresh Glass Productions, on FounderFuego’s inaugural video podcast episode, featuring an incredible entrepreneur with deep roots in the community who is making an impact by amplifying diverse founder stories in the beer and wine industry.

My Advice for Anyone Starting Out

Pick one person, not a demographic. Speak to the version of you that needed guidance five years ago.

Post imperfectly. Start with what you have and let your content evolve as you grow.

Engage with intention. Don’t just post, connect. Respond. Uplift others.

Be bilingual or be real about your lane. If you serve a diverse audience, reflect that in your voice.

Teach what you know. Give generously. The returns will come.

At the end of the day, people follow people, not just pages. Let them hear your fire.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Richard Lopez of Rich Lopez Consulting

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