Stella teaches business classes and provides individual coaching to small business owners in Central Maine and statewide. She comes to NVME from the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center where she served as the Business Hub Director. There, she advised business owners, developed resources and training opportunities, and administered grants. Before working at the Welcome Center, Stella was a small business owner for 17 years. She co-founded two Portland restaurants–Bar Lola and Lolita–and co-owned Hilltop Coffee for 12 years. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, she was a management consultant and also served four years as executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Maine. Stella earned a Master of Business Administration from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis after studying civil engineering and architecture at Princeton University and earning a Master of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. Outside of work, Stella loves to travel, listen to live music, bake, and dig in her garden.
Stella Hernandez
