Nicole Davison León

The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (HMC) is driven by a mission that goes beyond programs and policies. It’s about creating lasting change for Latino families across Oregon and Southwest Washington. For Executive Director Nicole Davison León, that mission is both professional and deeply personal. Guided by the question, “How are we bettering the lives of those we serve?” she works to break down barriers and open doors, drawing on her own experience of growing up in a family business and navigating life as a first-generation student. 

Nicole emphasizes that there is no single Latino experience. From farmworker families in rural communities to immigrant business owners in cities, every story is unique. Balancing organizational goals with such diversity requires listening first. HMC’s bilingual and bicultural team ensures that programs are tailored, not one-size-fits-all, allowing the organization to reflect the true spectrum of Latino life in the Pacific Northwest. 

Under Nicole’s leadership, HMC has strengthened its four-pillar programs, entrepreneurship, education, leadership, and community, while launching initiatives like digital navigation, workforce support, and clean energy advising to help Latino families and businesses thrive. From financial literacy summits and mentoring to Jefas y Café and Empresarios en Acción, the chamber creates spaces for growth, while expanded scholarships ease debt and open doors for first-generation students. For Nicole, impact is measured in lives transformed: students who graduate, succeed in their careers, and return as mentors, donors, and leaders—proving how individual opportunity becomes lasting community progress.

Nicole’s leadership is rooted in her own journey. Born in Mexico City and raised in Nogales, she grew up in a family business that showed both the pride of entrepreneurship and the sacrifices it demands. As a first-generation student, she learned resilience and the value of mentors who opened doors. Her experiences shaped her empathic, accountable style, defined not by titles, but by challenging the status quo and removing barriers so others won’t have to face them alone.

She believes that when one family becomes stable, the entire community becomes stronger, which is why her vision emphasizes collective financial freedom, including education, policy change, and tools that empower Latinos to shape the economy rather than just participate in it. Partnerships are central to HMC’s strategy, as Nicole believes no single sector can solve systemic inequities. By building bridges with education, government, and private partners, the chamber creates pathways for students, access to capital for businesses, and policies that drive equity. Grounded in trust and community needs, these collaborations strengthen and amplify HMC’s mission.

Innovation is central to HMC’s future vision. Nicole is especially focused on a coalition of chambers creating an economic revitalization hub in Portland, offering entrepreneurs capital, mentorship, and training while safeguarding communities of color from displacement. She also aims to expand access to capital through collective investment and creative lending, helping Latino businesses secure space and long-term stability.

Metrics play a vital role in tracking progress. For businesses, HMC looks at revenue growth, jobs created, and sustained enterprises. For students and leaders, the focus is on graduation, career placement, and advancement into leadership positions. These KPIs reflect whether programs are genuinely strengthening economic mobility and creating opportunities for Latino families.

Equity, however, remains at the core of everything. Internally, that means hiring bilingual, bicultural staff and creating leadership pathways grounded in lived experience. Externally, it translates to designing programs that prioritize those most affected by inequities. By centering those farthest from opportunity, HMC ensures that its solutions drive broader systemic change.

The chamber’s impact is perhaps best illustrated in stories like that of El Viejón, a restaurant worker laid off during the pandemic who, with HMC’s support, launched his own business. Today, he owns three businesses across two states, employs over 40 people, and mentors other entrepreneurs. His story exemplifies how Latino entrepreneurs, when given the right support, not only change their own lives but uplift entire communities.

For Nicole, advocacy is embedded in every aspect of her work—from lobbying elected officials to raising funds, pushing for fair procurement policies, and amplifying the stories of Latino students and entrepreneurs. Advocacy ensures that programs not only benefit individuals but also catalyze structural change.

Nicole’s focus is on ensuring HMC’s long-term impact through strong reserves, diverse revenue, and governance that outlasts any single leader. She is equally committed to cultivating future leaders from within the community to carry the mission forward. As the only Latino economic chamber in Oregon and Southwest Washington, HMC’s growth is urgent, and Nicole envisions it as a state-wide force that dismantles stereotypes and showcases Latino excellence. Her goal for the next three to five years is clear: secure a lasting seat for the Latino community in shaping the Pacific Northwest’s economic future.