Patricia Rivera of Lewes named Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year

Patricia Rivera recently received the 2018 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year Award from the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. Rivera is the owner of Lewes-based Hook PR & Marketing, an agency for changemakers and organizations that solve tough challenges with innovative services. She was recognized at the chamber’s 28th Women’s Leadership Conference, held Nov. 15 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.

“Patricia Rivera, brand storyteller and marketing consultant, excels at helping Delaware organizations build their brands with meaningful content across multiple channels,” said Bob Chadwick, chamber president. “Through her hard work and dedication, she has built her business, created jobs and given back in so many ways.”

Rivera was 7 when her father, then a recent widower and a college professor, moved the family from Bolivia to the United States to start over. “To this day, he exemplifies courage and perseverance for my three brothers and me,” she said in her acceptance speech.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in communications at the University of Tennessee, Rivera began a career in journalism. She has worked for The New York Times, The News Journal and the Dallas Morning News.

She started Hook PR & Marketing in 2007. Based in Sussex County, the company has clients statewide, including the Delaware Higher Education Office, $tand By Me, Telamon Corporation, NCALL Research and Perdue Farms.

She partly credits mentors Ellyn Herbert of the Small Business Administration and Antara Dutta, a former SCORE president, for her growth. Dutta is the founder of a program called We Think, which helps female entrepreneurs expand their businesses.

“We’ve all heard the saying that behind every great man is a great woman,” Rivera said. “I say that behind every successful entrepreneur is a tribe. My tribe is made up of fierce warriors ... who identify strengths you may not even realize that you have. They challenge you to stretch. They pull you – sometimes kicking and screaming – outside your comfort zone.”

Rivera recently launched a second company, Marketing Ella, to help women build bolder brands and smarter websites. Active in the community, she serves on the boards of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement and the Delaware Hispanic Commission. She is president of the board of La Esperanza.

“Let us embrace opportunities to elevate others,” she said. “Let us be the warriors who start conversations that spark action. Let us open doors and make connections. Let us inspire.”

For information about Hook PR & Marketing, go to www.hookpr.com.