Melissa Rodriguez

Owner, Melrose Formal, Wichita

Raised in the family that ran Rodriguez Fashions, Melissa Rodriguez learned entrepreneurship from an earlier age. While a student at Wichita State University, she reluctantly and at the last minute entered the school’s business plan competition, sure that her idea of a shop that catered to quinceañera fashion would never win. Instead, she was the first Latina to win the competition and in 2009, opened her own business now known as Melrose Formal. In this interview,  Melissa talks about her experiences and how,

I don't think people understand how difficult it is to run a business. They just think it's like, Oh, just buy some stuff, open up, call it a day.
Melissa Rodriguez

Here, she tells her story, highlighting the challenges of being a young, Latina entrepreneur but also how her success has depended on both hard work and on adapting to shifting trends.