The 35th Annual Women’s HERstory Month Awards

Lisa Gutierrez

In 2012, Lisa Gutierrez left her Cheesecake Factory manager position of 10 years to follow a wild dream of starting a food truck business with her husband. They started with nothing but a borrowed food truck, $2,000 in savings, and a whole lot of ambition. Through these hopes and aspirations, they brought Dos Hermanos Taco Truck to life, bringing Vicente’s family’s authentic Oaxacan-style recipes to their community. This authenticity is what would eventually lead long lines and raving fans to their truck. 12 years later, Dos Hermanos has 4 brick-and-mortar locations, 3 mobile food trucks, a taco cart, a concession stand inside the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and catering services. Through hard work and strategic connections, Lisa has grown Dos Hermanos to a 7-figure business. Over the years, Lisa’s hard work did not go unrecognized.

In 2019, the SBA named Lisa as Minority Owned Small Business Person of the Year. Also, Dos Hermanos was recognized by the ICIC as one of the fastest growing inner-city companies in America in terms of revenue and job creation. Further, in 2022, Lisa was personally invited to attend an event at Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. As Lisa works to keep her business growing, create new job opportunities for her community, and collaborate with other small businesses, she also finds time to sit on the advisory board for the Women’s Center of Economic Opportunity.

In addition, she sits on the Executive Board of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce as President Elect, where she helps moderate and create discussion about helping the community. Lisa’s most recent accomplishments are launching both her public speaking company, Lisa G. Speaks, where she enjoys teaching business owners how to gain momentum and run a profitable business, and Food Truck Millionaire, a coaching platform where Lisa takes food truck owners from the concession window to the CEO seat. Lisa, having no prior business education, knows the struggles of starting from zero with no connections. This drives her desire to share all the knowledge she has to lead other aspiring entrepreneurs to the path of success.

Musical Performance: Ianna Turner

Ianna Turner is a current Columbus State student. She is a multifaceted creative who prioritizes healing through the arts. The Columbus-based native is a performing artist who thrives in the areas of singing, dancing and songwriting. In 2022 Ianna decided to share her talents after participating in multiple art groups and programs offered by other artists in the community. Ianna’s involvement in the performing arts has helped her overcome her shyness, building her confidence in her artistic and personal health. She is influenced by R&B and Soul music from all eras and likes to experiment with all genres.

Everyday life experiences are the biggest source of inspiration for her. Ianna’s process of freestyling sonically pleasing melodies, honest writing, and heavenly background vocals is therapeutic and exhilarating for the creative and audiences alike. She hopes to inspire people to connect with their deepest emotions and embrace the power that comes from authentic self-expression. Her captivating voice, effortless stage presence, and smooth moves are guaranteed to leave her audience feeling empowered. 

In addition to her love for the arts, she will be graduating in the spring with her associate of arts degree. She is currently working on music in hopes to release her first solo single this year. Ianna also appears on “F.E.E.L.”, a collaborative album released in 2023 with a group she is in called Eyes Untied. Stay on the lookout for Ianna's art and upcoming endeavors by following her Instagram @Eyeannaaa.