In 2006, Pilar Gonzalez was a divorced mother of three looking to make a little extra cash. She started making yogurt-based dips in her Mission, Texas home. She quickly outgrew her kitchen, moving into the garage. She kept making dips day and night, selling to a slowly but steadily expanding network of friends, family, and fans.

Then things got real in 2014 when she won H-E-B’s Primo Picks Quest for Texas. The contest gives locally-owned, small food and beverage suppliers a chance to have their items considered for placement on H-E-B shelves. With the winnings, Gonzalez secured an SBA-approved back loan and moved Dip it by Pilar to its own manufacturing center.

The growth was great, but she struggled to maintain her transportation and distribution channels. She needed her own refrigerated box truck, and went back to the SBA for an additional loan. The SBA referred her to LiftFund, who helped her secure the financing she needed.

“The LiftFund helped me out. I received all the support I needed to grow,” Gonzalez says. “They treated me like a person, not a number. They saw a hardworking business owner who needed the help and opportunity to grow her business. They believed in me.”

The refrigerated truck made the difference. Dip it by Pilar products are now sold in over 250 H-E-B stores in Texas and Mexico.

“We have grown and are now in international markets,” Gonzalez says. “The LiftFund thinks of you like family. It's huge.” Gonzalez has come a long way from making dips in her kitchen, and the LiftFund helped her achieve her goals. “They have made a difference in my business and in my life,” she says. “And for the people who work for me.”