Beyond music, fun, Mercado a living entrepreneurial lab

For many of its fans, Mercado on Fifth is all about the music, entertainment, food and culture on display on Fridays in Moline’s Floreciente neighborhood. But whether they notice it or not, market-goers also are treated to a glimpse of a living, growing entrepreneurial laboratory that was born when the market was first launched in […]

For many of its fans, Mercado on Fifth is all about the music, entertainment, food and culture on display on Fridays in Moline’s Floreciente neighborhood. But whether they notice it or not, market-goers also are treated to a glimpse of a living, growing entrepreneurial laboratory that was born when the market was first launched in 2016.

Elevating others is a passion for Mercado’s new Executive Director Frances Williams. So she is embracing every opportunity to do that through the market and programs that have grown from the Quad Cities cultural hub created by the late Group O founder Robert “Bob” Ontiveros and his granddaughter Maria Ontiveros. “This has been such a blessing for me personally because I lost my dad last year very suddenly,” Ms. Williams said. “I had been working at one of the largest and oldest Latino-serving organizations in the State of Colorado where they did both workforce development and economic development through entrepreneurship support.  “So for me to be able to come here and see that I can contribute right here in the Quad Cities where I grew up – and in ways that fill my heart – is truly a very big blessing to me,” she said. Since joining the organization, Ms. Williams has immersed herself in Mercado. “Frances has big goals for Mercado on Fifth and the entrepreneurial ecosystem we have built,” Ms. Ontiveros told the QCBJ. “A big driver for her is to see our network of minority business owners build generational wealth. This, of course, requires education and mentorship which will be a big part of Mercado’s 2024 season behind the scenes.” Mercado’s co-founder added “We also have a great entertainment lineup backed by generous corporate sponsors. As in previous years, the Latin music and dance features help so many Quad Citizens feel excited about our community.” So does a crowded calendar of new events and old favorites for 2024 that includes the first-ever Taste of Mercado and the return of the Día de los Muertos Parade.  Another new feature this year, Ms. Ontiveros said, is an indoor art gallery that showcases local Latino visual artists. It was unveiled on Mercado’s opening night.  “We hope everyone gets a chance to check out the rotating exhibit at some point this summer!” Ms. Ontiveros said. Ms. Williams also remains focused on growing and promoting Mercado’s events. That was evident when the QCBJ spoke to her as storms threatened – but ultimately failed – to scuttle the market’s Friday, May 24, opening night. The show went on and so did a weekly living entrepreneurial laboratory that featured some 45 vendors who will continue to take their places at the outdoor market through Sept. 27. These entrepreneurs are at various levels of development, but they have one thing in common. “For them, it’s really about the sales,” Ms. Williams said. “Some of them are testing,” she said. “There is this movement for example in freeze-dried candies. We have one of our vendors who’s been doing the rounds at different toy shows. Now they’re coming to Mercado to see if there is a market for freeze-dried Skittles, Jolly Ranchers ...” Then there’s the Atlas Collective, a bookstore and coffee shop, that is using its weekly visits to Mercado to draw people back to their brick and mortar location also in downtown Moline. Ms. Williams highlighted a pair of women entrepreneurs who drive into Moline every Friday from Monmouth, Illinois. Here Mercado's goal is to help “grow a great little business that started as a food stand.”  The women offer delectable snacks and side dishes including tiny tamales. “They are incredible, incredible cooks,” she added. “It’s fun to watch them because we’re already starting to talk about, ‘Hey, have you thought about a food cart or a food trailer? What about a food truck?’” Then there is an old favorite, Miquel’s Tacos, which she said boasts some of the longest lines every Friday night at Mercado. “He’s somebody that’s already thinking, ‘How can I move into brick and mortar?’” Ms. Williams said. “I find it fascinating to watch those different levels of growth and that’s what we want at Mercado,” she added. “To have that kind of incubator, and to see people go from that start phase, actually launching, taking action and then growing it, managing it and operationalizing it.”  Ms. Williams is a three-time entrepreneur and eager to continue to promote and elevate others, particularly Latino women through Mercado and its growing arsenal of programs. “With (Mercado’s) minority business incubator there is a lot more that we can do. But what I love every Friday night is that I get to watch and observe,” she said.  “We’re all scientists in this entrepreneurial laboratory,” she added. “What’s going to work, what’s not going to work this week? What else can we do to attract more? What other additional promotions do we need to do?” She stressed, however, that “we’re not the end all be all. We’re just a place for people to launch to test and then see if there is a market for this. And we want to bring the resources that can take them to that next level.” Ms. Williams said the Mercado organization has “incredible resources including its dual language program for the Illinois side. She’s also eager to partner with Iowa to find ways to ensure that eastern Iowans who come to Mercado can be trained in the language they prefer. “I get the fun position of being able to really observe and then hopefully being able to learn over the course of the next year what other supports our community needs,” she said.  Is Mercado what she expected? “No, oh, no,” Ms. Williams chuckled. “There’s the surface level of Mercado, right, but there are so many other layers of Mercado.” Before coming to the Quad Cities, she said, “I read on the (Mercado) website what their mission was but until you actually get to join and start to meet the vendors and people from the community and hear their stories, you don’t realize how deep they go.”