Alma Vasquez came to North Carolina from Mexico in 2000. She started off working as a helper at a restaurant where she later became a manager. She moved to Pennsylvania in 2008 where she still resides with her two daughters. She continued to work at small local businesses because of her love of helping the community. On the side, she started her own company where she invested in real estate, YAVE Investments LLC, to reach her own financial goals. In 2019, she achieved her dream of opening her own restaurant, Pagoda Cafe & Catering Services. Now, she has four employees and plans on opening more restaurants in the future in different cities.