CEO & Founder

A Message from the CEO & Founder

"The Virginia Hispanic Chamber is vital to all Virginians. This is your organization. Make your voice heard and get involved in Chamber membership, educational programming, or community outreach activities through the Virginia Hispanic Foundation. I encourage you not just to join, but to take an active role."


Connect with us, join us, and grow with us.

- Michel Zajur -

About Michel Zajur

Michel immigrated to the United States from Mexico City with his family in the early 1960's when he was just a child. He was taught the value of hard work by working in his family’s restaurant, La Siesta Mexican Restaurant. La Siesta quickly became a staple in Richmond and remained in business for over thirty years. During its many years as a local establishment, La Siesta received many culinary achievements, but none greater than what would soon come. After a long while, it became more than a restaurant, it became a local hotspot for the Hispanic community. Not only for delicious food, but also as a place to gather and obtain information on everything going on in the community.  As the necessity for information constantly grew so did Michel and his wife Lisa's passion to provide it. This passion and commitment to the community led to the establishment of multiple educational programs, as well as, the birth of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber & Foundation. 

Michel Zajur attended college at Virginia Commonwealth University, a diverse school in Richmond, Virginia where he furthered his passion for helping the Hispanic community. Michel then married his wife and partner Lisa a passionate driven local educator and together they began to make a serious impact on the educational systems and communities throughout Virginia. As a result of his work with outreach programs and his involvement within the community, Michel founded a statewide organization, the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (VAHCC), in May of 2000. The VAHCC serves as the bridge linking the Hispanic business community within the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2003, the Virginia Hispanic Foundation was established as an effort to further provide education, information, and resources to the Hispanic community.


Michel serves on many different boards throughout Virginia and has been appointed by Governors Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and Bob McDonnell to serve on various commissions, task forces, and transition teams. Michel serves as leader and public speaker for many businesses and is a consultant for multiple organizations looking for his expertise in helping them connect to the Latino community.


Michel has received numerous awards throughout his career which include: the National Conference of Community Justices Humanitarian Award in 2002, the Minority Small Business Champion Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration in 2006, and the Global Excellence Award from the Virginia International Business Council in 2011. Michel was recognized as “One of the 25 People You Need to Know in the State” by Virginia Business Magazine, and was acknowledged as one of Richmond’s most influential and inspiring people by Boomer Magazine in 2012. In September of 2012, Michel received the Ohtli Award which is the highest award bestowed by the Mexican government upon a non-Mexican citizen. In June 2016, Michel was recognized as one of 30 people who have “helped shape the Richmond Virginia community” in the Richmond Times- Dispatch's newspaper’s Metro Business 30th Anniversary Special Edition. In 2018, The Richmond Times-Dispatch honored him as the “2018 Hall of Fame Inductee during their Person of the Year award ceremony. Michel has a passion for building bridges and extending ladders in order to construct a better community for all. 


When a reporter from Richmond Times Dispatch asked Michel, "why did you choose your profession?" Michel replied, "As a child, I watched my parents struggle to figure out the business system in the U.S. and saw how grateful they were to receive guidance and assistance from a successful business owner in Richmond. Our family opened a Mexican restaurant called La Siesta, where all six of my brothers and sisters worked. When I was attending VCU’s School of Business, my plan was to franchise La Siesta so people everywhere could enjoy our delicious food. However, my initial business plan took a different course when I started noticing more and more Latinos coming into our restaurant who needed help with job placement or establishing a business. I began giving my guidance and assistance to them on an informal basis, from my own business and personal network connections. I was passionate about helping other people, and after realizing there wasn’t a specific organization in Richmond to help Latinos, I decided it was important to establish the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as a resource." 


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