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Jennie Rodriguez had worked in advertising and design in Chicago for about 15 years, gaining experience in ad agencies, design studios and a publishing company, when she decided she needed to focus on something more important than her career.

鈥淢y best friend, Teresa Gomez-Harris, was diagnosed with breast cancer,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 thought I was going to take six months off, spend time with my friend and help her through that process. She was a pretty awesome person and I was happy I took that time off.鈥�

Former colleagues began asking Rodriguez to do some freelance work and, before passing away, Gomez-Harris, an entrepreneur herself, suggested Rodriguez start her own company. She established her company, Twirl, in 1999 and Gomez-Harris was instrumental in helping her name it.

鈥淚 wanted a business name that was a little bit ambiguous which didn鈥檛 include my surname, like most agencies at that time. Our industry is always evolving and revolving with a new spin, and we thought Twirl was fun and represented the movement and energy of the industry,鈥� Rodriguez said, adding the firm鈥檚 tagline is 鈥淪trategically Creative.鈥�

Victor Echevarria joined Twirl in 2006, bringing experience from working in True Value鈥檚 communications department as a graphic designer and production specialist. He was laid off but True Value hired him back as a freelance art director to help develop its internal and external marketing materials in 1999. Echevarria met Rodriguez in 2003 and the pair hit it off personally. Three years later, they decided to become professional partners as well and split their time between Chicago and Portland.

Now based in Portland full time, Twirl specializes in developing product and service brands for entrepreneurs and small businesses 鈥� including several construction companies 鈥� government agencies, Fortune 500 clients and nonprofits. Its services include a full spectrum of branding and marketing communication solutions, along with Word-Press website design, development, hosting and maintenance and photography.

Echevarria said he enjoys partnering with business leaders to overcome obstacles and succeed in their creative endeavors, noting that Twirl鈥檚 status as a small firm means he and Rodriguez share many of the same rewards and challenges their clients face.

鈥淔or me, the greatest joy is creating some-thing from scratch and giving it new life. From our point of view, it鈥檚 about instilling confidence, providing value and building trust,鈥� he said.

Rodriguez added that she loves the variety her work offers. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be able to learn about all these different industries, and that鈥檚 been something that I truly enjoy.鈥�

Over the years, Rodriguez has gained her own confidence as a woman business owner and appreciates the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs through NAMC-Oregon.

鈥淭he connections have been valuable and the people are great,鈥� Echevarria added.

Twirl Advertising and Design was named Business Diversity Institute鈥檚 Minority Business Firm of the Year in 2016 and 2018 BESThq Partner of the Year. The firm is currently the marketing consultant for the Port of Portland Mentor-Prot茅g茅 Program. Twirl also has garnered several Summit International Creative Awards and Golden Trumpet Awards. To learn more about the firm, please visit .