From Vision to Reality: How Arka HR Solutions Leveraged BEI Advisory Services and Capital for Expansion
Arka HR Solutions was founded by visionary Latina entrepreneurs, Marcela Aldaz-Matos and Andreina Viera Silva, united by their passion for delivering exceptional Human Resources (HR) services.
Marcela has served as an executive in Fortune 500 companies, leading teams in the financial services and healthcare sectors, domestically & internationally. She is currently Arka’s CEO and the founder of MCBI Advisors LLC.
Andreina brings 20 years of business executive and entrepreneurial experience, managing infrastructure for Fortune 500 companies and higher education institutions. She is the founder of The Vieras and the non-profit, Boss Lady.
Recognizing the need to scale their business effectively, Marcela and Andreina, despite their deep HR expertise, sought additional skills in marketing, operations, and technology. They both previously participated in the Business Equity Initiative (BEI) program as consultants and witnessed the significant support and acceleration it provided to businesses. Eager to leverage this for Arka, they applied and enrolled in the BEI program.
Challenges – Marcela and Andreina with their BEI Strategic Advisors narrowed down their biggest challenges:
Market Visibility: Despite offering valuable services, Arka struggled with market visibility. They needed assistance in developing a comprehensive marketing strategy to enhance brand awareness, attract new clients, and expand their market reach.
Operational Efficiency: The Arka team realized the need to streamline workflows and optimize resource allocation to boost productivity and effectiveness but lacked the expertise to make these improvements independently.
Solutions – Collaboratively, Marcela, Andreina, and their BEI Strategic Advisors focused on the following actions:
Marketing plan and execution:Developed a detailed marketing strategy and plan, which included launching a website, creating capability statements, initiating a monthly newsletter, and starting a blog to enhance brand recognition and expand market reach.
Operations analysis and optimization: Conducting a detailed review of workflows and operations, identified gaps and optimized resource allocation, laying a clear roadmap for improved efficiency and scalability.
Capital funding and assistance: BEI connected Arka HR with the Boston Foundation’s Business Equity Fund (BEF), aiding in a successful loan application, and providing support in documentation and communication.
Impact – Arka was able to successfully work through their challenges and achieve the following:
200% Growth in LinkedIn Audience: Arka bolstered its brand presence with a well-defined marketing strategy.
800+ Hours of Bilingual Training: Launched Arka Academy, a training and development service, training over 200 employees in both English and Spanish.
Community Impact through Funding: Securing the BEF loan from the Boston Foundation allows Arka to expand operations, create jobs, support local suppliers, and contribute to local economic growth.
“Overall, our participation in the Business Equity Initiative (BEI) program was driven by a desire to overcome specific challenges and position our business for long-term success and impact in our community. Through collaboration with the program team and fellow entrepreneurs, we were able to address these issues proactively and make significant strides towards achieving our growth objectives.” Marcela Aldaz-Matos, Co-Founder and CEO, and Andreina Viera Silva, Co-Founder and President, Arka Hr Solutions
We’re excited to grow our team and welcome a thoughtful, mission-driven leader into the role of Small Business Lending Director. This newly created position plays a key role in our next phase of growth, leading day-to-day lending operations, managing portfolio performance, and expanding access to capital for small businesses across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you’re passionate about supporting entrepreneurs, strengthening local economies, and advancing financial equity, we’d love to hear from you.
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The Nectar Community Investments residential team recently attended the 2025 MassEnergize Conference, which proved to be a thoughtful and impactful event full of advocacy, connection, and shared commitment to climate action at the community level. Residential Services Director Lissette Paukert spoke on a panel about funding residential decarbonization, joining representatives from Mass Save, the Community Climate Bank and Abode to talk about ways we can make energy efficiency upgrades more accessible and affordable for Massachusetts residents. Here are a few of her insights from the conversation.
What are the biggest challenges Nectar clients face in pursuing decarbonization projects?
These days, we see some fear of financial uncertainty and a lack of trust in the energy industry due to aggressive, predatory-like marketing behaviors. That’s also due to divisiveness and misinformation in our current environment, including whether climate change is real and if decarbonization efforts even matter. When you have limited cash flow, you invest carefully in products that are going to last and not cause issues. There needs to be clear and truthful messaging around the impact of decarbonization, from both an economic and environmental perspective. Not only do homeowners need education, but it’s just as important that the contractors and all professionals …
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for Nectar’s official launch in Rhode Island. We’re thrilled to be working in the Ocean State, and engaging with the entrepreneurs, ecosystem partners and other attendees at the event boosted our sense of excitement and community.
Since our founding in Massachusetts in 2008, we’ve made it our mission to invest in community and build generational wealth. We’re continuing that commitment in Rhode Island — today, tomorrow and well into the future. This launch event was only the beginning! We’re looking forward to working together, supporting dedicated small business owners, and collaborating with ecosystem partners to build on their successful efforts throughout the state.
